An interesting case of personal branding

When I walked the first mile of the long walk (and indeed that was a long one from Ramlila to Jantar Mantar) in support of a movement that was started as against corruption that prevails across all sections , little did I know that this would snowball into one of the most peaceful and hugely participated nation wide protest. It was almost six months ago when we had marched across the heart of the capital. At that time this event never flickered on any news channel and could barely manage a small space on less visible pages of some news papers. It was devoid of the youth in the numbers you see now and never had the glamour that has spun off now. Then, it was not just a stationed agitation but one followed by a long march - not in cars breaking laws (many of us have witnessed the scenes of law flouting some on front seats of their vehicles) but on foot with placards. Thankfully then, Anna fasted. ‘Thankfully’ I say not because I subscribe to fasting as a resort, but because it finally got media involved and the politicians wary – not for any ethical reason though. The government could hardly afford an old martyr as much as media could ill afford to miss this potential source for traction and TRP. Already the voices of consent and opposition have been raised through different medium, so I refrain myself from choosing either strictly. What is not talked about yet in adequacy is how this changes (ought to change) the social outlook. While we have an old voice that represents us, nation building is essentially a job in youth’s parlance. We must carry this momentum to sustain this energy throughout our lives and the lifetime of those close to us. Some questions that we should ask ourselves – Will we now come out in large numbers and vote? Will more of us take the leaders’ hat and contest an election? Will we define “coolness” quotient by our acts of honesty – by not taking bribes, by not cheating in exams, by not being unfair to our fellow men and by not allowing ourselves to be silent under any oppression? Or will it just be an extravaganza of will that lasted just a few days and died timidly.

Our value proposition as a citizen of India ought to elevate after this galvanizing movement. The values that run through the heart of this movement must be imbibed in our personal lives. The tangible outcome of the movement can be an effective Lokpal Act, however, the moral fountain has more potential to reform our nation. Let us brand and package ourselves as citizens of an elite democracy with a rock solid intent to build what we call a dream Nation based on the principles of an effective democracy.