What does Anna Hazare want?

I want a continuous state of protest in the country. I have no trust in politics. Politics makes people selfish. How do I want the country to be run? Without any institutions. It should be run in a kangaroo court on the streets. Activists who enter politics may not be trusted as they themselves become corrupt. Of course I have the privilege of staying out and criticizing the establishment.

When Kejriwal finally takes the plunge I will mercilessly pull the carpet from under his feet. My aim is no different from the communists who advocate a perpetual state of revolution. All the laws, be it nuclear bill or FDI or education, however complex they may be will be agitated upon in the street and only if I like shall they be passed.

We will undertake fast after fast till the government and the nation fall on their knees to appease me. I will have an opinion on price rise, inflation, diesel subsidy, nuclear reactors, FDI, alcohol consumption and any other issue that might ever come up in the future. Dare you not ignore my opinion. I will forever drum up talk of revolution, second freedom struggle and so on.

I may or may not talk to Ramdev. I may or may not support him. I may or may not fast with him. I will praise Facebook, and media as long as I like. How dare Arvind flash some Facebook polls at my face to support his entry into politics. Facebook is surely not the real peoples voice. Facebook is for those who hyperventilate about corruption and then don't bat an eyelid to bribe the cop, the clerk and the attender to bend the rules in their favour.

If I have my way all rules will be made and enforced on the street. I might even team up with Thackeray and use the army to clean up the country in 100 days. Don't you people go asking me about freedoms and rule of law then. I know what is good for you and the society more than you do. Trust me and join me. Lets bring the rule of the street to India. Jai Hind!

Bias against 'organic' religions

Nytimes ran an article http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/17/world/middleeast/muslims-rage-over-film-fueled-by-culture-divide.html?pagewanted=all about the cultural clash that fueled the rage against the Innocence video.

A protester claims “We never insult any prophet — not Moses, not Jesus — so why can’t we demand that Muhammad be respected?” He needs a lesson if not in history at least of contemporary events. Look back no longer than 10 years and you will remember how Taliban destroyed http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhas_of_Bamiyan. But then Buddha or Rama were not prophets of the revealed Abrahamic religions! So they are fair game. Also it needs to be pointed out that Islam considers Moses and Jesus as prophets and of course they would not insult them.

The author of the piece chips in with a helpful "the right of a community, whether Muslim, Christian or Jewish, to be free from grave insult to its identity and values." Organic religions like Hinduism, Buddhism, paganism or no-ism don't seem to figure in this at all. You can depict their holy symbols in whatsoever manner you like. After all they were not revealed.