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Urvi Gupta

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Recognition in the international arena; every Indian filmmaker worth his two bits of tear jerker wields the camera propelled by this very desire. Much like the storyline, his dreams are rather predictable and more often than not revolve around golden statuettes; a full- fledged confetti shower and Emma Stone and Megan Fox shaking their derriere in tune with one of his songs in the background. For the Indian filmmaker, the ethereal glitz and glamour of the Academy Awards is the pinnacle of success. There is nothing more mind numbingly awesome than to have an Oscar handed to you by a Billy Crystal or a Meryl Streep while the entire world watches on. The filmmaker would radiate a newly-acquired-Oscar glow and the world would beam back respect. Back home, at least one state’s population would try desperately to clutch on to some branch of the filmmaker’s now suddenly expanding family tree.

With the promise of such instant repute and glory, the filmmaker knows in his heart of hearts that his upcoming project has to be the next big thing on the Oscar front. To achieve the same, the Indian filmmaker seeks extensive counsel on both the script and the protagonist who will bring the story to life. The Chosen One is made to give a gazillion takes till that swishing of hair, flicking of glasses and circles of cigarette smoke are immaculate. The expressions of the One are refined and polished to such an extent that with one piercing look the audience is captivated. Exotic locations are handpicked and those rejected rue the day they came into existence. A fine balance of emotions, scandal and action with a dash of Indian-ness is concocted and the filmmaker has produced a piece of artistic brilliance; a Dabbang/ Bol Bachchan/ Student of the Year/ Housefull etc is born.

Reception from the audience exceeds expectations. The Indian filmmaker now acquires his own metaphoric Ecstasy; it is pumped into his system every time rabid fans drool at his direction. There is a certain popping of buttons as the chest size inadvertently increases. The beaming grin however, fades a tad when critics universally pan the film while going gaga over a Kahaani/ A Wednesday/ Firaq/ some other low-budget-minus-exotic-locales movie. It fades a lot more when the filmmaker’s brainchild isn’t the country’s entry for the Oscars. The filmmaker is distraught and what begins is a wearing down of the family’s exquisite Persian carpets owing to the endless pacing. He is unable to put his finger on the reason behind this dry spell. Slumdog Millionaire is brought forth and notes are compared; action, emotion, poverty, scandal, it’s all there; still that glowing dream has once again been reduced to a hazy distant picture.

The filmmaker is unable to get his head around this conundrum. He gives up trying to reason, vows to bag the Oscar with a bigger film oozing glamour in the future, and till then be content with domestic adulation and drool.

“No, it is not a surprise that a person would want to be a prophet. What’s ridiculous is that other people let him. It’s just too easy to start a religion. All you have to do is: A) Think up some really powerful stupid shit. Some stuff that is so idiotic and weird that a person who believes it will be proving that ultimate virtue of faith; B) Throw in some entitlements like life after death, washing away sins and free dental or whatever; and, C) Wait. Just wait. Just say your bullshit and stick to it. Believe me, if you do that, if you just say it, they will come.” This dialogue, from the 2008 Bill Maher documentary Religulous, ticks all the boxes of being a full blooded blasphemous comment.

In fact, it would be a close contest between this and “Religions are maintained by people. People who can’t get laid. Because sex is the first great earthly pleasure. But if you can’t get that, power is a pretty good second one. And that’s what religion gives to people. Power. Power is sex for people who can’t get or don’t want or aren’t any good at sex itself”, as being labeled the most depraved. When Religulous was released in the US in 2008, it received the usual criticism for being offensive and not sparing any divine entity. What followed was vociferous debate and frenzied arguments over the content of the documentary. Ex-ante, the State was not struck by a cultural paralysis and the imposition of a gag order was not deemed necessary. Moreover, violence was much out of the question. A few stray petitioners seeking a ban on the film were inevitable, however, no political appeasement happened and freedom of expression triumphed.

On the other hand Visions of Ecstasy, a short film featuring sexualized scenes of Saint Teresa with the body of Jesus on the cross, was not let off that easy. It was banned in 1989 in the UK under the offence of blasphemous libel. It was only in 2008 that UK repealed its blasphemy laws and the film released in 2012 with an A certificate. It is highly unlikely that in this period of 23 years divine intervention propagated the film’s cause. Divine beings remained where they were and faith remained where it was. Perhaps these 23 years saw spiritual eroticism as the next big thing in entertainment! Whatever might be the real reason, I am inclined to believe that either an evolution of sentiments occurred or people channeled their frustration towards more tangible things like lambasting existing sexual offenders.

