Jan Lokpal Bill is very regressive

Jan Lokpal Bill is very regressive: Arundhati Roy

In an exclusive interview, writer Arundhati Roy said there are serious concerns about the Jan Lokpal Bill, corporate funding, NGOs and even the role of the media.

Sagarika Ghose: Hello and welcome to the CNN-IBN special. The Anna Hazare anti-corruption movement has thrown up multiple voices. Many have been supportive of the movement, but there have been some who have been sceptical and raised doubts about the movement as well. One of these sceptical voices is writer Arundhati Roy who now joins us. Thanks very much indeed for joining us. In your article in 'The Hindu' published on August 21, entitled 'I'd rather not be Anna', you've raised many doubts about the Anna Hazare campaign. Now that the movement is over and the crowds have come and we've seen the massive size of those crowds, do you continue to be sceptical? And if so, why?

Lokpal legislation and statutory procedures

A resolution passed in Parliament may have limitations when it comes to implementation

In the context of the ongoing moves on the Lokpal Bill issue, it has to be noted that a resolution of either House of Parliament, even when it is passed by a division, has limitations with regard to implementation by government.

There are three types of resolutions: one is the kind that, when passed, the government will have to implement statutorily; the second type can control the procedure of the House; the third type may be an expression of the opinion of the House.

House panel looking at Lokpal Bill

 The parliamentary panel looking into the Lokpal Bill is set to be reconstituted on Wednesday, amid estimates that it was a timely opportunity to add to the committee's weight by redrawing its composition in view of the important agenda ahead.
Congress MP and spokesman Abhishek Singhvi is likely to continue as chairman of the 31-member standing committee on law and justice. Sources said civil society has lobbied hard against MPs who are "prejudged on Lokpal issue or on Jan Lokpal authors headed by Anna Hazare.

PM sends flowers to Anna

PM sends flowers and get well soon message to Anna

New Delhi:  It was Dr Manmohan Singh's intervention in Parliament that created the room for a truce between the government and activist Anna Hazare, who was on a hunger strike against corruption.

Today, Dr Singh has sent flowers and a short message to Anna, who is recovering at a hospital in Gurgaon.

The Gandhian, who is 74, ended his fast on Sunday after Parliament accepted his three must-have powers for the Lokpal, a new anti-corruption agency that will act on complaints against public servants. For months, the government and Anna's associates had argued about whose vision of the Lokpal was more practical and well-rounded. On August 16, Anna began his hunger strike at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan.  

Anna to visit Manipur

Anna to visit Manipur, back Sharmila's crusade

India Against Corruption core committee member Akhil Gogoi on Monday said Anna Hazare would soon visit Manipur to support Irom Sharmila Chanu, who has been on a hunger strike for nearly 11 years seeking repeal of the controversial Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA).

"Once Anna is released from hospital, his first destination will be the northeast. His first stop-over in the region will be Assam, where he will address an anti-dam rally. He will then visit Manipur in support of Sharmila's crusade against AFSPA," the RTI activist and peasants' leader from Assam told newspersons here after returning from New Delhi, where he was with the veteran Gandhian during the latter's fast against graft.

anna'a health

Anna vitals near-normal after 12-day 'miracle' fast

Anna Hazare's 12-day fast has been termed as a "miracle" by doctors treating him at Medanta Medicity in Gurgaon. He was shifted to the hospital after he broke his fast at the Ramlila Maidan. Doctors say his condition is stable, but he will be under observation for three to four days. And when Anna was being taken inside the hospital, thousands of supporters gathered outside, almost choking the entrance.

Anna supporters - women, children and the old - were shouting slogans and trying to get a glimpse of the man who had won the war for the common man. As his convoy followed by an ambulance and a Delhi Police Gypsy reached the entrance, Tricolour-waving supporters mobbed the car. Despite several appeals from the Gurgaon police, the crowd refused to budge forcing Arvind Kejriwal to climb atop a vehicle with folded hands and plead with the crowd to relent. About 250 policemen were deployed in and around the hospital and yet they struggled to manage the crowd.

No record of statements on anna

No record of statements by leaders, MPs: PMO on Anna Hazare row

NEW DELHI: The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) has said that allegations against Anna Hazare and his associates "are not a matter of record" with it.

