Fasting has become fashionable these days in India. And political motives are outscoring religious ones, thanks to Anna Hazare, Baba Ramdev and Narendra Modi. Young people are getting the taste of the homegrown Gandhian tool.
An American friend of mine told me that it would be a great idea in America, if a large number of obese could observe this regularly. My answer was that India had already joined the band wagon of obesity. Fasting is already a part of religion and culture of India, but obesity is increasing!
What is this business of fast anyway? If we review the Sanskrit word for it, upavaas can be translated as staying near or be close to God; but the fasting part is associated with abstinence in taking food is related to penance, sacrifice and control of desires. Usually, Indian tradition of fasting is associated with what is called a vrat. Vrat can mean austerity, a vow, a resolution or a set of activities for a specific purpose. Vrat has a special undertaking with a purpose and a goal to achieve, and it is done with austerity, self-control and a strong mental resolve.
Now, how has fast become related to protest, pressure tactics or political bargain? We find an ancient reference of it the Ramayana. After Ram, Sita and Lakshman were sent to exile; Bharat went to bring Ram back to Ayodhya and tried very hard to convince his brother. When nothing could make Ram change his stand, Bharat took to hunger strike. Then Ram persuaded him not to take that path and mentioned that it was a practice of the Brahmans. Hunger protest was used commonly in India, where the protestor fasted at the door of a person, in many cases a debtor as means to protest or seek justice and to draw attention of the public. The British abolished this practice in 1861, where people died occasionally by fasting.
Then, in the early 1900s the practice of fasting became popular in politics and social justice which many say was pioneered by Gandhiji around 1918 when he led the strike of the textile mill workers, which was the first of his movement he started at the Sabarmati Ashram.
On September 13, 1929, revolutionary Jatin Das, popularly known as Bagha (Tiger) Jatin, gave his life up in protest against various British atrocities after 63 days of fasting in the Lahore Jail. This first hunger strike-unto-death in modern times shook the nation.
On October 5, 1929, Bhagat Singh broke his fast on the 116th day surpassing the 97-day world record for hunger strikes which was set by an Irish revolutionary. The mighty British was forced to listen to this young revolutionary, which was responsible for gaining much popularity throughout India. Another less known revolutionary Batukeswar Dutta who was also an associate of Bhagat Singh and Chandrasekhar Azad used hunger strike as a political tool several times.
Gandhiji used fast throughout his life as an instrument for his Satyagraha movement as well as for self-purification. For instance, he used it to broker peace between the Hindus and Muslims and for the cause of the ‘Harijans’. His last fast was on January 12, 1948.
In the post-independence era, a revolutionary, Potti Sreeramulu, became Amarajeevi, or the Immortal being was he became famous for undertaking a fast-unto-death for getting a separate Telengana state. This resulted in the linguistic re-organization of states, and the creation of Andhra Pradesh. Similarly Indulal Yagnik also used fast as a method of protest to drive home his political demands. Yagnik was a key leader for the creation of a separate state of Gujarat. Former Prime Minister Morarji Desai too went on fast twice during 1970s.
So, in the true vrat tradition of India if fast is a considered self-controlled action for a purpose, Anna has won it hands down. Gujarat, especially the Sabarmati ashram, was where Gandhiji started his first fast. Modi has taken up the legacy from there again. He seems to have been successful in his fast in the traditional sense. Tons of goodwill have been showered on him. However, India needs the idea of sadbhavna daily cherished for the nation, by its people and by every single leader.
