India Against Corruption

“From the way the Government has accepted (our demands) ,the people of India have won!"

Okay, we all must be knowing by now about the Veteran social activist Anna Hazare’s fast unto death to press for the demand of involving civil society in formulation of the anti-graft Lokpal Bill(ombudsman). Anna Hazare announced that he will call off his four-day-old hunger strike Saturday morning, saying the government had conceded most of the demands related to a stringent Lokpal Bill to combat corruption in India.

More than 83 hours after he launched his fast in the heart of the capital, Anna Hazare told reporters and frenzied supporters : ‘From the way the government has accepted (our demands), the people of India have won !’

His campaign to exert pressure on the Government of India to enact a strong anti-corruption act as envisaged in the Jan Lokpal Bill did gain momentum in a fast rhythm and his voice was echoed all over the country through mass support including Bollywood bigwigs like actors Aamir Khan, Anupam Kher, Juhi Chawla, Diya Mirza and Ranvir Shorey, filmmaker Shekhar Kapur and Madhur Bhandarkar, actor and social activist Rahul Bose etc.

Lets have a brief, quick review at the whole histrionic episode…

1) Who is Anna Hazare ? Started his career as a driver in the Army and turned into a social activist. 2) What’s so special about him ? He built a village Ralegaon Siddhi in Ahamad Nagar district, Maharashtra 3) So what ? This village is a self-sustained model village. Energy is produced in the village itself from solar power, bio-fuel and wind mills. In 1975, it used to be a poverty clad village. Now, it is one of the richest village in India. It has become a model for self-sustained, eco-friendly & harmonic village. 4. Ok…? Anna Hazare was awarded Padma Bhushan and is a well-known figure for his social activities. 5) Really, what is he fighting for ? He is supporting a cause, the amendment of a law to curb corruption in India. 6) How can that be possible ? He is advocating for a Bil, The Lok Pal Bill (The Citizen Ombudsman Bill), that will form an autonomous authority who will make politicians (ministers), bureaucrats (IAS/IPS) accountable for their crooked deeds. 7) It’s an entirely new thing, right..? In 1972, the bill was proposed by then Law minister Mr. Shanti Bhushan. Since then it has been neglected by the politicians and some are trying to change the bill to suit thier theft (corruption). 8 ) Oh..He is going on a hunger strike for that whole thing of passing a Bill ! How can that be possible in such a short span of time ? The first thing he is asking for is that the government should come forward and announce that the bill is going to be passed. Next, they must make a joint committee to draft the Lokpal Bill including 50% government participation and 50% public participation because one can’t trust the government entirely for making such a bill which doesn’t suit them. 9) Fine, What will happen when this bill is passed ? A LokPal will be appointed at the centre, who’ll have an autonomous charge, say like the Election Commission of India. In each and every state, Lokayukta will be appointed. The job is to bring all alleged party to trial in case of corruptions within 1 year. Within 2 years, the guilty will be punished unlike, the Bofors scam or the Bhopal Gas Tragedy case, that have been going for last 25 years without any result. 10) Is he alone ? Who else is there in the fight with Anna Hazare ? Baba Ramdev, Ex. IPS Kiran Bedi, Social Activist Swami Agnivesh, RTI activist Arvind Kejriwal and many more. 11) Ok, got it. What can I do ? At least we can spread the message by putting status message, links, video, changing profile pics. We can support Anna Hazare and the cause for uprooting corruption from India. Youth Initiative (Victory of India by Joint Action Of Youth)