Julius Caesar Re-enacted

Anna will sit on fast  with Baba Ramdev to press for Jan Lokpal Bill. He  has carefully timed his upcoming second version   to begin after the IPL games on June 3.  

Looks like a re-enactment of a scene from Shakespeare's Julius Caesar after Julius was killed by Brutus.

 A twist to Shakespeare’s play where Brutus speaks first, followed by Antony’s funeral oration. Here we have Antony speaking first followed by Brutus’ funeral oration. This is the 21 st century and we seem to be returning to the ancient Roman times to use rhetoric both as the art of persuasion and as an artifice used to veil intent.

Antony (Team Anna) Friends, Indians, countrymen, lend us your ears; We come to bury politicians, not to praise them; The evil that politicians do lives after them, The good is oft interred with their bones, So let it be with them ... The noble Anna Hath told you politicians are betrayers of our trust: If it were so, it was a grievous fault, And grievously shall politicians answer it... Here, under leave of Anna and the rest, (For Anna is an honourable man; So are we all; all honourable men) Come we to speak in politicians’ funeral ...    Them, you all  trusted, faithful and just  and voted to power But Anna says they are ambitious; And Anna is an honourable man…. Anna  brought millions of you to Ramlila maidan, Whose bribes did the Politicians’ pockets fill: When that the poor  cried, the politicians promised happiness:       but only after they parted with their      purse or paise.:  This Anna calls corruption, ubiquitous among politicians of all hues. From his fasting  bed in the maidan, Anna thundered that all politicians are corrupt and should be grievously punished  Anna asked PM why was he ambitious when he is 79, and advised him to be like him who is only 74;  Sibal, he says is mad, Chiddu , arrogant and Khurshid,  suavely pompous; all have no concern for you and me and all ,all politicians are corrupt and ambitious;   And Anna is an honourable man.  You all did see that a year ago, he presented them his sacrosanct Janlokpal Bill with its powers to be  the prosecutor, jury and judge, That they refused as they feared the demise of their power   Falsely they lied to you   they  also wanted a strong Lokpal but refused the one and only sacred Anna’s JanLokpal Bill . Anna says they are insincere, false and crooked and appeals to you not  to wait for the next polls to throw them out. Kick them out now, he roared and the crowd chanted: I love Anna; Anna is India and India is Anna

Brutus(Voices unheard) Friends, Indians, countrymen!  hear me for my cause, and be silent, that you may hear: believe me for mine honour, and have respect to mine honour, that you may believe: censure me in your wisdom, and awake your senses, that you may be the better judge. If there be any in this assembly, any dear friend of Anna, to him I say, that my respect for Anna is no less than his. If then that friend demand why I differ from Anna, this is my answer:– Not that I love Anna less, but that I love our democratic India more.  Had you rather Anna was fasting and dismantling your democratic institutions, than that Anna was not fasting, to save them ? As Anna loves you and me, I weep for his anguish; as he fights corruption I support him; as he stands valiant and strong, I honour him: but, as he claims he is the only Voice of people,  I oppose him. There is tears for his anguish; support for his fight against corruption; honour for his courage;  but rejection of his claim  that he speaks for all of us I speak not to disprove what Anna has spoken But here I am to speak what I do know. You all did love your elected politicians once, not without cause: What cause withholds you then to heckle all of them? Some are bad, but not all. You have given them powers to legislate but Anna claims that  power only for himself to legislate and make JanLokpal  the  only supreme authority.  Unleash your anger, exhorts Anna, and let loose mobocracy to stymie democracy . You have the power, says Anna and asks you to act not with reason but with passion   A million mutinies shall descend on our nation when your judgement yields to unruly emotions and feelings Who is here so base that would oppose an anti-corrupt watch dog?   but who is here for a draconian JanLokpal  acting like the Big Brother watching you and me?   If any, speak; for him have I offended. Who is here so unpatriotic that would desire an(na)archy? If any, speak; for him have I offended. Who is here so vile that would surrender democracy? If any, speak; for him have I offended. Who is there who fails to see oligarchy replacing democracy? If any, speak; for him I have offended. Who is there who acts on emotion and not reason? If any, speak; for him I have offended. Who is there who encourages aggressive egoism as opposed to give and take dialogue? If any, speak; for him have I offended. I pause for your reply.