Softening his stand on his erstwhile colleague in the anti-corruption movement, Anna Hazare said on Sunday that though he and Arvind Kejriwal had chosen two different paths, their ultimate “ manzil ” (destination) was the same — to bring a “political and systemic” change in the country in the larger public interest.
Mr. Hazare was here to participate in an annual two-day event “Think Fest” at a coastal resort. In reply to a question about the split in the anti-corruption movement and Mr. Kejriwal’s parting of ways with him, Mr. Hazare adopted a conciliatory stance towards Mr. Kejriwal and emphatically stated that both paths were necessary to bring about a real change in the country.
Though it was true that Mr. Kejriwal decided to take the path of politics to cleanse it, Mr. Hazare had decided to continue with the people’s movement to change the system.
“Politics lacks morality”
Explaining his disenchantment with politics, Mr. Hazare said: “Politics has lost social-consciousness and lacks morality and principles.”
On his part, he said that for the next one-and-a-half years he would embark on a nationwide tour to awaken the people from the village up to the national level to pressure the government to accept the Jan Lokpal as well as demands such as the right to reject, powers to gram sabhas.
Mr. Hazare admitted that retired General V.K. Singh had joined hands with him and offered to accompany him in his nationwide people’s awakening movement.
“It’s unfair to invite foreign companies”
PTI reports:
Criticising Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for inviting foreign companies to the country to prop up the economy, Mr. Hazare reminded him of Mahatma Gandhi’s idea of first improving the rural economy. “The Prime Minister says we cannot improve the economy without inviting foreign companies, which is absolutely wrong,” Mr. Hazare said.
He said that it was not fair to invite foreign companies to the country and hand over to them our land and minerals.
“I have worked in several villages without any foreign funding. In the villages where people were living with empty stomachs, we have brought about a change and now they are exporting vegetables,” Mr. Hazare said.
