Anna Hazare to undertake fast unto death demanding Jan Lokpal Bill

Agencies

News Delhi, 5 April 2011: The well-known anti- corruption crusader Anna Hazare is all set to observe fast unto death from Tuesday, 5 April 2011 until the government enacts a comprehensive Jan Lokpal Bill to deal with widespread corruption in the country. 

 

Seventy two years old Anna Hazare speaking at the press conference said, "My fast unto death begins tomorrow. I was saddened when the Prime Minister rejected the demand by leading civil society members to include them and senior ministers in the joint committee to draft the Jan Lokpal Bill (Citizen’s ombudsman Bill)."

 

 

Speaking further, Anna Hazare said, "The Indian Government has to accept the Lokpal Bill. Corruption has increased so much that poor people are being harassed like anything. That is why I am sitting on a fast onto death for the cause of this bill. I will not go back to my home till this bill is passed. I will not stay back from giving my life for my nation."

 

"I have dedicated my life for the service of my nation. I have not gone to my own house from the last 35 years. I want that poor people should get justice. I want the money back, which we are losing out to corruption. And this government is aiding all the corrupt people," he added.

 

Anna Hazare said that a Group of Ministers headed by Sharad Pawar is looking into the contents of the proposed anti-corruption bill and civil society members would be consulted later. 

 

Retired IPS officer Kiran Bedi and social reformist Swami Agnivesh were also present and pledged their support to Anna Hazare. 

 

 

Anna Hazare lamented that the views of eminent persons like Justice (Retd) Santosh Hegde, advocate Prashant Bhushan and Swami Agnivesh were not considered important by the government and "a minister like Sharad Pawar, who is known for possessing large amounts of land in Maharashtra, is heading a committee that will draft the bill." 

 

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), late on Monday evening, issued an appeal to  Anna Hazare to abandon the hunger strike he had announced he would resort to, starting Tuesday, to force the government to accept his version of the Lokpal Bill.

 

The appeal came a few hours after the National Advisory Council (NAC)’s Working Group on Transparency and Accountability met civil society groups, including some of  Anna Hazare’s colleagues in the India against Corruption, Arvind Kejriwal, Swami Agnivesh and former Supreme Court judge N. Santosh Hegde, to carry forward the discussion on the Lokpal Bill.

 

The appeal stresses that “The Prime Minister has enormous respect for Shri Hazare and his mission.”

 

Earlier in the day at the NAC’s Working Group meeting, the discussions centred round the key issue of whether the proposed Lokpal Bill should restrict itself to corruption in high places or whether it should cover all malpractices, big and small.

 

Aruna Roy, who heads the Working Group, felt that if the ambit of the bill was widened, the Lokpal may not be able to cope with the volume of complaints that would flow in. However, NAC member Harsh Mander reportedly said that such a bill would be meaningless if it did not deal with the corruption that affected the lives of the poor. This view was reflected in the Jan Lokpal Bill, drafted by Justice Santosh Hegde, Arvind Kejriwal and Supreme Court lawyer Prashant Bhushan, the one that  Anna Hazare is pressing to have accepted.

 

The meeting also discussed the selection process and the need to ensure that people of integrity were picked, as well as whether the Lokpal should focus on individual acts of corruption or also on systemic reforms and integrity audits, said NAC sources.

 

The broad consensus was that the government’s draft bill was too weak to adequately tackle the massive corruption cases currently in the headlines, and that all arms of the government — executive, legislature and judiciary — should be put under the scanner.

 

Anna Hazare’s fast unto death in favour of the Jan Lok Pal Bill has generated tremendous support across the country. When Anna Hazare goes on an indefinite fast in Delhi on Tuesday, around 6,000 Mumbaikars will join him for a one-day fast. Around 800 of these volunteers will hold a car and motorbike rally from Shivaji Park to Azad Maidan, where the rally will culminate and the citizens will sit for the day-long fast.

 

Mayank Gandhi, coordinator of the movement India Against Corruption, said around 100 cars and 100 bikes, with banners and posters, are expected to participate in the rally that will start at Shivaji Park on Tuesday morning.

 

Around 6,000 members of general public and NGOs such as the Jagruk Nagrik Manch, Loksatta, Bombay Catholic Sabha, Art of Living, Bharat Swabhimaan Nivas, Medha Patkar’s Ghar Bachao Ghar Banao andolan among others have pledged to be a part of the fast. “We are not sure how many people will actually turn up for the event. We will disperse around 6 pm and spread out in areas around the CST station, distributing pamphlets,” said Gandhi.

 

In Bangalore, the Freedom Park will witness an indefinite hunger strike involving participants from all walks of life. Supporting the initiative of India against Corruption, a people’s movement that has garnered support from people across 100 cities, Bangaloreans will turn out in droves to show their support for Anna Hazare’s demand.