In the past, the world has witnessed youth with high ideals wanting to plunge into public life with the aim of turning the world upside down, to achieve conditions where exploitation is eliminated and fairness and ethical values prevail.
Among the youth with such a mindset, a few confine themselves to a minimal level of activity for some time and then move on with life in the normal and usual way. For such persons, the ideas and goals remain deep in their minds throughout their lives without making any worthwhile impact. Cases have also been seen of youth boldly plunging into public life, willing to face the risks involved. Among them, a few have achieved some level of success and have been able to attain positions in public life and even in government. However, a number of such persons have made a U-turn and eventually become self-centred, acquiring an image of being corrupt. Such persons cause society to lose faith in idealistic youth. There are also a few individuals who have carried on with their idealistic pursuits throughout their lives, without compromising, suffering mentally and physically due to their adherence to such value systems. They largely remain unknown.
Of course, there are very few persons who have launched movements based on value systems and emerged as role models in society. They are few and far between, such as Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., and Nelson Mandela.
In the pre-independence period, India witnessed people who plunged into public life and the freedom movement, making personal sacrifices and often ending up in jail, yet having no regrets about their activities and pursuits.
However, in post-independence India, with its democratic form of governance, near-unchecked freedom and personal liberty, and a sort of free-for-all environment, quite a number of young people have plunged into public life, promising to usher in greater equity in society. Many of them contested elections and became ministers, only to be later branded as corrupt and lose the positive image they once commanded.
The recent decision of Mr. K. Annamalai to quit the Bharatiya Janata Party and launch his own movement with the declared objective of striving to achieve a fair and ethical society has inevitably made discerning observers wonder whether Mr. Annamalai would have the courage of conviction to swim against the tide, unmindful of the consequences, while steadfastly focusing on his objectives and aims. Such thoughts among discerning observers cannot be questioned, since several young people who plunged into public life in post-independence India failed to live up to expectations and disappointed those who had placed their faith in them.
Mr. Annamalai is only 42 years old and has an excellent track record as a highly qualified individual in multiple fields. He served as a straightforward and respected police officer before giving up a prestigious position to enter public life, aiming to pursue his goals while sacrificing his personal interests.
It is not necessary to discuss whether Mr. Annamalai was right in quitting the Bharatiya Janata Party, which has, by and large, treated him well. What is noteworthy is that Mr. Annamalai has once again given up a prospective position in a national party and a possible future position in government. Such sacrifice clearly highlights the fact that Mr. Annamalai is driven by a genuine desire to achieve a politically, socially, and economically equitable society. His actions reflect his unhappiness and disappointment with the attitude of present-day politicians and the prevalence of dishonesty in both public and private life.
The question is whether Mr. Annamalai will succeed in achieving his ambition, particularly in the context of India’s chaotic democracy, coloured political system, governance challenges, and the stranglehold of vested interests in multiple areas.
It is impressive to note that several lakh people pledged support to him within a few hours of his announcing his decision to start a new movement. This indicates the enthusiasm of ordinary citizens to support a person with such positive goals and vision. However, the ground reality is that most people who support Mr. Annamalai may remain mere sympathisers and are unlikely to go beyond that. Seeing his rising popularity, several greedy and self-centred individuals who do not genuinely share Mr. Annamalai’s thought process may attempt to join his movement in order to reap the benefits of its growing popularity in both the short and long term.
Mr. Annamalai has announced that his movement will eventually be converted into a political party and contest elections. Today, every leader needs active followers and public support to move forward. To win elections, several candidates have to be nominated, and quite a number of them may not measure up to Mr. Annamalai’s standards. Mr. Annamalai has further announced that he will launch a training programme for his followers. However, honesty is one thing that cannot be taught through any training programme.
In such circumstances, one has to keep one’s fingers crossed regarding the extent to which people professing a strong ideology, adherence to values, and an honest approach can succeed in public life in a democratic country.
By way of personal example, I would like to recount my own experience. I contested the Parliamentary election from the South Madras constituency in 2009, having been nominated by a newly founded political party professing faith in Mahatma Gandhi’s principles and methodology. I decided that I would not spend more than three lakh rupees on my campaign. A few young people, mostly from lower-income groups, readily came forward to support my candidature and participate in the campaign. However, they were so poor that I had to provide them with food and accommodation during the campaign. Ultimately, I could secure the support of only twenty people, as that was all I could afford. A few newspapers publicised my candidature and highlighted my views, thought process, and objectives. I expected that my promise to adhere to Mahatma Gandhi’s policies would receive widespread support and that word-of-mouth campaigning would help me secure votes. However, when all was said and done, I received fewer than 5,000 votes in a parliamentary constituency with more than five lakh voters. Obviously, my experience proved that merely having idealistic goals, a clean image, and some media support is not sufficient to make a significant impact in an electoral democracy.
While Mr. Annamalai stands on a far larger platform and occupies a much higher position than I ever did, the challenges before him are not fundamentally different from those that I faced. Achieving success in an electoral democracy while maintaining high ideals, avoiding money power, and resisting the influence of self-centred opportunists is a daunting task.
Mr. Annamalai’s desire is genuine, the challenges facing him are real, and discerning observers will continue to watch his movement and progress in the coming years with great interest.
Mr. Annamalai has the opportunity to emerge as a global role model for honest public pursuits, or he may ultimately end up as an unknown warrior occupying only a small footnote in the history of Indian democracy. Time alone will tell.
