For the new generations in the post-independence era, Anna Hazare became a new symbol for Mahatma Gandhi, whom he claims to follow. It also signals that civil society may begin to assert itself much more in future than let itself be governed by the whims and fancies of the ruling class. Governments, of whatever political hue, would also be compelled to become more attentive to public opinion.

The triumph for Anna Hazare came after days of hard negotiations between his team of advisers and UPA Government Ministers led by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, designated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, whose own earnest appeals earlier to Mr Hazare to give up his fast on the basis of his assurances that his version of the bill was open for consideration by the Standing Committee were in vain.

The team of Advisers, who negotiated on behalf of Anna Hazare, went on insisting Parliament discuss and adopt with some changes as required, their version of the bill and also get it through in an extended monsoon session. Finally, in direct approaches to the fasting leader himself, the Government through another nominee, Mr Vilasrao Deshmukh, Minister of Science and Technology, could persuade him to narrow down the differences to his three conditions such as applicability of legislation to lower levels of bureaucracy, a citizens charter for grievance redressal and appointment of state Lokayuktas.

Mr Hazare was willing to give up the fast – but continue with his protest – once these conditions were incorporated in a resolution of Parliament. The area of disagreement having been reduced significantly, Mr Mukherjee, as Leader of the House, piloted, on August 27, a motion in the nature of “sense of the House” conveying agreement “ in principle” on (1) Citizen’s Charter, (2) Lower bureaucracy under Lok Pal through appropriate mechanism, and (3) establishment of Lok Ayuktas in States. Both Houses adopted this by acclamation but without a voice vote, deemed as good as a wholehearted approval.

For the much-harassed UPA Government, it was a great sigh of relief, though for his part, the social activist declared it was only “half a victory” and that his struggle would continue for the duration of the passage of Lok Pal legislation and even beyond. His Team of Advisers will continue to monitor progress in the days to come and expect to pressure the Standing Committee as it looks at all the versions as well as the “sense of the House” of August 27.

Mr Hazare has a wider agenda of reforming Indian society with his eye next on electoral reform with the right to recall MLAs/MPs who are involved in corruption or criminal cases. And, at every step, he might command welcome attention from most of civil society. Equally, it would pose new challenges for Government, already in a state of near paralysis in decision-making on major issues of economy -not simply reforms of wider opening of the economy, the mantra of the pink press-but of land, minerals and other resources, protection of owner rights and infrastructure-building.

The economy has slowed perceptibly – though India still remains a relatively faster-growing market - while ensuring macro-economic stability calls for greater focus on bringing down India’s high inflation through both demand management (monetary) and supply side responses. Altogether 2011 is proving to be a difficult year for Government, apart from its blunders on the political front, with prices, industrial slowdown, fiscal over-runs and emerging pressures on the external side to be tackled, amid risks of a global downturn as US and EU wrestle with their deficits and debt and weakening of the financial systems.

The monsoon session is already at its fag end with little accomplished on Parliament’s heavy legislative agenda. The Hazare episode could not have occurred at a worse time for the UPA Government. But in confronting the challenge of Mr Hazare, Government had to move warily as the leading opposition party, BJP, seemed to be extending support to the Jan Lok Pal bill and urged the withdrawal of the earlier official bill. It was more of political grandstanding on the part of BJP which seeks to put the UPA Government on the mat for everything. It would now begin to embrace even more of Anna ideas in its power bid, all the more as he has now a mass base.

The Prime Minister’s all-party meeting on August 24 was designed to reassert constitutional and parliamentary supremacy and take all parties on board with the proposition that these should not be compromised with in the approaches to the Lok Pal legislation. Its resolution said “due consideration” should be given to the Jan Lok Pal Bill, so that the final draft of legislation provided for a “strong and effective Lok Pal bill that is supported by a broad national consensus”. With this, Mr Mukherjee could get to work out the consensus formulation presented to both Houses.

The Government could have minimised its difficulties but for its clumsy attempt on August 16 to arrest Mr Hazare and then, in the face of public wrath, allow him to proceed to Ram Lila grounds to begin his announced fast. The tabling of what BJP called a “sarkari Lok Pal” bill in Parliament, in the first instance, had infuriated the Anna camp. Nor Government was willing to dovetail the Hazare version of Lok Pal bill in its essentials. Now it is left to the Standing Committee go through all the versions including those of civil society leader Mrs. Aruna Roy and others, and propose changes as may be needed.

For twelve days of the fast, the country appeared to stand still, echoing Anna Hazare’s call as tens of thousands of people, young and old, kept waving flags and staging peaceful demonstrations all over the country while millions keenly watched the 24-hour coverage on various TV channels.

Was there over-stretch of the Anna Phenomenon? On the one hand, the advisers seemed more insistent than perhaps their leader himself on pushing through the Jan Lok Pal bill to the utmost to the exclusion of other ideas. On the other, there was also a peremptory tone in some of Mr Hazare’s own observations so that the jurist Mr Santosh Hegde, associated with the Anna Team, felt that Parliament could not be “commanded” to do things in a particular direction.

“The fight will go on”, is the ringing message that the Gandhian leader, being nursed back to health, has left with the people of India, whom he profusely thanked for support and for their peaceful conduct of the movement. For Hazare, the real battle has just begun. (IPA)