Standing on the dais and looking at the sea of humanity that braved the heat of the peak summer season in New Delhi, I wondered what these millions were here for. It had been almost ten hours since the indefinite fast that Swami Ramdev launched and I was trying to read the faces of some of those who I could see clearly from where I was sitting. This was in the afternoon of 4th June.
The turn of events in the next few hours have put a permanent blot on the face of Indian democracy.
These were poor people. A majority of them came from the lower strata of the society. They were drenched in sweat. They had poured in from distant parts of the country. Some came in trains, some in public buses, some came as part of better organised bus loads. With their bags on their heads or slung on their shoulders, and quite a large number coming with their families, including small children, they thronged to Ramlila grounds in the heart of Delhi with a great sense of hope and determination which was clearly visible on their faces. Victim of continuous apathy, neglect and discrimination, they were born in misery and will probably live all through in misery. Treated like cattle, and shunned by the perfumed class who are more or less beneficiaries of the corrupt system, they had demonstrated their willingness to walk the extra mile knowing well it was going to be really hard and tough.
As I sat there on the stage, I could see clearly the mired expressions on some the faces I tried to scan. The Incredulous India, as the Shining India brigade would normally refer the million to, had arrived.
Besides the contentious issue of getting back the black money stashed in safe havens outside the country, Swami Ramdev had struck a common cord with the masses. Here is one person with whom I have interacted in recent times who I find has a finger on the real nerve of the nation. Rooted firmly on the ground, he has relentlessly called for changes in a manner that would have direct bearing on the deprived millions. He talked of providing technical and professional education in regional languages, he talked of repealing the draconian land acquisition provisions and also understood how dangerous it would be for not only country's food security but also the national sovereignty by allowing indiscriminate transfer of agricultural land for non-agricultural purposes.