My experience at IAC-Chennai... Truly humbling!

It had been 2 days since I heard & read about what Chennai chapter of ‘India Against Corruption’ was doing. Had just managed to bump into the link of iacchennai on 16th Aug 2011, the day Anna’s movement began. Finally, on the night of 18th Aug, just when I was about to go to bed at 10.30 pm, I decided to visit the place at LB Road (Adyar) where the protest was on.

The place looked like it was an Art Director’s version of the current state of our country. An unfinished 15-storey building – was a true representation of a country that has strong foundations in the form of its cultural values & its people, but waiting to be ‘finished’ into a masterpiece. This movement is a fight to provide the right ‘finishing touches’ to our unfinished skyscraper! The fight against corruption – is nothing but an effort to put the right ‘checks & balances’ in place to ensure a fool-proof system of governance in the country, which will in turn help us to ‘finish-off’ or eradicate other demons existing in our society like poverty, unemployment, lack of basic infrastructure etc.

Coming back to my experience, was welcomed with a warm smile by one of the volunteers as soon as I entered the place. Was astonished to see a group of young volunteers busy on their laptops at 11 pm – probably trying to make the movement bigger & bigger, a group of 50-plus-year old volunteers – probably sharing their life experiences & how-can-that-politician-say-like-this-for-Anna kind of conversations.. And last but not the least, was amazed to know that 37 people had joined Anna by fasting indefinitely till the Jan Lokpal Bill was passed! It was already day-3 on 18th August, and day-5 today, as I write this. And among them were people who were victims of corruption in one way or the other – some who were denied a seat in college, some who, despite being graduates, had to turn to blue-collared jobs because of lack of opportunities, and some others who were fasting just to show solidarity towards the cause. The story of an 81-year old who was also fasting was extremely moving – a man who is supposed to receive Rs. 800/- as monthly pension, had to pay a bribe of Rs. 600/- every month in order to receive that amount! And a fool that I am, I had thought the scene in ‘Lage Raho Munna Bhai’ where an elderly man is denied his pension by a Government official happens only in movies!

The volunteers – perhaps are doing the most thankless job that anyone could ever think of. Doing everything possible to ensure that the movement is a peaceful one, leaving their professional responsibilities to dedicate a few days of their lives that they will cherish for their entire life, measuring the success of their own efforts by the number of registrations they get for the day, giving a spirited high-five when the hits on their website crosses fancy milestones, feeling on top of the world on seeing the growing participants with every candle-light protest – I am sure at the end of the day they can tell to themselves “I have done my bit for my country. I feel proud.”

Hats off to the spirit of the people who are volunteering for this noble national cause & the people who have the guts to forego food for days together hoping for a change!