"Allegations leveled by individuals which are part of investigative procedures, would be the concern of the specific investigating agencies or public authorities which are dealing with the subject," the Prime Minister's Office said replying to an RTI query. PMO was asked to give details of allegations of corruption leveled against Hazare and his three associates -- former IPS officer Kiran Bedi, RTI activist Arvind Kejriwal and eminent lawyer Prashant Bhushan -- by Congress General Secretary Digvijay Singh and MP Manish Tewari.

"Statements made by leaders/MPs are not a matter of record of this office. Any statement made by an individual may have originated on the basis of knowledge held by that person concerned and can, therefore, be accessed from that person or any public authority concerned.

"This office is not the public authority in respect of the information sought based on statement originated from these leaders/MPs and no public authority can be identified which may hold the record," it said in reply to an RTI filed by advocate Vivek Garg.

Earlier this month, Tewari had alleged that Hazare was corrupt from "head to toe", a statement which he withdrew after almost a fortnight and publicly apologized for it. Similarly, Singh has denied making any statement against the anti-graft campaigner.

Hazare was on fast for 12 days since August 16 demanding stricter anti-corruption law.

Exercising his Right to Information, Garg had also sought details of Justice Sawant Commission's report claiming corruption charges against Hazare or any of his associate NGOs which were denied by the government.

"The information sought pertains to State Government of Maharashtra," the reply added.

At Ramlila Maidan, now alcohol drunk near Anna's bed

New Delhi:  Ramlia Maidan has undergone a sea change. The fervour is missing, so is the spirit. Well maybe not the latter, but it is a huge transformation nevertheless. A day after Anna Hazare concluded his hunger strike on the lokpal issue, MiD DAY found a group of men consuming liquor on the same bed at Ramlila Maidan which Anna was using for resting purposes.

When this MiD DAY reporter spoke to these people, who were evidently having a good time, they started a discussion about the Anna movement and the 74-year-old Gandhian crusader. According to the bunch, the podium at the Ramlila Grounds was 'their permanent place' which they used for liquor parties.

Anna weak but in good spirits

He is in good spirits but looks weak after fasting for 12 days at the age of 74.  Anna Hazare is recovering well in a largish room on the 13th floor of Gurgaon-based Medanta Medicity hospital whose Chairman and Managing-Director Naresh Trehan was giving the nation live updates about the Gandhian's health while he was fasting at the sprawling Ramlila Grounds till Sunday morning.

Trehan and other doctors continue to monitor him closely and hope to release him from the hospital later this week. Sitting up in his bed, Hazare receives a bouquet and a "get well soon" card from someone for whom he had created a crisis a few days ago -- Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

anna in hospital: who will pay anna's hospital bills

Who will foot Anna Hazare's hospital bill?

It was not clear on Tuesday as to who would pay the medical bill of Anna Hazare, recuperating at Gurgaon's Medanta Medicity after his 12-day fast, even as hospital chairman Naresh Trehan hinted that a decision on the charges would be taken later.

"He is a decent man. I have immense respect for what he is doing. Let us first see the bills, only then something can be said," Trehan said.

Hazare has been under the medical supervision of Trehan and has not been charged till now.

India Against corruption (IAC) member Aswathi Muralidharan told IANS: "Till now, he has not been charged. We can only say who will pay the bill if we get the bill."

"Even when Trehan had seen him earlier, he was not charged,” she added.

After breaking his 288-hour fast Sunday, Hazare was admitted to the Gurgaon-based hospital where he was given coconut water and honey at regular intervals.

Bhaiyu Ji Mharaj Says

I am happy to be a mediator for Anna: Bhaiyyuji Maharaj

The moment veteran Gandhian Anna Hazare broke his fast by sipping coconut water and honey offered to him by two young girls, Simran and Iqra - one a Dalit and the other a Muslim, I felt so relieved and happy that I have taken the responsibility of meeting all the needs of the two girls till their marriage,” said Bhaiyyuji Maharaj.

The spiritual guru played a crucial role in getting the 74-year-old anti-corruption crusader break his fast.