Now bring in the most populous democracy of the world with its idealistic constitution. The burgeoning hub of technology; youth empowerment and feminist movements; an entity upholding secularity, tolerance and freedom to express. What is exceptional about the country however, are the sentiments. India is in essence a cultural and religious laboratory containing vast culture media with sentiments growing like bacteria. The sentiments need feeding and this is where people like MF Hussain, Kamal Haasan, Ashis Nandy and Salman Rushdie come in. Be it a Vishwaroopam, a Satanic Verses or a nude painting, sentiments aren’t particularly choosy during feeding time.

Debate is raging on in newsrooms and there is outrage with political propaganda and votebank politics being blamed. The problem with India is that we are stuck in the witch hunt era. The rest of the world broke free of this conservative strait jacketing at different times in history, ours has just not come yet. A segment of the population has been catapulted into reality ahead of the rest. This forward pull coupled with a concomitant backward tug has left the people in power walking a thinning tight rope. This scuffle has in turn caused a societal malaise further delaying the break through. And so, sensitivity of sentiments is reinforced and insecurity sets in.

What is needed is a massive push promulgated by those people who hurt sentiments. After all, banned works of art incite curiosity and achieve results contrary to those intended. Maybe, this is the new path to cultural revolution.

 

The round table discussion with US Under Secretary of State Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, Tara Sonenshine got underway at 10.30 am on February 7th at the American Centre. The theme of the discussion was the role of youth in India’s growth taking into account the demographic dividend with special emphasis on role of women. Naturally, the panel consisted of student leaders, youth bloggers, LSR journalism students and representatives of: ABVP, Janki Devi Memorial College Student Union, St Stephens College Student Union and Shiv Nadar University Student Union.

Students on the panel raised a number of pertinent questions related to freedom of speech and expression with reference to the Aaron Schwartz case which Ms Sonenshine responded to by saying that, “Although information is oxygen, and the Internet a tool, any person using the technology brings values to it and must use his own wisdom of judgment”.

There was a lot of concern over oppression of women in India in light of the recent gang rape case. The panel unanimously agreed that oblivion to women’s plight has to be done away with for good. A germane question that arose and struck a chord with everyone was, “Where does someone’s freedom begin and someone else’s begin?” Ms Sonenshine stressed the importance of harnessing the full potential of women which was underscored by her statement that women are “half the sky”.

When asked what women themselves can do to change the situation, change mind sets and conquer strait jacketing by antiquated beliefs, she responded by saying that critical thinking and informal learning is the solution. Polarising the media and using theatre, culture and role models to instil in people the importance of education for people. She said every woman must live by the 3Cs – Community (bonding with other girls and women in the society), Contacts and Confidence.

It was pointed out to her that change isn’t all that easy specially when there’re educated women saying the girl should’ve cooperated with the men who raped her; this could’ve saved her life. In such a scenario how is one to move forward? Ms Sonenshine said it is necessary for discussion to happen. The more views are expressed, the more likely it is that mentalities will change. Moreover, change must begin at home. She wanted the youth to actively participate in society in a leadership role by reaching out to girls and women across the State and informing them that they’re not bereft of rights.

Finally, she was asked, “How do you want us to change?” She said “I’ll leave that to you to figure out and tell me the next time I’m here.” This interaction with Ms Sonenshine proved a fruitful exchange and imbued the youth with encouragement to do more.

The principal of Ramjas College would have breathed a huge sigh of relief when every subsequent revelation pertaining to the fake admission scam left him unscathed. However, one shouldn’t suffer with a guilty conscience for long and therefore the principal has joined the ranks of the co-accused. Naresh Tau, admission scam mastermind spilt the beans when he told the police that he gave Rs 80,000 and a bottle of Johnnie Walker to ensure the fake admissions met with no resistance from within the college, to college principal Rajendra Prasad. Although the Principal has denied allegations, he has been charge sheeted in the case filed before the Tis Hazari Court.

