Baba Ramdev wanted Govt to enact a tough legislation to bring back Black Money into the economy and punish the tax evaders. Evaluate that sentence in isolation.
Forget the fact that he is a Hindu religious preacher and possibly has the support of the Hindu religious organisations. Wait, what is the problem if he has? They are organsiations operating under the Constitution of India and have all the rights given by the Constitution. Which includes Freedom of Expression. These organisations would have been banned if they were operating illegally. I may not be a big supporter of their ideology, but I won't tolerate anyone denying them their rights. But that's another thing. Forget the talk that RSS and VHP may be tacitly supporting Baba Ramdev.
Forget the claims that the Government made a deal with him that he will protest only for 3 days and will announce that his demands were met. Why should we forget this, you say. Isn't that treachery? Has the Baba made a back room deal to start an agitation and fizzle it out all in three days? I know not. I hope not. If he did, may be he had a change of heart. May be the surge of support forced his hand. I beg you to ignore his motivation too for continuing the protest.
Forget all else. That he controls immense amount of wealth through his trust that established a University and a Pharmacy. That he started a Political Party himself, to 'cleanse the politics'. That his protests were only a follow up to Anna Hazare's very popular agitation. May be the Baba also wants a bit of fame. May be not. May be he is a modern day Parasuram out to cleanse the earth of evil. I know not. I care not.
My interest and your interest in this has to be just this: "Bring back Black Money into public domain and PUNISH the evaders" How difficult is that emotion to understand? Who cares if the Baba is making that point or Lalu Yadav? Who cares if the agitator has selfish motives? I do not. You should not.
The cowardly way in which the Government dealt with the Baba's protests was bordering on ridicule for the first three days. And suddenly, it turned outrageous. A protest that was dignified by Cabinet Ministers with negotiations could not have been so illegal that police intervention was required at midnight. Why not use some police force to track and punish a few black marketers? May be that could have broken the protests in a more peaceful manner.What was the necessity to stifle the voices of over a lakh of people peacefully protesting in Ramlila grounds? Did the Government think it can get away with seizing the fundamental rights from its people?
I can hazard a guess. This Government doesn't run the country. It is just a fringe player in the act of governance. Corporate greed runs big money and the fortunes of the rich. Local politics run the lives of poor man. Rest of the country doesn't really care, because they tune out of all this once they roll their windows up and switch on FM Radio playing Mallishka's nonsensical pretense at 'bajaofying everyone', or whatever your city's equivalent to morning nonsense is.
The Government didn't take this decision to raid Baba's tent in the night. Some radical element in the political establishment took that decision, thinking that they can put a spin on the story by saying that 'Sangh Parivar' was running the show. I don't hate Sangh Parivar. I don't care if they were really running the show. And if you want me to hate Sangh Parivar just because you want minority votes, I may start hating you!
So, Mr.Government, before you test my patience, and the patience of millions in this country, I just have this much to say: 'Bring back the Black Money into the economy and PUNISH the guilty. And don't try to choke my voice when I say that loud because if you do, you will really wake me up then.'
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