Anna Hazare rules the village of Ralegan Siddhi with unquestioned authority. He forces meat eaters to turn vegetarian; has men who drink liquor tied to a tree and beaten; prohibits cable TV; disallows political campaigning and elections.
There's a word for this sort of person: it is 'fanatic'. Everything about Hazare's behaviour, his posture in negotiating, his threats and fasts, points to a fanatical and authoritarian personality, a modern Savonarola. But the word fanatic has never cropped up in the media in relation to Hazare. Maybe it is because the man doesn't give fiery speeches.
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4 comments:
Good point. Nobody can risk using this term. It would be a bad move and result in dipping profits.
What's a "Savonarola"?
Do we readers just believe what you write or do you provide credible research when commenting no a man who has caught the imagination of millions?
Laxmi, the information I've based this snippet on is common knowledge and has been circulated, without any denial on the part of Hazare or his associates, in a number of articles in the press. Mukul Sharma's recent piece in Kafila is based on first-hand research: http://kafila.org/2011/04/12/the-making-of-anna-hazare/
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