Delhi Police believes that in the last two years 36 students have gained admission in the college using forged mark sheets. As a result, 28 charge sheets have been filed wherein several admission committee members of the college have been named as suspects including the convener PK Malhotra along with the “dealing assistants” who handled the admissions in the absence of the teaching staff. The police have identified discrepancies and “mistakes” which would be more compatible with a fixed cricket match. Shockingly, the admission committee overlooked conspicuous misprints in the mark sheets. What is amazing to note is the fact that the staff signed on admission forms backed by mark sheets that had misspelt ‘ninety’. Hence it is apt that a charge sheet says, “It seems that staff of the admission committee has benefitted the accused knowingly.”

As far as the Principal is concerned however, the charge sheet indicting him also mentions “no evidence yet” on his role in the scam. The scamsters, including several former and current Ramjas students, charged exorbitant amounts from students ranging from 1 to 6 lakhs to forge their mark sheets.

It seems as if the admission sham is getting murkier by the minute with skeletons tumbling out of the closet as every revelation comes along. What remains to be seen is whether the Principal manages to clear his name once this shameful affair is over and done with.

 

Singularly depressing choices generally between letting your girlfriend die or seeing the world engulfed in flames may not send a cult superhero into a cold sweat but they can easily be considered avoidable. The superhero for his part has the consolation that by the time the credits start rolling in, the girlfriend would be in his arms and the world free of doomsday plotting villains (at least for the time being). Unfortunately, India caught up in a similarly precarious situation has no such assured ending to fall back on.

With an ever increasing energy demand, managing oil imports has become the first priority for India. Around 13% of these imports come from Iran. Under such circumstances, one can forgive India for wishing that Iran had not courted the wrath of India’s long time ally, Israel and the almighty West. But that is exactly what Iran has done by refusing to cut back on its ambition of becoming a nuclear capable state.

Recent events have only made matters worse. Iran has publicly expressed delight on the progress of its nuclear programs. If that wasn’t enough, a terror attack on an Israeli diplomat’s wife in India has conveniently been linked to Iran by the ever so enterprising Israel. All this has left India ropewalking an increasingly thinning rope with no safety net what so ever.

Up until now India has successfully managed to continue importing Iranian oil despite the increasing number of sanctions against the same. According to the latest Indo-Iranian deal, Iran is willing to accept 45% of the payment for oil in rupees. This will further strengthen trade ties between the two countries. Iran will probably use the acquired rupees on Indian goods.

USA and Europe have already placed an embargo on Iranian oil and NATO is continually encouraging other allies to follow suit. This, along with India’s professed commitment to the Non Proliferation Treaty, has politically obligated India to support NATO in its endeavours. Economically and practically, India cannot do without Iranian oil.

India has been at its non committal best on the issue and this for once seems to be the right policy to follow. It will be fool hardy now to cut off trade relations with Iran and equally suicidal to extend support to its operations. It therefore seems best to play the waiting game and while we are at it, we better send out the oil scouts. And ask them to hurry up.

 

College fests, generally associated with vibrancy and euphoria, have recently been reduced to money making opportunities for participants. The relatively easy availability of sponsors has allowed almost all fests to hand out exorbitant cash prizes thus ensuring considerable footfall. Consequently the actual concept of fests has faded into oblivion leaving one ‘cultural bonanza’ indistinguishable from the rest.

In such a depressing scenario specially for purists, Tarang 2012, the annual fest of LSR, comes as a refreshing change. For once the conversation hasn’t touched upon the prize money. (Alright, you caught my bluff. It has atleast tended to digress). Tarang has managed to generate such excitement among people as not witnessed for a long time and not only among the boys.

If the events’ description is anything to go by (found on the Tarang website), Tarang promises to be loads of fun. There is something for everyone. Photographers, debators(both Hindi and English), writers, singers and dancers; none will find themselves out of place.

The competitions are not the only attraction. Shailaja Taparia(General Secretary, LSR Students’ Union), tells us that, Abish Mathew, contemporary comedian of repute, is going to tickle your funny bone on the Comedy Night to be held during the fest. LSR itself is amazed that Abish would grace Tarang with his presence. It will definitely be a sin to miss Comedy Night.

Kritika Bhardwaj, President of the Students’ Union, outlined various security and procedural issues regarding the fest. Participants will have to submit their id cards at the gate. The others will need a pass to enter the college during the fest. Each LSR girl will have one pass on her. Having an LSRian as a girlfriend definitely has its perks. NSS and NCC will be on hand to ensure security is maintained and that people without passes don’t get in. On a not so scary note Kritika says that the Rock Show, DJ night, Western Dance and Choreo are events one just cannot afford to miss.

