Opinion Media product
The poor public response to Anna Hazares fast at Mumbais MMRDA grounds was not at all surprising
Media product
The poor public response to Anna Hazares fast at Mumbais MMRDA grounds was not at all surprising (Wisdom of crowds,IE,December 29). Ever since he announced his intention to renew his agitation,the media has been hounding him. TV news channels have been telling people that Hazare,consumed by an inflated ego,was adamant in taking a confrontationist approach when the government and Parliament were seized of the Lokpal bill. They never missed an opportunity to inform people that his agitation was not so much against corruption as it was against the Congress. With such misinformation,people became doubtful of how bonafide the agitation is. So it was not Hazares defeat. It was the medias victory. Just as it propped him up as Superman at Ramlila Maidan,it cut him to size at the MMRDA grounds,thus proving it can make or break people and issues.
Arun Chandra
Mumbai
Rejection explained
Team Annas mercurial rise could be attributed to the governance deficit related to big-ticket scams. Crisis has a habit of throwing up new leaders,and Hazares simplicity made him a charismatic saviour. What led to the so-called peoples movement was its over-the-top marketing strategy,where too much familiarity on media and cyberspace bred the proverbial contempt. As the law of diminishing returns set in,they came up with fantastic statistics. Unfortunately,they missed a few key points. The survey takers were usually the upper-middle class with access to technology. The rational individual can be enamoured with hero-worship and an emotive appeal only to a certain extent. Turning anti-Congress cast aspersions on the teams motives and was the last straw. The crowds took the cue from Hazares new call for the right to reject,and voted with their feet at the MMRDA.
Sudipta Das
Annatocrat?
CAN Anna Hazare be requested to cease his vendetta against the Congress-led UPA government? It is unbecoming on the part of this Gandhian to criticise every move of the government. In the process,the opposition parties are guffawing at the possibility of the Congress facing defeat in the five poll-bound states,without them having to raise even a finger. Hazares method of protest is not only taking a dictatorial turn but also ruining the governments function of attending to other major issues.
Ann Stanly
Out of the red
This refers to the editorial Red Sunset (IE,December 28). Andhra Pradesh has shown that Naxal violence can be tackled,if the operations are planned and implemented properly. If Andhra,which was once the state worst affected by red terror,can succeed in almost eradicating Maoist violence,other states can too,provided they are willing to.
Nagraju M. Pedapalli
Gadchiroli
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