I got a funny idea last night. Would Manmohan Singh go for a fast for three days to appreciate what a fast means, if he really believes rationally that his Lokpal Bill will create an effective and strong Lokpal to fight the cancer of corruption or is better than one drafted by Anna’s team? After all, Manmohan and Anna are in the same age bracket, equally fit and equally emotional about their views.

Why could he call Anna on phone and talk with him? What is the ego? Alternatively, if Manmohan really means his readiness for ‘some give and take; and open discussion or negotiations, why can’t he depute someone who can sit with Anna and thrash out the differences?

Why does he or Congress try to test the sustainability of the movement including the number of days Anna can fast and the strength of Anna’s following by the number of people coming to Ramlila ground or parading or demonstrating in the streets and parks of the metros and towns?

Why can’t Manmohan appreciate the risks involved in postponing his engagement for long enough to see some major mishaps to happen besides the long term consequential damages to the interests of the country?

Is he not pained by seeing people putting a caste and community colour to issues of national importance such as corruption and black money?

Manmohan could have certainly influenced the members of the Sonia Gandhi-headed National Advisory Council not to press ahead with their version of Lokpal bill at this critical time with so much of media publicity that made many think that as one done on the government encouragement.

Aruna Roy, Harsh Mander, and even Arundhati Roy may have some reasonable points but now the Anna movement have gone beyond reasons. It’s with a large mass of people, their aspirations on one side and anger for the ineffective governance of the governments that they got in last few decades.

I really wonder why activist Shabnam Hashmi sees a threat of the communal forces taking over Hazare’s movement. I could also not appreciate the prominent dalit activists, intellectuals as well as the writers severely castigating Anna’s movement as casteist in nature.

Does a corrupt official give certain concession for someone from minority or dalit community?

While the media’s over involvement and the exuberance of the younger generation and middle class provides hope, its continuance for long makes me fearful. It must not affect the economy negatively.