Rabindranath Tagore’s works form the underlying theme of the fest thus making him Tarang’s personality. Happy 150th to you Sir.

Apart from the more serious main events, there are a number of informal events so that no one feels left out. LSR’s minute to win it, a much better take on the popular game than the Indian version, is bound to keep most on their toes. The Giant Crossword Puzzle, another unconventional game, gives away goody bags everytime some one solves the clue.

Tarang does not only have attractions for the guys but also has enough to please the shopaholic in every girl. Jewellery and clothing among others will be the items on offer. Foodies won’t be disappointed either as there will be an exotic array of eatables waiting to devoured including Mughlai, Mexican and Afghani dishes.

Tarang has come a long way since last year. The official website, the promotional video and picture badges are all new additions from last year.

Tarang looks like one of those Bollywood masala movies with something in it for everyone. And as is often the case with such movies, Tarang looks all but set to be a rapturous blockbuster!

 

All those who thought nothing more could possibly go wrong with the semester system after the intense furore over the ‘brilliant’ semester results, are in for quite a big shock. It seems as if the semester system’s armour is not as impregnable as believed. To ensure classes began on time following the winter vacations, the Office of the Dean of Colleges had written to all colleges to submit their time table to the office and also to put up the time table on their college website.

However, according to The Daily Pioneer, since extensive construction work and repairs were going on Sri Venkateswara College, classes were put on hold. Moreover, timetables came up on the notice board only by the 9th of January. In fact a complaint had been dispatched to the VC by the student’s union regarding delay in the conduction of classes. The Daily Pioneer also quoted Amit Yadav, President of the college student union as saying that he couldn’t fathom how the vast course under the semester system would be completed with such few days of classes further reduced because of the ongoing construction.

This however is not the end of the story. The Principal of Sri Venkateswara College, Dr. Hemalatha Reddy took umbrage at this report by the Daily Pioneer. She issued a letter to the Editor of the newspaper informing them that the timetables had in fact been put up on the 2nd of January and classes had commenced from that day itself. She also mentioned that the renovation work was happening only in 4 classrooms, alternatives for which had already been provided for. In an extremely surprising turn of events, the letter also contained Amit Yadav’s denial at ever having been questioned by Ms. Rohini Singh; reporter of the Daily Pioneer who authored the aforementioned infamous article. He maintained that he had only received an SMS from her saying she wanted to interview him but never got in touch with him after that communication. View the letter at http://www.svc.ac.in/page282.html

Obviously the Daily Pioneer would not take this lying low. In an article dated January 17, the Daily Pioneer reported that although the Principal said that classes had only been postponed by four days and would be covered up on holidays; many teachers had raised objections to repairs bring carried out now. They thought it wiser to do the same in the summer break. According to the Vice Principal however, it was necessary to start the work in the winter break, since the funds for the OBC expansion given by the University lapse after March.

It seems as if fissures are just continuing to widen and this new controversy shall only serve as an impetus for the same.

 

Were a long flowing white beard synonymous with immense wisdom, discord would cease to exist and peace would reign supreme. Unfortunately however, that is not as rampant as we would like. On the other hand, the aforementioned white bearded men seem to have an addiction to spice and sensationalism; sentiments they are usually bereft of by virtue of their religious beliefs. As a result these geriatric souls leave no stone unturned in trying to make the most of a scandal.

In such a scenario had Salman Rushdie’s impending arrival in India for the Jaipur Literature Festival not caused a stir, more than just a handful amongst us would’ve sat up and taken notice. Why should his return be such a cause for concern though? We’re all fully aware that India as a country does not dwell in the past and always believes in looking forward; therefore, to find the answer we must go back to the year 1988 when Mr. Rushdie’s novel The Satanic Verses was released.

Another exercise these mullahs are particularly adept at is misinterpreting any written statement, be it from a novel of from a cookbook for that matter. So it didn’t come as a surprise when they mistook Mr. Rushdie’s choice of title to imply that the Quran itself was being touted as the ‘Satanic Verses’ or when translated in Arabic, ‘verses from evil’.