"Anna inspired "

'Anna inspired me to expose corruption'

New Delhi:  It seems Anna Hazare's movement has failed to move everyone and it is business as usual for a 'corrupt' few.
Even as the mass agitation was in progress at Ramlila Maidan, a government employee seeking admission in a medical college for one of his relatives got frustrated by the process and carried out a 'sting operation' on an agency that was asking for a few lakh rupees in return for a seat in a reputed private or government-recognised medical college.

ramlila maidan after anna

Anna Hazare, India’s first anti-corruption crusader who pressurized the government to enact the Jan Lokpal Bill (Citizen Ombudsman Bill) in a ‘peaceful and non-violent’ manner, did an impressive job of transforming his native village as well, but surprisingly, he did so in an entirely ‘autocratic, violent way,’ reveals the Sydney Morning Herald's international editor Peter Hartcher.

Hartcher explained how Hazare, who vows to follow the ‘Gandhi-style non-violent’ way of bringing a change, apparently built his first success on violence in his native village.

scenes being played out at India Gate

undertaken by anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare for the passage of the Jan Lokpal Bill that grabbed the imagination of the country culminated in a fitting finale at India Gate here on Sunday. Thousands turned up in an overwhelming show of support to celebrate the Government's acceptance of Mr. Hazare's conditions and the subsequent breaking of his fast at Ramlila Maidan earlier in the day.

Scores of fluttering tricolours, several groups of people jubilantly breaking into impromptu jigs to the catchy beat of the drums, fireworks lighting up the sky alongside kites flying high with Mr. Hazare's name splashed in the tricolour and passionate slogans filling the air with gusto and merriment, were some of the scenes being played out at India Gate on Sunday evening. It brought back memories of the country's cricket world cup victory scenes at the same venue a few months ago.

Fasting and feasting at 10.19 a.m.-anna

Thousands pour in at Ramlila Maidan to witness Anna Hazare break his fast

A sea of humanity descended at Ramlila Maidan here on Sunday to witness history in the making as anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare broke his 290-hour-long marathon fast with coconut water and honey offered by two girls wearing “I am Anna” caps.

While hundreds of Anna's supporters stayed back to celebrate their victory after both Houses of Parliament passed a resolution on Saturday on the demands put forth by the social activist, a large number of supporters donning caps and waving the Tricolour started pouring into the Maidan from all directions at daybreak.

“I have been coming here for the past three days.

Anna Hazare rules Indian cyberspace

Anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare ruled Indian cyberspace during his fast demanding introduction of Jan Lokpal Bill in Parliament.

Search engine Google produces 29 million results when a query is made by entering Anna Hazare’s name, while Sonia Gandhi’s name yields a little below 9 million results.

A page created in the Facebook on Anna Hazare has been liked by 3.64 lakh users against UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi’s page which has 57, 291 likes.

5 Reasons why Anna Resonates with the Masses

by- sumit gupta

In my  previous article, I had a doubt about how the public will react to Anna’s second fast unto death. I was more skeptical about the response to his Jail Bharo call. But I am glad all my skepticism has been proved wrong. The public has responded, and how. Tens of thousands of people have come out on the streets in support of Anna Hazare. People have courted arrests in hundreds and in Delhi, police has to convert a stadium into a jail to keep those arrested. There were around 100,000 people marching to India Gate in Delhi and around Azad Maidan in Mumbai. Now can the government arrest them all?

Anna Hazare in Ralegan Siddhi

The Making of an Authority: Anna Hazare in Ralegan Siddhi

April 14, 2011

by mukulsharma

(I am posting a much longer version of my previous article that will also respond to some of the queries and comments. This article is based on my research, field work and interviews in Ralegan Sidhi since 1991.)

This article is focussed mainly on understanding how exactly the rural environmental works in the journey of Anna Hazare and Ralegan Sidhi are articulated within a coherent ideological framework, to acquire their legitimacy and authority, which are fed by, and fed into, some dominant political cultures of the state. Any political theory and practice, built on this framework, can open the possibilities of a strengthening of the conservative and nationalist forces. Certainly, the ideology of a rural organisation or a movement and its appeal is not based on a single plank. In the case of Anna Hazare and his programme, though the developmental and the environmental works form the core of its ideological structures, it includes other issues as well. At times it provides a different scale of activities to its audience, but eventually reinforces its principal ideological framework. Some understanding of the ideological DNA of the green villagers and the fellow environmental travellers also gives us an idea as to what elements of this endeavour and ideology motivate villagers and environmentalists.

