As Anna Hazare started his fast seeking a role for public in the drafting of
Lokpal Bill, it appeared that the 72-year-old activist’s protest was taking the
contours of a popular movement. Thousands of people, including students,
teachers, artistes, retired government officers and activists, joined Anna at
Jantar Mantar to lend him support. On the Net, support for Anna is already a
viral movement. Unless the government concedes to the demand, this support is
only likely to grow.
Anna Hazare said he would rather die than give up the fight for citizens’
rights. ‘‘There is no faith left in politicians and bureaucrats and it is time
that people be allowed to decide what they want,’’ he said as more than 2,000
supporters, including activists Arvind Kejriwal, Swami Agnivesh and Kiran Bedi,
gathered around him at the protest site. While activists like Mallika Sarabhai
began a parallel protest in Ahmedabad, JD(U)’s Sharad Yadav had to leave Jantar
Mantar after activists said they didn’t want politicians participating in this
campaign.
Speaking before he began the fast, Hazare said he wasn’t going to buy into
assurances from the government. ‘‘In the last few months, I sent several
letters to Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
with our demand for a joint committee on formulation of the anti-corruption
bill. We even handed over a copy of the Jan Lokpal Bill proposed by us, which
has been drafted by a team of public leaders and senior lawyers, but that was
rejected. Only fake assurances were given.’’
The Jan Lokpal bill aims at making decisions of the state and Central
Lokayuktas binding and final. The Lokpal is envisaged to have powers to dismiss
corrupt officials, including judges and politicians. Many in the government
feel the Lokpal should be limited to making recommendations.
The Congress party appealed to Anna Hazare to call off the protest, saying
a group headed by defence minister A K Antony was examining the proposals.
National Advisory Council members Aruna Roy and Harsh Mander, however, said
there was a need for a wider debate and recommended that the Lokpal’s ambit
should include the PMO too.
Hazare said ministers who faced allegations of corruption were part of the
Group of Ministers (GoM) set up to decide on the required amendments in the
drafting of the anti-corruption bill. ‘‘This is not acceptable, to me or the
public at large. If the government alone drafts the anti-corruption bill
(Lokpal Bill), it will be autocratic not democratic, there will be
discrepancies,’’ Hazare said.
Cutting across the political divide, thousands came out to support Hazare’s
fast and the Jan Lokpal Bill. Students, farmers and social activists waved the
Tricolour and held up placards in support of the bill at the protest site.
Songs like ‘‘Raghupati raghav raja ram’’ and numbers created to highlight the
need of the Jan Lokpal Bill were played.
Earlier, the activists, led by Hazare, marched from Rajghat to India Gate
and offered prayers.
RTI activist Kejriwal said that with scams like 2G and Commonwealth Games,
people have lost faith in the state. ‘‘Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and other freedom
fighters sacrificed their lives for the country’s independence. But
power-hungry and corrupt politicians continue to exploit us. The RTI Act has
given us a tool to get information hitherto not available but to punish those
involved in such massive corruption a tough law is required which is not
tailor-made to suit the needs of politicians,’’ he said.
Bhole Vishwakarma, an environmental engineer, said, ‘‘It is a pity that an
asset of the country — Anna Hazare — has to die for our criminal politicians
and their vested interests.’’ WHAT ANNA WANTS Lokpal should have jurisdiction over politicians, bureaucrats and judges; even PM within its ambit Central Vigilance Commission should be merged with Lokpal Lokpal should have powers to file FIRs, investigate and launch prosecution Selection of Lokpal to be done by panel of eminent people, not just politicians Loss caused by corruption should be recovered from those proven guilty Hazare says he will die but Not Give Up Fight Thousands turn up to support the crusader as he begins his fast unto death at Jantar Mantar, demanding a bigger role for people in the drafting of the anti-corruption bill
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