Anybody who is familiar with Mr. Rushdie’s writing and appreciates it would not run screaming blasphemy to the nearest police station knowing fully well that Satanic Verses is meant to be a fictional piece of work. But that is exactly what happened. The supreme leader of Iran, Ayatollah Khomeini, went to the extent of issuing a fatwa against this modern Islamist. The fatwa called upon Muslims to execute this heretic for he must ‘incur the wrath of God and be unsuccessful in his quest towards maligning the Prophet’. It also served as a warning to those who might be foolish enough to insult the ‘sacred belief of the Muslims’.

Considering the novel was written in English for a Western audience and was much appreciated for the literary skill it displayed, the book along with its author was banned in several countries including India. Moreover, that wasn’t the end of the atrocities. A reward was announced for the one who would ‘terminate that anti-Islamist’. Apart from several assassination attempts on Rushdie, bookstores were bombed, copies of the book were burnt, several translators and publishers were attacked and quite a few were killed.

Whatever the time period, to say the furor was justified would be pushing things more than just a wee bit. This reaction which gave fanaticism an entirely new meaning took half the world with surprise. The concept of freedom of speech and action became the hypocrite’s fable and mullahs were pleased.

Although the fatwa has been withdrawn and Mr. Rushdie has paid a visit to India in 2007 causing not more than a few excited whisperings, elections and a controversy are quite a potent combination. While BSP has turned the EC ruling of covering up Mayawati’s statues to its advantage, the Samajwadi Party in an ingenious move has sought to turn the Rushdie advent as its own trump card. The fact that the Doeband Seminary has demanded that Rushdie be not allowed to attend the Literature Fest later this month has therefore come at the most opportune time. Obviously, since Muslims account for 18% of the vote bank, their sentiments have to be taken into consideration.

What these Politicos and the Fatwa-issuing Mullahs have failed to grasp however is the fact that we are no longer living in the 90s! Much to their dismay the youth, be it Islamic or non-Islamic, condemns this ideology of banning any work of art or culture that may be bold. A shielded atmosphere is regressive and banal in the extreme.

I have a feeling that this year’s Lit Fest will see the maximum turnout. Not because of the literary greats that’ll be gracing the Festival with their presence this year but because of our tendency to revel in the scandalous and the sensational. The hype will make it all the more worth it.

 

This brings us back to the University. The University obviously has the capacity to induce such a jump and the motive too. It needed something to redeem itself and support its decision to implement the semester system. Thus many people are of the opinion that the University itself has engineered the fiasco. If such is the case, the University must surely be cursing itself. Is it totally oblivious to the first and the most important law followed by all cheaters the world over, to wit, ‘never get a ninety’?

It is very clear why the University cannot make a habit of playing a Santa for its students. Colleges the world over follow a certain calibration of marks and if all of a sudden students start scoring 99 per cent regularly; that calibration may not apply to DU. LSE for example admits students scoring above 70 per cent. I cannot see the college continuing to do the same for DU unless the current crop of first years proves to be full of raving geniuses, our University scores might lose all their credibility.  ]]>

