As a friend observed, there seems to be anger everywhere. People have become very irritable. My friend says he has noticed a distinct tendency to start a fight over smal issues. On my part I contibuted by picking up a fight with a gentleman who jumped the payment queue in a department store!

The anger against those in power, particularly in Government, is very high. People want to remove the Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and they are saying,’Please boot out this disgrace of a Chief Minister by tomorrow.’ A person interviewed is quoted as saying that the government administraion is ‘impotent’.

The Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh has been singularly indiscreet, visiting the scene of gun battle with a film director who is known to produce films on such gang wars. Accompanying him was the Chief Minister’s son, an actor himself. Now people want the Chief Minister to go.

Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan, a commando, died in this operation fighting the terrorists. His father did not allow the Chief Minister of Kerala to enter his house calling him a ‘Dog’. The Chief Ministere was visiting Unnikrishnans to offer condolences. Politicians were forbidden from entering his house.

Anger everywhere! Every Indian is angry and is taking pot shots at politicians. Political leaders have seen it all. They know that the people will soon forget or at least will not do anything destructuve. Just lie low and things will take care of themselves, they must be telling themselves.

In a sense, the terrorist in us is coming out in open. They are holding out threats in a manner they can. We want to change things overnight – people like me who have been passive speactators to malfunctioning of the Government, their corruption, their promoting only self interest. We have become active overnight, and we want change. Here and now, immediately! You can boot out Chief Minister of Maharashtra and you can call Chief Minister of Kerala ‘a dog’ today and rest assured that people are with you.

The people are like children who do not know how to communicate and get their interest served so they start throwing things all over. Such a situation is easy to handle, deft and manipulative political leaders have done it several times.

The question is not whether this situation will change the political leaders – it certainly will not. The question is whether these events will galvanise us in action to demand greater accontability from our elected representatives. And I am afraid that our record so far is not very encouraging.

Q: Who needs to change? Answer: CM!

Let us decide whether that means Chief Minister or Common Man!

Vivek