The second day of the indefinite fast called by India Against Corruption (IAC) in demand of the tabling of its version of theJan Lokpal Bill during the Parliament’s monsoon session, witnessed a low turnout on Thursday. However, it did not seem to affect the morale of the movement’s supporters who expressed confidence that the crowd will swell in the coming days .
The IAC supporters at the Jantar Mantar, who looked colourless and subdued for much of the day, came alive in the latter part of the afternoon after Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal, who had to leave for Bulandshahr in UP for a court hearing, returned and delivered a speech in defence of his earlier tirade against parliamentarians.
While the movement’s earlier phases saw the presence of members of social organisations from across the country, besides Baba Ramdev’s supporters, Thursday saw mainly a few outfits of workers, farmers and ex-servicemen in attendance. The IAC claimed that over 400 people were fasting in different parts of the country, 32 of them women, along with Mr. Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and Gopal Rai.
Following Mr. Kejriwal’s speech, in which he reiterated that it was not him but political parties which gave election tickets to persons with criminal antecedents that had insulted Parliament, advocate Prashant Bhushan undertook a name-and-shame approach in which he listed the allegations against several prominent politicians including Union Cabinet Ministers and Opposition leaders.
Political commentator Yogendra Yadav explained his understanding of the IAC’s movement to the assembled audience, winning him appreciation from the crowd and the others on the dais. “This andolan is not just about the Jan Lokpal Bill. When a woman watching TV in a faraway village remarks that ‘these people are doing something good for the country’ it is an indication that people who felt helpless against politicians feel they can do something for the country,” Dr. Yadav said.
“It is about sadachar”
“This is not just about bhrashtachar [corruption]. It is about sadachar [morals] and all the accusations that Prashant Bhushan listed about our politicians speak about the need for leaders with high morals,” Dr. Yadav said, adding that though he regarded the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as an honest man, he questioned that honesty on seeing corrupt men around the Prime Minister. “I ask myself, what do I do with his honesty?” Dr. Yadav said.
Speaking about the Anna Hazare-centric nature of the movement, Dr. Yadav said: “This andolan is not about Anna Hazare. In every city, kasba [town], and village this movement has kick started a process by which every person is trying to find an Anna Hazare in him or her.” He also asked Team Anna to shed their disdain for politics and politicians and try to identify “alternative” politics that can be pursued.
However, former IPS officer Kiran Bedi disagreed with Dr. Yadav’s contention about Dr. Singh, pointing out that the Prevention of Corruption Act defined corruption as not just taking bribes but also causing “wrongful loss.” She alluded to the Prime Minister’s failure to act against corruption allegations against his party colleagues. Pointing out that the present Bill tabled in the Parliament did not make the CBI independent of the government, Ms. Bedi asked the Prime Minister to instead table the Jan Lokpal Bill during the monsoon session.
Corruptionm was introduced by the developed countries through GLOBALIZATION. Globalization catered to a greedy middle class, that just wanted more and more from the limited resources.This middle class was made to grow based on the global market.
The rich took a further advantage by becoming richer. So while 3600000 tons of wheat goes rotting the richest have a home in MUMBAI that is worth Rs 7500000000, and SHRI AAMIR KHAN hosts a program called SATYMEVA JAYATE for these rich and insensitive.
Whatever you people are doing is fine, but to stop Corruption first stop the Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes, and later on stop the currency itself. You have to make the transactions through your account (debit card or credit card) for buying anything or paying any bills, anything. This way, you will be stopping Corruption, black marketing, duplicate notes, even theft, etc.... Lots of problems will be taken care of......
Long term goals cannot be achieved through fasting. their movement have no strategy at all. they act despotic in their won way leaving very little scope for dialogue and having weird demand and an utopian dream of solving corruption with one single piece of legislation.
The lukewarm response this time is due to internal bickering in his team
as well as loss of focus from the core issue of lokpal. Corruption is an
issue but can't be solved by indulging in hyperbolic rhetoric and making
unsubstantiated allegations, which some of his team members have become
used to now. Public support will come back if they maintain their focus
on the main issue.
Accountability and responsibility have been completely abolished in
the present government. Power without responsibility most certainly
corrupts.
The state of the present governance is depressing. Anna movement
couldn't have come at more opportune time. They have created mass
awareness. A commendable job !
I feel sorry when they are bashed up by the media constantly. No
media talks about the real issues and continues to focus on
irrelevant issues and comes across as part of propaganda campaign to
derail the system.
media as the fourth pillar of democracy has failed completely.
I am glad, finally people realized what is possible and whats not:
whats important and whats not. The team anna should consider adequate
retrospection of what they really intend to do. Change is not gonna
come with such movements, change should be with in and in culture.
Every culture and community has a destination and, a person or
conglomerate of people, no matter how strong they may be, cannot alter
it. If you try to hold the system you will loose it, if you try to
change the system you will spoil it,and we should understand this
properly. Its apparently unfair to target government and politicians
who are near complete mirror images of people."Democracy is a device
that ensures we shall be governed no better than we deserve." -George
Bernard Shaw. A change or partial change is likely, if they target the
education system and youngsters with inspiring lectures and pertinent
power point presentations,like abolish curruption and focus on
efficiency.
Anna Hazare has advantage of media in his side, but yet unable to draw more than few hundred people. This is the country where an ordinary politician draw tens of thousands of people.
Obviously so called Hazare movement is a creation of media on which it miserably failed.