five point for anna

Five Points to Understand Battle of Anna Hazare

1. He is a Simple Man

Anna Hazare is a famous social activist of Maharashtra. Till recently his activities were limited to his own state. In April 2011 he decided to fight with the mighty central government. This very successful social fighter has no house or bank account on his name. 72-year man lives the life of a fakir. He has sacrificed his entire life for the welfare of the people. Due to hectic welfare schedules he has not been able to visit his own village for the last 40 years.
2. What changed his life
Anna lost his parents at an early age. He had to leave school after VII class. He joined Indian national army as a driver. Even in army he spoke against corruption. He took interest in reading about Vivekanand, Gandhi and other social personalities. He also fought in the 1965 Indo-Pak war. Once in a combat he lucklily survived and thought God gave him a new life. He decided to dedicate his new life to the welfare of the society. Then he took voluntary retirement from the army and came back to his Ralegaon Siddhi village (distt. Ahmednagar, Maharashtra) to help people to live a better life..
3. His first big achievement
In 1975 his village was inflicted with poverty, crime and under-development. It was also a den of illicit liquor. Most of its land was barren. He decided to change the picture of his village completely by tranforming it to a model village. He contributed his savings in the development of the village. He persuaded the people to join hands with him. With his boldness he even succeeded in removing liquor mafia from the village, never bowing to their threats.
He aked his fellow villagers to take an oath to stick to five commandments: 1. prohibition to liquor, 2. family planning, 3. voluntary labour, 4. a ban on open grazing and 5. a ban on felling trees. After a few years this village became a self-reliant and the richest village of the state.
4. How he suddenly rose to an international fame
For years he faught in Maharashtra against corruption and mafia. Year 2010 had shaken Indians with large scale political corruption. Misdeeds of politicians like Suresh Kalmadi and A. Raja involving rupees thousands of crores had shaken the nation. People were unable to do anything. Anna Hazare decided to start a battle with the mighty central government to stop political corruption.
On April 5 2011, he decided to go on a fast unto death. It was his non-violent Gandhian weapon to put pressure on the Government. He wanted the government to be serious on enacting anti-corruption act (Lokpal Bill) which could stop political and beaurocratic corruption in the country. Hidden anger of Indians suddenly exploded. People from all sections of the society came to his support. He got support even from the Indians living abroad.
Overwheming response to his movement surprised media as well political parties. It shook the central government. Feeling pressure the government bowed down to the demand of frail old man, and agreed on forming a joint committee to draft a bill that could nail the corrupt people in government (without seeking the permission of the government). People were overjoyed with this success.
5. Will his struggle bring real results?
Anna has been known for his stubbornness and tough battle. Once he decides to do a thing nothing can make him fear or backtrack. Now due to the immense sport he got, political parties are under pressure to help pass the new Lokpal Bill in parliament.
His earlier successes when he was not even having such an overnwheming support:
a. 6 corrupt ministers in Maharashtra government had to resign
b. 400 corrupt officers were dismissed from their jobs
c. Maharashtra RTI Act was passed in 2002
d. Central Government withdrew its proposal to amend Central RTI Act in 2006

Yeddyurappa in Special Lokayukta Court

Yeddyurappa appears in Special Lokayukta Court

High Court rejects his anticipatory bail plea

The former Chief Minister, B.S. Yeddyurappa, made his first appearance in the Special Lokayukta Court on Monday after the Karnataka High Court rejected his anticipatory bail plea earlier in the day. Though he had been asked to appear on Saturday, he sought exemption on health grounds.

Mr. Yeddyurappa filed a bail petition before the court, along with the other accus

Right to recall can't be accepted unless made practical: Salman Khurshid

NEW DELHI: Law minister Salman Khurshid on Monday said the concept of right to recall of elected representatives cannot be accepted in the country unless it was made practical.

"I do not think in a large democracy like ours we cannot automatically accept a right to recall unless we look at what the implications are and it can be made practical," Khurshid told reporters here.

Anna's call for Right to Recall or Reject

Anna's call for poll reforms sparks debate over Right to Recall or Reject

New Delhi:  A day after social activist Anna Hazare said his fight would now be for Right to Recall and the Right to Reject as part of electoral reforms so that corruption can be reduced Law Minister Salman Khurshid said that the Right to Reject seems relatively a more practical concept. Speaking to NDTV, Mr Khurshid asked, "Is it possible to recall the US President or the British MPs?"

