Fast Unto Death - New Buzzword in Indian Politics

Social activist, Anna Hazare created quite a stir when he sat down on hunger strike until the Indian Government finally gave in to his demands to enact a new law to fight corruption called Lokpal Bill.  The little-known social activist shot to fame as entire India stood up in support of this little man giving a new dimension to the hitherto tolerant Indian youth upping their arms in support of a clean and corruption-free India.

Now, taking cues from the stupendous success of Anna Hazare, his staunch supporter in the movement, Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev has now threatened to go on fast until his four-point demands are met primarily targeted to bring back billions of India black money stacked abroad particularly in Swiss banks.  The four-point demands are basically bring back black money worth more than 400 lakh crores lying in Swiss banks and other international banks, bring down the circulation of high-denomination Indian currencies particularly 500 and 1000 rupees notes to decrease the circulation of black money in the market, quick drafting of a strong will against corruption, and to resend United Nations Convention Against Corruption Agreement.

Now, fasting is not a new word to Indians.  In fact, our father of nation Mahatma Gandhi brought the concept of Satyagraha or hunger strike to unite millions of Indians to fight back British by enacting a total nonviolent approach which is widely considered unique and the most successful in world history.  But, for the last 63 years since independence, Indian politics went through drastic changes and the Satyagraha or hunger strike started going into oblivion replaced by the new-age Indian politics of corruption, goons, ransom, scams, maoism, naxalism.

But, thanks to Anna Hazare, Indian politics now seems to go back to its strongest roots of clean, corruption-free, Gandhian ideology which we Indians are revered across the globe.  Hope this new buzzword in Indian politics "Fast Unto Death" will bring us back into reckoning on the global platform.

© 2011 Ranjan Kumar