Anna Hazare, that man always tingled my sixth sense. I don't have
anything personal with him but the way he speak, it appears he doesn't
know anything about the revolution and all. He is said to be the 2nd
Gandhi of nation (which he declined in a humble manner) but he forgot
that Gandhi ji fought for people and always wanted a result for every
movement, no matter how small it was. But calling people(most of whom
even don't have an idea what exactly Anna is demanding) to national
capital and giving them nothing but 'I'm Anna' hat, won't attract more
public.
People are getting sick and tired of Anna and his team's farcical protests and hunger strikes. Also, their motivated attacks and selective targetting of only UPA ministers on the issue of corruption - makes one wonder whether they are really genuine about fighting corruption or merely make it a convenient opportunity to score political points.
This movement is nonsense and abusive, unlike what Gandhiji would have wanted. They are ruining the democratic institutional fabric of this country and should be rejected by all Indians. Yes, their cause is good, but their methods completely deplorable. I will not support it. It willl make our freedom fighters and constitutional founders churn to think that their dedication to bring these institutions that we have today are based by this unrepresentative activitst gang, pushing through their personal agendas
Even though Team Anna participate in fast unto death so many times, only the first time everyone is so anxious and excited. Later no mater of it, no strong aspiration to support because the thought of encouragement diminishes as time goes on. So every one should go on with strong determination against the corruption. The only thing each and every one should remember is "Winners never quit, quitters never win."
“Three great forces rule the world: stupidity, fear and greed.”
(Albert Einstein). As long as the Indian middle class feel that they are gaining more now than they and their progeny would lose in the future if evil actions (eg corruption, exploitation of the people, anti-democracy stance) are not abandoned, the society will continue to degenerate - and at a progressively accelerated rate.
“A greedy father has thieves for children.” (Serbian Proverb).
The only solution: “Be the change you want to see in the world.”
(Mahatma Gandhi).
I believe Anna Hazare and tean Anna are doing their best to put pressure on the leaders who are in power.Unfortunately Congress men are more interested in doing politics than concentrating on development and focusing on major issues/hurdles that today india is facing as a country. Fighting agianist Corruption is not a one-time job, its a long haul and requires lot of strength and courage to fight againist it. I think the people of india who are interested to see the change in the country would deinitely support Anna and team. ALL THE BEST TEAM ANNA.
Dear Anna,
Not only India but in No country things works the way, your movement expects to work. The only solution, please start a political Party and fight if you believe in. If not, leave it to people, it will automatically change for the better. Advise young generation to get better educated and economically powerful, everything will fall in line. We do not believe the style advocated by you, sorry
It is about the future - it is time we all stood up and raised an united voice. Anna is just a name or rather the face of the common man - dont get obsesed with the way team Anna has conducted themselves. We may not agree with everything they do but at least we can agree that we wought to fight corruption. As a tax payer I am pained to see the amount of scams and the wastage of public money ....these politicians have no accountability.We all (me included) should play a pro-active role in supporting Anna since the gains will be felt by generations to come. Politicians feed on the Indian public's short memory...they know there will some noise in the short term and evrerything will be Ok after that.......look at Kalmadi he is on a bussiness class trip to visit London Olympics? tomorrow Raja might be next law minister ? As Indians we are responsible for who sit in parliament and unfortunately we voted for Rajas / Sibals / Kalmadis etc.
It is sad that people l are sitting there home /office & expecting
things to change automatically.
Poor Old man & others motivated around him are fighting with there
Hunger's strike but sadly People of India not coming out in large
numbers.
Mahatma Gandhi was a great leader of such struggles for he understood that masses do not have unlimited energies and that is why he himself called off many protests and struggles despite opposition from leaders in congress.
Anna should give enough time to people so that they can re-energize themselves. they are not full time protesters they are common Aam Aadmi going to work in morning and returning in evening to meet the ends.
and also the other reason for thin attendance is that the protest reality show is now no more entertaining for urban dudes and babes they have enjoyed it once.
Respected Editor, as far as the Anna Hazare Anti-corruption Movement is concerned, though the thickness of attendance could be used as a yardstick in reading the intensity of the participation by the multitudes, mere number alone is not a determining factor of the success of the movement. Many poor people want to reach the Fast Venue, Jantar Mantar, but they could not do so because most have gone for earning their livelihood, but thought and spirit of this movement is alive in their mind and heart.
It should be stated without any hesitation that the Anna Hazare’s anti- corruption campaigns have sent many shock waves to the Indian politico-financial elites. First, the movement has shaken the traditional democratic procedures. The significance of this anti-corruption movement is not in its disclosure of the corruption of politicians and bureaucrats and lists of names of the black money holders; but in its proposal for a ‘strong’ Lok Pal Bill, and in its daring act of disclosure that when the Democratic Parliament and other Legislatures overflow with a combination of the corrupted politicians and business tycoons, the people themselves can enact law. It is a significant shift from the putrid democratic notion that a law making body is the Parliament and the state Legislature, to a notion that a law making body can be even the street corners where the majority of victims of the system gather to contemplate to frame their form and structure of their future system.
I sincerely request the electronic media to highlight this agitation instead of putting it on the backburner.
Sir, Thin attendance does not mean lacking of popularity. Never. You see many persons in this country are having various types of works irrespective of age caste and creed. Everybody is having anxiety and expecting a right time, right place and a right platform. So don't ignore the noble cause by just blabbering thin attendance. Everybody has feeling that can't be shown by mere attending the feat.
Where are the capable with integrity to man the team for LOKPAL?One may look inside to know the shocking fact.Untill we in the society, start supporting and rewarding the honest and sincere in the govt this dutyful clan is receeding at a fast pace.
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