 

Hazare urges people not to elect 'useless' lawmakers

 

As Parliament initiated a discussion on his three demands on Lokpal Bill, Anna Hazare on Saturday trained his guns at MPs, saying that around 150 of them were facing criminal charges, and that people should not elect “useless” lawmakers next time.

Dalit and Muslim help Anna end fast

Dalit and Muslim help Anna end fast
NEW DELHI: For 12 days Anna Hazare became the rallying point for millions of Indians. And on the 13th day when he broke his fast, it was a moment of victory. History was made with its epitome of inclusiveness. Two children - a Dalit and a Muslim - together held a glass of coconut water and honey to Anna's lips.

The move is significant as the 74-year-old Gandhian had drawn criticism from Dalits, with some even dubbing his movement as an upper-caste endeavour. Similarly, Muslim leaders had also advised community members to stay away from the movement. 

ANNA BHAI BECOME MUNNABHAI

Anna: Nation's New Munna Bhai?

With the ongoing revolution and uprising against corruption for the Lokpal Bill, led by ANNA Hazare against the UPA Government, covered extensively by the media that gave him the epithet The New Gandhi, there is no question that the retired army soldier with a frail physique is doing a commendable job in the awakening the nation since Independence. Every media is vying for headlines on ANNA Hazare who is digging up the issue of a corrupt nation, looking forward for a bright future from a hazy past. He has suddenly become a beacon of light for the unguided, a ray of hope for the disillusioned, a flicker of a lamp at the end of the tunnel for the misled, a leader for a better future for the young, an icon to follow and an idol to be revered for the whole of India which has been drowned to its nadir by the corrupt rulers. The main support today flocking behind ANNA has been the youth from urban and rural India alike. They are the future of India, the generation which is going to lead the nation forward after cleansing its gut from the decay culminated from greed and selfishness of political parties. The same youth which was without an ideology and ambition to raise or rise for their rights.

Indian activist Hazare rests after anti-corruption fast

Indian anti-corruption campaigner Anna Hazare has spent a night in hospital after ending a 12-day hunger strike in the capital, Delhi

Doctors say Mr Hazare's condition is stable and he is on a liquid diet.

Mr Hazare, 74, broke his fast after MPs expressed support for proposed changes to anti-corruption legislation.

Indians have been angered by a string of corruption scandals and Mr Hazare's campaign received widespread support and a great deal of media coverage.

City celebrates Anna's victory

VARANASI: The city residents erupted in joy and celebrations the moment anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare ended his fast at Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi on Sunday morning.
The anti-corruption campaign run on Gandhian values of non-violence, peaceful processions, indefinite sit-ins ended with celebrations in the city on Sunday. Two rallies were held at BHU to celebrate the victory of Anna Hazare. A group of students carried out a victory procession on the varsity campus while another procession was taken out by girl students starting from the main gate of the university.

aamir with anna

Bollywood is quick to jump on the trending themes of the times. At one point of time it's masala action films, at another its reality-based dramas.And now, it's films that take on corrupt politicians. Reports says that Prakash Jha wants to make a film on the anti-graft movement with Amitabh  Bachchan playing Anna Hazare.

According to the buzz, Madhu Mantena, who prodcued Ghajini, is looking to remake a 2003 Telugu film with an anti-corruption theme.

film on anna hazare

anna become realhero now
Pune:  Soon, Anna Hazare's exploits in real life will be immortalised on reel life. And playing Anna will be Arun Nalavade of 2004 Oscar-nominated film Shwaas fame. 

So excited is Nalawade about his role in the film that he affirms it will be a lifetime role. "By watching television, I have already started learning Anna's body language and am trying to imitate his voice," said Nalavade, who was one of the producers of Shwaas. "Playing Anna is the biggest challenge in my life and I am reading up on him. I shall try to give justice to the role."

What will Anna Hazare do till Parliament decides!

What will Anna Hazare do till Parliaent decides!

