Team Ramdev

Now that they are not unaligned,Anna and his colleagues must define their political direction

Now that they are not unaligned,Anna and his colleagues must define their political direction

How many species can be accommodated in a single genus? Endless numbers,the biologist would say. But the political scientist must be conservative because human behaviour is less varied than life. It is restricted to the loosely defined baskets of the left,the right and the centre. Which one does Team Anna identify with? After Baba Ramdev stole Anna Hazares thunder at the joint fast on Sunday,and especially after BJP President Nitin Gadkari touched Ramdevs feet on Monday,a question of identity has come up,which demands an answer. Both Anna and Baba insist that their agendas are divorced from party politics,yet both have reached out to parties in different ways.

Anna did not face this identity crisis earlier because his movement was conceived as above party politics. It is all right to have contradictory pulls in the core team,with Prashant Bhushan leaning left and Anna himself rightwards. Variety of opinion can be a strength. But the picture changed when Ramdev wrested the plank from Anna and dominated Sundays proceedings. Arvind Kejriwal left,pleading an unscheduled attack of diabetes. It suggests that the identity crisis is of interest not only to the public,but also to Team Anna.

Anna has lost the power to reel in the crowds and his movement must either depend on Ramdev or share the dais with other political groups that can bring in their own following. But genus Anna is not broad enough to hold all species of beings. Anna cannot sit on the dais flanked by Ramdev and his bete noire ,Brinda Karat,for instance. Politically,the movement must be asked to define its direction. On Sunday,the axis was Ramdev,towards whom the BJP is also leaning. Both Ramdev and Anna have expressed a desire for strong laws,much beloved of the right. Now it is time for Team Anna to either revert to its unaligned position or enter the arena of party politics. If it dawdles at the borderland,it will be blown away by Team Ramdev.