A force to be reckoned with
The small minority of India which can boast of having endured seventy monsoons (or sometimes the
lack of it), will admit to being in the grip of a most unbelievable nostalgia. Unbelievable because even
the Mahatma himself would have thought it unlikely that India would witness such uprisings as he had
engineered, but the recent Anna-led mass agitations qualify.
The similarities are striking. Peace is the common mantra, fasts, the primary weapon and the prison,
a common catalyst. For it all started when in the early hours of August 16, Anna Hazare was taken
into police custody and whisked to Tihar jail. Previously he had announced that he would begin his
fast unto death on August 16 itself demanding that the government pass the Jan Lokpal bill. As was
expected, the government panicked. The seemingly needless and arbitrary arrest was all that an already
simmering multitude needed to be kindled into action. Political experts across the board have panned
the government over the hasty arrest of Anna, contending that the UPA has effectively dug its own
grave.
The government quickly realised that keeping Anna in jail would only fuel the flames. Unfortunately for
the government, Anna wasn’t oblivious to the fact. He decided to stay put in jail until the government
agreed to allow him to go ahead with his fast. Three days after the arrest, Anna was greeted by a
humongous crowd upon his release. The sheer number of protesters that took to the streets was
staggering.
Equally remarkable was and is the extent of involvement of the students in the protests. Delhi
University has more than played its part. Classes were bunked, slogans shouted, mobile phones were
inundated with texts and consequently mindless arrests have also been made. But DU is making sure
that the world knows where its heart lies. Neither is this support mindless, as Nikhil, a student of Sri
Venkateswara College informs us, “Our protest is simply to wake the government, which somehow
believes that it can get away with anything. I believe that Anna’s movement is exactly what this country
needed. Not to say that his proposal is flawless, never the less, it shows the general direction in where
we should be headed.”
The overwhelming support coupled with the government’s slip ups, have infused renewed vigour into
the steadfastly aggressive ‘Team Anna’. Anna, six days into his fast unto death, has issued an ultimatum,
demanding that the bill be passed latest by August 30. Echoing the angst of his supporters, Anna
said, “The Jan Lokpal Bill is just the beginning. India needs another revolution, the August revolution.
The youth needs to remember that I may die, but this flame should never get extinguished.”
Whether Anna’s ambitious plans for the ‘August Revolution’ come to fruition or not, the UPA has been
rattled out of its wits. The stern resolute stance has given way to soft compromise. Top government
officials have extended heartfelt invitations to Anna to discuss and arrive at a compromise but team
Anna is unwavering that there can be no compromise on the issue of corruption.
Legal experts and intellectuals believe that both the government’s and Anna’s version of the bill are
imperfect and the way forward is compromise. The official version is said to be too meek while Anna’s,
too drastic and strong. Given the circumstances, if such deliberations were to take place, team Anna
would surely hold the bargaining chip in the form of mass support.
Urvi Gupta

The small minority of India which can boast of having endured seventy monsoons (or sometimes the lack of it), will admit to being in the grip of a most unbelievable nostalgia. Unbelievable because even the Mahatma himself would have thought it unlikely that India would witness such uprisings as he had engineered, but the recent Anna-led mass agitations qualify.

The similarities are striking. Peace is the common mantra, fasts, the primary weapon and the prison, a common catalyst. For it all started when in the early hours of August 16, Anna Hazare was taken into police custody and whisked to Tihar jail. Previously he had announced that he would begin his fast unto death on August 16 itself demanding that the government pass the Jan Lokpal bill. As was expected, the government panicked. The seemingly needless and arbitrary arrest was all that an already simmering multitude needed to be kindled into action. Political experts across the board have panned the government over the hasty arrest of Anna, contending that the UPA has effectively dug its own grave.

The government quickly realised that keeping Anna in jail would only fuel the flames. Unfortunately for the government, Anna wasn’t oblivious to the fact. He decided to stay put in jail until the government agreed to allow him to go ahead with his fast. Three days after the arrest, Anna was greeted by a humongous crowd upon his release. The sheer number of protesters that took to the streets was staggering.

Equally remarkable was and is the extent of involvement of the students in the protests. Delhi University has more than played its part. Classes were bunked, slogans shouted, mobile phones were inundated with texts and consequently mindless arrests have also been made. But DU is making sure that the world knows where its heart lies. Neither is this support mindless, as Nikhil, a student of Sri Venkateswara College informs us, “Our protest is simply to wake the government, which somehow believes that it can get away with anything. I believe that Anna’s movement is exactly what this country needed. Not to say that his proposal is flawless, never the less, it shows the general direction in where we should be headed.”

The overwhelming support coupled with the government’s slip ups, have infused renewed vigour into the steadfastly aggressive ‘Team Anna’. Anna, six days into his fast unto death, has issued an ultimatum, demanding that the bill be passed latest by August 30. Echoing the angst of his supporters, Anna said, “The Jan Lokpal Bill is just the beginning. India needs another revolution, the August revolution.

The youth needs to remember that I may die, but this flame should never get extinguished.”

Whether Anna’s ambitious plans for the ‘August Revolution’ come to fruition or not, the UPA has been rattled out of its wits. The stern resolute stance has given way to soft compromise. Top government officials have extended heartfelt invitations to Anna to discuss and arrive at a compromise but team Anna is unwavering that there can be no compromise on the issue of corruption. Legal experts and intellectuals believe that both the government’s and Anna’s version of the bill are imperfect and the way forward is compromise. The official version is said to be too meek while Anna’s, too drastic and strong. Given the circumstances, if such deliberations were to take place, team Anna would surely hold the bargaining chip in the form of mass support.