Anna Hazare is recovering and in couple of days he would be discharged. What next? The man had been in centre of nation's attention and his each activity hereafter would not be the same. The man has lost the life of ordinariness, so dearly guarded by him so far.

celebrities have cost to pay as even their small acts get magnified many times over before an intrusive media which is ever hungry to make mountain out of mole. Hazare is, of course no celebrity in typical sense of the word, yet he values his privacy as every other individual.

Om Puri regrets remarks on politicians

NEW DELHI: Actor Om Puri has apologised for calling politicians "uneducated" and "incompetent" during his speech in Ramlila Maidan late and says his choice of words was inappropriate. 

"I respect the parliament and the costitutional body. I am very proud to be an Indian. It was wrong on my part to use such terms. I wasn't drunk, I was just emotionally charged, such things do come from mouth.....even our politicians at times, in a fit of anger, use such things," Om told CNN-IBN. 

Mission accomplished, Kamla Market police station holds hawan

Mission accomplished, Kamla Market police station holds hawan
The scene at Kamla Market police station in central Delhi was quite different from daily routine on Sunday. Sacred chants echoed inside the compound and all police officers were sitting with their guns downs as a hawan was held to thank the divine powers that helped the police in peacefully concluding the 
11-day mammoth protest led by Anna Hazare at the Ramila Maidan.

Notably, officers of the same police station were under fire because of the barbaric crackdown they launched on Baba Ramdev and his supporters in June this year.

Manna from Anna

Manna from Anna

As Anna Hazare’s protest goes viral, so do the businesses that have sprung up around it

Sangeeta Sisodia and Udita Aswal have never done business. In fact, they have never stepped out of home to work. But, on August 23, after sending their children to school and their husbands, who are drivers, to work, the two women in their mid-30s head to Ramlila Maidan in Delhi where Anna Hazare is on fast. There are thousands at the ground to support Anna and nationalist fervour rules strong. Neighbours have told the two young women that the protest offers good opportunities to make some quick money. Sisodia and Aswal are thus loaded with ‘I am Anna’ caps and wristbands and flags in saffron, green and white like the Tricolour. The risk (they haven’t told the husbands) and the effort (they’ve come from the fringes of the city) have been well worth it and their stock sells briskly. They might not know the Constitutionality of what Hazare is doing, but they have the instinct of a punter. “We will be back tomorrow,” says Sisodia.

competitionpapers.blogspot.com

In normal times, Sadiq Hasan should be in school Monday to Friday. But for the last one week, this 15-year-old has bunked classes and come to Ramlila Maidan to paint the Tricolour on people’s faces. “My classmates told me to grab the chance,” says Hasan, the pride of his first money evident on his face. He makes about Rs 1,000 a day. Come what may, Indians just cannot let slip the chance to make money. Greed for sure is good.

Arunachal family joins Anna at Ramlila

His pink hand-woven jacket, a trademark of the Mishmi tribe, might have stood out in the blistering heat on Sunday, but he was one with the surging crowds at the Ramlila Maidan celebrating after Anna Hazare 

broke his fast. Sotai Kri, an activist who came all the way from ArunachalPradesh, more than 2,000km from Delhi, could be seen as an example of how Hazare drew supporters from across the country. “I want to show that people from Arunachal too are with Annaji,” said Kri, 48.

