Sit-ins in Kerala

Left parties and various organisations in Kerala came out against anti-corruption campaigner Anna Hazare's arrest on Tuesday, the former terming it totally undemocratic and the latter staging protest demonstrations and sit-in in different parts of the State.

Groups of people, including youngsters, staged sit-in in the State capital and in various districts calling for Mr. Hazare's release.

Among the organisations that took the lead to organise such demonstrations was the Kerala Sastra Sahitya Parishad (KSSP). Among those who took part in the sit-in in the capital were young professionals from the Technopark here.

The Thiruvananthapuram municipal Corporation adopted a resolution condemning Mr. Hazare's arrest. In separate statements, CPI(M) State secretary Pinarayi Vijayan, LDF convener Vaikom Viswan, RSP general secretary T.J. Chandrachoodan, and CPI legislature party leader C. Divakaran vowed support for the anti-corruption campaign.

The CPI(M) State secretary termed Mr. Hazare's arrest and his imprisonment in the Tihar jail an assault on democracy.

He called upon CPI(M) activists to hold demonstrations across the State on Wednesday evening to protest against Mr. Hazare's arrest and related developments.

In his statement, Mr. Viswan said Mr. Hazare's arrest violated the right of all citizens to organise themselves and to resort to direct action over various issues.

Condemning Mr. Hazare's arrest, Prof. Chandrachoodan called upon the Central government to desist from all such undemocratic actions and explore the possibility for a consensus on such vital issues as corruption.

In his statement, Mr. Divakaran called upon the Central government to see to it that Mr. Hazare was released unconditionally and that a new Lokpal Bill which was powerful enough to rid the nation of corruption was formulated.