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Anna Hazare and Leon Uris' Exodus.


Ah! The Steely Gaze! (http://www.newsreporter.in/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Anna-Hazare-in-Tihar-jail.png)
http://posteropolis.com/store/images//00exodusphotobusta.jpg
 In Leon Uris' historically inspired novel- Exodus- which was set in 1947, a boat full of German concentration camp survivor children held the British Empire hostage till their demands of being allowed to go to Palestine (later Israel) was conceded. I am not the story teller that Leon Uris was, and will limit myself to providing a summary of the events that took place in the opening chapters of the novel. Ari Ben Cannan, an operative of  Mossad Aliyah Bet, smuggles nearly 300 Jewish concentration-camp-survivor children on board a rickety ship and sets sail for Cyprus. He also informs the world media about something big waiting in the wings. When the British warships and armed speed boats surround the ship and ask Ari to turn back the ship, he lets them know that they are not going back. He also tells the British that there is a bomb in the engine room and any attempt to forcibly board the ship will force him to detonate the bomb, killing all the children aboard. The British, unused to such aggressive tactics, decide to wait till the world gets bored of the drama. In the meantime, not one to let grass grow under his feet, Ari announces to the world press that everyone on board the ship is starting a hunger strike, and that as the children faint, they would be brought up to the deck for the British, and the world to see. To cut a long story short, the British are forced to bow and accede to the demands and thereby concede a major diplomatic victory to Ari and Mossad.

I cannot help but feel that someone in Anna's camp has read Exodus and that, coupled with the use of Gandhian tactics, is causing not a little discomfort and heartburn to the UPA. All the Queen's horses, and all the Queen's men, aren't able to stop this juggernaut from making a papad out of them! A supposedly astute, shrewd and supremely arrogant Brown Sahib, a.k.a. P. Chidambram, an erudite but speech challenged Prime Minister, and all the assorted cronies are looking like bumbling fools in front of a man armed with not even a stick!! The one thing that separates Anna from other activists is his patent integrity and sheer bullheadedness. He is not ready to listen to anything but what he wants.  To many people, it seems like a churlish and immature attitude, to me he just seems like a man who knows EXACTLY what he wants, and is not ready to settle for anything else!!

Tihar Jail has turned into a modern day Exodus, Anna has replaced Ari Ben Cannan, hunger strike, like on Exodus is on. The final act of the play just needs a government grovelling on it's collective knees. As long as there are people like Anna, India can dream of a 'Better' future. As long as people are willing to brave discomfort to support people like Anna, we won't go down as a nation. 
Dare I say Heil UPA?! 

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