All pain, little gain for Team Anna

All pain, little gain for Team AnnaVibha Sharma
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 28
The country is in a state of euphoria and rightly so, a frail 74-year-old Gandhian successfully demonstrated to the mighty government the power of the people and galvanised the youth through what has turned out to be the biggest mass movement post-Independence, providing to the people a platform to vent their seething angst against the curse of corruption.
After emerging as a true representative of the people's aspirations by securing Parliament’s nod on “key elements of the Jan Lokpal Bill”, the next item on Anna’s agenda is electoral reforms - the right to recall and right to reject.
Therefore, when Team Anna member Prashant Bhushan said that the biggest achievement of the anti-corruption movement was that it united people cutting across all divides, he was right. An India Against Corruption (IAC) member added that this was just the "first" step and "the core committee will meet to strategise further plans."
But even as India erupts with impromptu celebrations, taking out victory marches and distributing sweets, the underlying doubt is whether our smart politicians really conceded anything substantial to Anna while providing him with “a reason” to end the fast.
Sources in Team Anna said that the Gandhian had never ended any agitation without anything substantial. However, the answer to the question as to what exactly did the government give up that calls for a celebration is “nothing significant”.
When Anna began his fast on August 16, he was adamant that his version of the Jan Lokpal Bill should be tabled in Parliament by August 31. But somewhere in between, the demands were diluted as the government successfully tapped the widening divide in Team Anna by sidelining hardliners Arvind Kejriwal and Kiran Bedi. As a dehydrated and exhausted Anna sipped the much-deserved coconut water and honey, the fact is that even after 13 days, the Jan Lokpal Bill is far from becoming a reality.
Instead, it is the MPs who successfully managed a victory and must definitely be celebrating, though behind closed doors.
Even when Law Minister Salman Kursheed told a TV channel today that the government made no mistakes, he agreed that some positive things emerged from the agitation for example, the added knowledge of how to handle mass movements in the future.
The government learnt the hard way its mistake of undermining simmering anger of the people against the scourge of corruption, but the situation appears to be more or less where it was on the day Anna started his second fast.
All that the government has actually conceded is an “in principle” agreement on three provisions - citizen charter, lower bureaucracy to be under Lokpal through an appropriate mechanism and establishment of Lokayuktas in the states - and to send the proceedings to the department-related Standing Committee for its perusal while formulating its recommendations for a Lokpal Bill.
This is exactly what Standing Committee Chairman Abhishek Singhvi has been canvassing from the day one - that the committee can consider provisions in the Jan Lokpal Bill and any other drafts that are presented to it during the course of discussions.
Neither did he nor the government give any guarantee that these provisions will definitely be incorporated in the Jan Lokpal draft, Bill or law, as an when these materialise. There is also no guarantee when the Bill would be passed. "But we have an in-principle agreement that these clauses will definitely be considered," insisted an IAC member.
However, many analysts believe that with so many added issues, the government may just have earned some extra time to hang on to the Bill even though Anna aides are determined to pursue their cause during the proceedings of the Standing Committee.
On their future plans, Bhushan said, “The focus will remain on the Lokpal Bill. We will keep the pressure so that all important provisions of Jan Lokpal Bill are included in the final Bill." But then Aruna Roy and Jaiprakash Narayan have also earned the same benefit, that too without fasting.
Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal today thanked PM Manmohan Singh and Parliament for the "grand victory of the people”.
Though a closer look shows that it was the government, united with an equally agreeable Opposition, which registered a considerable victory. Cutting across party lines, MPs united to save the parliamentary system for their future survival.And in the end, the Delhi police should be accorded a word of praise for handling a potentially volatile situation well by not allowing any untoward incident that could have further embarrassed the government after some historic goof-ups in the beginning.

Anna camp spends day on tenterhooks

At 5.41 pm Saturday, the conference room behind the Ramlila Maidan stage buzzed with excitement. A core group member of Team Anna, Sneha Kothawade, kept an eagle eye on the television set while typing out a press release on her laptop titled ‘Anna Hazare breaks fast, people celebrate’.

As the TV screen flashed the news that a resolution had been passed and a voice vote would be conducted in Parliament, she started typing furiously. But barely three paragraphs later, news of Parliament being adjourned reached her and the draft was sent to the trash bin. Frantic phone calls followed.

Anna ends fast

Anna ends fast, expands agendaRight to reject, recall parliamentarians Gandhian’s next priorityShaurya Karanbir Gurung
Tribune News Service

SUPPORTERS REJOICE: Anna Hazare fans celebrate at the India Gate on Sunday evening.

