Almost two months after his split with Arvind Kejriwal-led group, Anna Hazare on Saturday unveiled his new team to take his “apolitical” anti-corruption battle forward with a promise to expand the panel within a month in which former Army chief V K Singh could be a special invitee.
The first list does not have names like that of the former Army chief or activists P.V. Rajagopal and “Waterman” Rajinder Singh and agriculture expert Devender Sharma.
Mr. Rajagopal and Mr. Singh had earlier snapped ties with Team Anna while Mr. Sharma had opposed Kejriwal-led group’s plans to turn the movement political.
Sources said V.K. Singh could be inducted as a special invitee in the Coordination Committee.
A press statement issued by the group said Mr. Hazare reconstituted the Coordination Committee to re-energise India Against Corruption (IAC) movement, signalling a possible confrontation with the Kejriwal-led group which is still using the name. Mr Hazare had a split with Kejriwal-led group over the question of anti-graft movement taking a political course.
Mr. Hazare announced the 15-member Coordination Committee, which has erstwhile Team Anna’s members Justice (retd.) Santosh Hegde, Kiran Bedi, Medha Patkar, Akhil Gogoi, Sunita Godara, Arvind Gaur, Shivendra Singh Chauhan and Rakesh Rafiq.
The new faces in the committee are former DGP (Punjab) Shashikant, former IAS officer Avinash Dharmadhikari, Lt. Col. Brijendra Khokhar, Ran Singh Arya, activist Akshay Kumar and agri expert Vishambhar Chaudhary.
“I had sent an invite for Gen. V.K. Singh (for Saturday’s meeting). He will be meeting me later,” Mr. Hazare told reporters in New Delhi after a day-long meeting of the committee. Mr. Hegde and Mr. Dharmadhikari could not attend the meeting due to their preoccupations.
Giving details of the action plan, Mr. Hazare said the coordination committee will be expanded by including around 40 more eminent citizens within a month.
Speaking about the agenda of the movement, he said that “after the split, there have been some doubts that I have become silent and there is no forward movement. We have never stopped.
“The movement is on. We don’t want the useless government Lokpal. We will fight for a strong Lokpal, decentralisation, Right to Reject, Citizens Charter and system change. If we have all these laws, 90 per cent of corruption can be eradicated,” he said.
“The government does not have the intention. If they bring Lokpal, they know 15 ministers will be in jail. Why should they do it then?...We will ensure that crores of people rise and ensure that the government be forced to enact the law,” he said adding government will have to bring Lokpal Bill before next general elections.
However, Mr. Hazare said the movement’s intention is not to assemble crowds but bring about a change in the system.
Touching upon land acquisition, he alleged government was “gifting” farmers’ land to foreign companies. “If farmers don’t leave their land, first they use lathis. If they continue to resist, then bullets are fired on them.
"...it is necessary to stop foreign companies from coming to the country. These foreign companies are privatising water, rivers, forests. If we do not stop them today, then the future will be bleak,” he said.
On the issue of using the name IAC, Mr. Hazare said he was not for confrontation and if the Kejriwal-led group gives it, he will take it. “Earlier you remember, my photo was in the banners of IAC,” he said indicating that he would prefer to use it.
However, Ms. Bedi said it was not Mr. Hazare who moved out of the movement but others (Kejriwal-led group). “They will be announcing the new name of the party. So, it won’t be a problem on the name,” she said.
Keywords: Anna Hazare, India Against Corruption, Kejriwal
It is good that one political and another apolitical group has been formed to fight against corruption.Few thousands of people calling themselves as politicians corporates and bureaucrats looted money and wealth belonging to 100 crores of people under the guise of policy,business, bills and enactments to meet their ends under the umbrella of democracy.Enough.Let us bring true democracy.Let good people with iron hand come to the arena to eradicate this evil and the people associated be removed from the helm.Let us save the people and the nation
The Lokpal bill proposed by Team Anna was not practical, I feel first a practical lokpal proposal be presented to people before Team Anna starts a campaign.
It is so sad to see that while the currupts are so strong with all the authorities under their control and are very well united in their combat against anti-curruption crusaders, the people at the other side look so devided over the strategy to combat curruption. The need of the hour is not fight each other on the issue of strategy, but get united under one umbrella and strengthen the group by adding more eminent personalities who have silent support to the cause. Then only you can make a little movement in the heart of AAM ADMI who are now on the horns of a dilemma on the issue "whom do they believe?".
Annahazare's IAC & Kejariwal IAC's motto is one and the same, i.e. is anti graft movement, let Kejariwal move on in his own way and Annahajare in his own way,let this nationalist stop criticizing each other and keep the aim as to rootout this corrupt Govenment, scam government, decoit Government, smuggler Government.The criticism looks very odd to common citizens. The Fight, criticism of Annahazare IAC & kejariwal IAC.doesn't looks nice.Sofor Kejariwal not criticised the Annahazare movement & its actions. Kejariwal is excellent,the exposures of scams, corruption, involvement of politicians is like Ramabana to all corrupt politicians.We can judge him as Ramaavathar to end the evils of the politicians.
I doubt whether Hazare is fighting corruption or IAC of Kejriwal! Who stopped him to fight with the corrupt govt for jan lokpal? Why should he be jealous of Kejriwal? Both or many can fight towards the same goal with different ways. Kejriwal after been challenged by the Congress to come into politics, has decided to fight the pig in it's own game by getting in to the mud. That is his way.
Hazare should stop silly criticism of IAC, if Hazare group feels IAC is their own patented concept, he may file case. I am disgusted with Hazare team's politics.
Ms.Kiran Bedi is not right in mentioning 'It was not Hazare who moved out of the movement but others'. Indeed Mr.Arvind group did not quit the movement but took a different direction to reach the destination democratically.
One final hope comes from Annas team, to cleanse the horrible disease of corruption
and lack of accountability in this government. God speed to you Anna ji.
Best wishes for the new team.
After a long silence, Anna Hazare has announced his new team.
People will be expecting more from the newly announced team of Anna.
Let the team learn from their past and proceed ahead in their war
against corruption.
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