The ways of our Government often perplex me. When inflation cripples us, they simply look away or offer silly reasons for doing nothing. What’s worse, just to make the point that they don’t have to listen to our protests, they raise fuel prices eleven times in quick succession. When corruption corrodes our society and destroys our lives, the Government goes into denial till the Supreme Court or CAG intervenes and forces it to act. It then acts reluctantly, grumbling about judicial over reach or why CAG has no business pointing out corruption when its responsibilities don’t go beyond book keeping. Even when it comes to terrorism and organised crime, the Government is always late to respond. But when it comes to acting tough against its own citizens, they are quick, very quick. No Supreme Court, no CAG needs to intervene. You can see they are having a lot of fun being nasty.

Take the case of Anna Hazare.

Anna is just another common citizen like you and I. Except that unlike some of us he has lived a somewhat uncomplicated, exemplary life. He has also tried to bring in change at the grass root level, which has put him in open conflict with some of our wickedest political leaders who have done their best to crush him. But Anna has been obstinate. No amount of bullying has intimidated him. Nor have his adversaries managed to hurt his credibility despite floating many ugly rumours about his trust and his personal integrity.

That is why, when India was so desperately looking for someone to lead civil society in its protest against what is undoubtedly the most corrupt Government we have ever had, Anna was an obvious choice. No, he did not start the anti-corruption campaign. Thousands of ordinary Indians did. You and I did. And Anna emerged as the face of the movement. Just as the Janlokpal Bill became its focus.

The question is no longer: Is the Janlokpal Bill perfect? Millions think it is. The Government says no. But that’s not moot any more. The people of India have coalesced around the Bill because they see it as an answer to a problem that is killing them every day. Corruption not only hurts the poor; it hurts and humiliates us all today. Whoever we may be, whatever we may be doing it is no longer possible to do anything without paying bribes to the political class and its minions in the bureaucracy. Even the business community, often accused of being blind to corruption, is now sick of being constantly harassed and extorted by the very leaders they bankroll to fight the elections.

So the question is not: Is Anna Hazare the best leader to fight this war against corruption? The question is also not: Is the Janlokpal Bill the ideal weapon to fight the war with? It’s not even the cynical question: Can the war ever be won? The question today is: Shall we let this opportunity pass? Suddenly we find that the whole nation has quietly and unobtrusively come together to take a stand against corruption and Anna, for better or for worse, is the face of the struggle. Shall we let this opportunity go or should we seize it? That’s the real question. And India has already answered it.

Our biggest enemy today is cynicism. We have lost faith in our ability to change our lives. Anna is the answer to that. This small, frail man in a Gandhi cap may or may not appeal to all of us. We are a vast nation. Each of us eats, lives, dreams, prays differently. Each of us has our own vision of what India can or should be.

But this is the right time to set aside our differences and stand together against corruption. And against those who defend it under a million pretexts. It’s time to stand beside Anna and prove that when it comes to protecting India, we are all ready to fight the good fight. The war against corruption may or may not be winnable. But we can at least expose those who are destroying this nation. We can make them squirm.

Change is not a road map. It is the first stone we chuck against our oppressors.