Social activist Anna Hazare and his team have decided to go on indefinite fast again at Jantar Mantar here from Wednesday to press for an effective anti-corruption Lokpal Bill.
Mr. Hazare, who earlier decided not to go on fast due to medical reasons, on Tuesday gave an ultimatum to the government to meet their immediate demand of setting up an independent special investigation team (pending passage of the Lokpal Bill in Parliament) in four days or he would join the hunger strike to “fight till the finish.”
Till a bill that incorporated the basic features of the Jan Lokpal Bill was passed by Parliament, the government must set up an independent special investigation team of judges that would probe charges of corruption and misdemeanour against 15 Union Ministers, Mr. Hazare said at a press conference here.
The team also sought fast-track courts to expedite cases against 162 Lok Sabha and 39 Rajya Sabha members. The CBI cases against party leaders must be turned in to the proposed special investigation team.
Charging the government with repeatedly going back on its word in the last one year on the Lokpal Bill despite two fasts by him, Mr. Hazare said, “Ministers who have allegations against them will never allow an anti-corruption Bill to be formed and passed by Parliament. Therefore, we are demanding that an special investigation team be formed to probe the allegations against Ministers which are based on documentary proof.”
Mr. Hazare was accompanied by Arvind Kejriwal, Shanti Bhushan, Prashant Bhushan, Kiran Bedi, Manish Sisodia and Gopal Rai at the press conference.
Mr. Hazare, who was urged by his team to refrain from going on fast in view of his poor health, said: “Yeh ladai aar-par ki hai. Isme agar jaan bhi gaye to parwah nai [This is a fight to the finish…I don’t care even if I lose my life].”
Mr. Kejriwal, Mr. Sisodia and Mr. Rai will be the first ones to start fasting. Mr. Hazare said he was not sanguine nursing any hopes going by past experience.
He was referring to Law Minister Salman Khurshid’s “secret meetings” with him alone during which the Minister said the government was willing to meet all their demands, but nothing came out of those parleys.
Ahead of the fast, the Prime Minister’s Office released a list of measures taken to tackle corruption such as ending discretionary powers of Ministers, time-bound decisions on prosecution requests and passage of the Lokpal Bill and the Whistleblowers’ Protection Bill by the Lok Sabha.
Keywords: Team Anna, Anna Hazare, India against corruption, Lokpal Bill
Anna Hazare and his team members must be ready for a very long and arduous fight against the corrupt system and they must not get demoralised . They must belive in non violence, honesty, courage and intellegence always.
I hope that the People of India are not taken in by the slogan-mongering Hazare crowd. However noble sounding their sentiments are, there is an overwhelming evidence of fanaticism emanating from Hazare and his followers. There is no doubt that there is widespread corruption in India. But it is not limited to the politicians and bureaucrats; it pervades every sphere of Indian life.Even Hazare's followers like Arvind Kejriwal, Kiran Bedi and Bhushans are accused of corrupt deeds. Ms. Bedi has admitted of submitting false travel vouchers to the sponsors of her speeches. Kejriwal tried to get out of his committment to the government without due compensation.
India is a democracy, however imperfect it might be. Laws are enacted in the both houses of parliament after proper deliberations by the duly elected members. Laws can not be made on the streets by the self-appointed ,self-righteous people. If they want their own bill passed they should take part in the political process.
Corruption is there on every one's mind. Corruption in breaking the que whether it is in the bus stop, railway platform, or cricket grounds.
Corruption, in going through the red signal, crossing illegally at pedestrian crossing , corruption in seeking "sifarish" to get admission to schools, university etc.
Millions of pending cases in courts breed corruption. The craving for TRP ratings by news agencies results in unhealthy competition and therefore breed corruption.
We would not mind breaking a que in the bank when no one notice. We do not mind being naked when none is around. Like water breeds mosquitoes, the systemic failures in the Indian Polity causes corruption.
If we introspect, we would surely find at least ten breaches of law we had committed during the day and got away with it as no one was watching or no one bothered to make us accountable.In India, we lack accountability at an individual,family,& society levels and beyond. Individual first and Nation last.
Again agitation, what is going on? Currently, I see economic stability of country as
most prominent issue and need, and Mr. Anna and company is again going to waste
the time of the Government.
Anyways, I wish all the very best to Mr. Anna, your name will be written in golden
letters in the history of India, but please don't blow up the democracy.
Sure Dear Anna. But please do not get confused with what does this "finish" means. We don't want anarchy or mobocracy. we want true well implemented system of Democracy. Lets fight for election reforms and corruption not only in Govt. but also in society as a whole.
I hope this time the BIG tide rises against the corrupt government and the needful is done.
Thanks Anna ji for your selfless fight.
Once for all if join this movement there are chances of getting good results.Not to react against sin is also a sin.Like ANGREZO BHARAT CHORO ,the time has come to say CURRUPTION CHORO
Anna why don't you understand, you are telling corrupted people to pass this bill that is against those corrupted people. So, why they will pass this bill? I don't think this bill will be passed in future also. From last thirty years it's on table and under considerartion, the status will remain same even in future also.
This shows the casual approach of the government in tackling
corruption. Why isn't the Government remain clear and clean on such
issues? Why cant they pass the resolution and prove that the
Government is indeed willing to abolish corruption in all forms. Such negligence by the government will give the boost to all form of people
to involve in corruption in their everyday lives. I know starting from
traffic-policemen, Lawyers, Police, till the ministers everyone are
corrupt.
When a man stands up and tries to prove that we need to fight against
corruption, why shouldn't we support him at least?
All Indians join hands with Anna to eliminate the corruption from India once for all.
Fight to finish is must as this has been lingered on and short memory of ours is dilluting the momentum. Great going Anna!!!
This is a fair report with no opinions bells and whistles. But I
see a lot of columns and newschannels targetting Anna's team. Why
do journalists and columnists trivialize Anna's movement? What an
ungrateful countrymen Indians are! Instead of lauding these
efforts we condemn them. This country has never punished any
politician in a substantive way for corruption. Are we happy with
corruption ? Lack of accountability, lack of performance, under
development, no schools, no health care , poor infrastrucure -all
these have their roots in corruption. Wake up fellowmen!
Will the government that has long been pretending to be sleeping, wake up at least now and
act, in deference to the wishes of more than a billion people , who want to see a 'cleaned up
India 'in their life time?
Another great Indian Tamasha going on for two years now. Nothing is
going to happen, given the fact that both ruling Congress and
opposition BJP will agree to Anna's demands. If seen, BJP is competing
with Congress in terms of corruption and nepotism in the states its
ruling. Look at Karnataka,Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.
Interestingly Anna Hazare has so far no demanded any action against
the corrupt Yeddyurappa and his team of stooges, who looted mineral
resources of our country. Same goes to the coal mafia in Madhya
Pradesh. Is he listening as well Ram Dev. Dont divert people's
attention to other areas, when burning issues like rising prices are
in need of immediate redressal.
Indian democracy has got a glorious chapter in the form of Anna's
Agitation.It is a crucial moment of test for all the Indians, to
fight to the finish as Anna or bear the scourge of corruption in
future also.
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