New Delhi, August 28
The unparalleled 13-day agitation ended today with Anna Hazare breaking his fast to a cheering crowd of thousands of supporters at Ramlila Grounds, but not without a stern warning to start yet another movement, this time for electoral reforms.
Two eight-year-old girls, one a Muslim called Ikrah and another a Dalit called Simran, offered Anna a glassful of coconut water mixed with honey amidst waving of the Tricolour and rendering of a devotional song by singer Nitin.
A rejuvenated Anna immediately announced his next plan of action saying his fight for change would continue. “I will not rest till it happens. We now have to bring about electoral reforms and strive for the “right to recall” and “right to reject” MPs. There also needs to be a change in the education system, which has been commercialised. Poor children must be given education,” he added.
“The right to recall will be used against those who are elected and the right to reject, present as a column in the ballot paper, will give the voter a choice to say if he approves of the selected candidates,” the Gandhian said.
Addressing the vast populace gathered there, Anna said, “One thing is clear the people’s parliament is greater than Parliament in Delhi. The public in Delhi has always been stronger. Let this movement be an example to the world,” he said.
He declared his intent to change the society. “This movement has given me the belief that corruption can be eradicated and we can now implement the legislation and the Constitution made by Dr BR Ambedkar.
Notwithstanding the general skepticism expressed by MPs yesterday about his movement, Anna expressed his gratitude to them attributing his success to them. “It would have been impossible without them. We thank the political parties for passing the resolution in Parliament yesterday,” he said.
The Gandhian predicted that the Jan Lokpal Bill would be passed soon, but asked his supporters not to rest yet “because the fight for change has just started”. “If the three demands are rejected, the public must stand up to fight again,” he asserted.
Prashant Bhushan also expressed a similar hope saying, “The people will have to watch the events that will unfold in the coming days. We hope that the government will complete its job within a month. If the Lokpal Bill is implemented, it will convey the establishment of a proper democracy in the country where people’s choices are heard.”
Hazare ended his address to his supporters saying whoever was wearing “I am Anna” cap should follow his five principles. “Shudh vichar (pure thoughts), nishkalank jeevan (untarnished reputation), apman sehni ki shakti (the power to bear insults), shudh aacharan (pure conduct) and tyaag (renunciation).” The crowd enthusiastically nodded in approval as he mentioned each principle, raising his imitable slogan of “Bharat Mata ki jai” before he left.
From there he drove off to Medanta - The Medicity, a hospital in Gurgaon, to stay under observation for next two-three days. 

Anna fast leaves lasting impact on people’s lives

NEW DELHI: This is not the end, but a new beginning - this was the general mood on Sunday after Anna Hazare ended his fast. People at the Ramlila Maidan claimed that the movement has only inspired them to continue the revolution in their day-to-day lives.

The movement, driven largely by undying public support and enthusiasm, has resulted in heightened awareness of corruption and how it has bled the country white. "I had planned to pay Rs 4,000 as bribe to clear an exam, as I felt I wasn't sufficiently prepared. But after participating in the movement, I have promised myself never to do it. I will not be corrupt," said Deepak Rathi, an engineer from Faridabad.

Anna's war on graft fought from this modest room

NEW DELHI: A small room - with a wooden khatiya, a mattress and lots of cushions, a picture of his guru Swami Vivekanand and a few chairs for visitors - was the modest space Anna occupied during his nine-day stay at the Ramlila Maidan.

Right behind the stage where he would make regular appearances to address the crowd, is this room where Anna spent most of his time - resting, meeting people or just penning down his thoughts. Spending most of the day away from the public eye, the extremely private man, remained enclosed within this makeshift accommodation for close to 10 days.

2nd freedom of india

First victory in a long struggle, says Team Anna

Talking to reporters, Patkar said that this was not a half-victory, but the first victory in a long struggle. "I think it is not half the victory. It is the first victory in the long process, which the whole movement will have to pass through. This is the first victory in the sense that the crux of the matter was changing the relationship between the Parliament and the people," said Patkar.

NEW DELHI: Victory was sweet and celebrations at the Maidan and across the country carried on until late in the evening, but Team Anna has already begun the process of setting bigger goals for themselves. At Ramlila Maidan itself, Team Anna -Arvind Kejriwal, Prashant Bhusan, Kiran Bedi and Medha Patkar - gave indications that they were planning to build on the struggle. Till evening, meetings by these civil society members had led them to arrive at a consensus - the next step, beyond the stated objective of passing electoral reforms, was to ask for a set-up where people and the government could interact more closely.

ramlila maidan now

Day after: Ramlila Maidan deserted, clean up on

NEW DELHI: After being the site of Anna Hazare's anti-graft campaign for the last 10 days, the Ramlila Maidan wore a deserted look Monday, even as civic workers were busy clearing the sprawling ground of garbage. 

Traffic around the ground was back to normal as the numerous police barricades on the roads were removed, while a posse of policemen manned the area. 

anna resipi

Anna's kitchen secrets revealed
One jowar bhakri, vegetables, and a bowl of simpledaal cooked by Badambai for 32 years helped 74-year-old Anna Hazare survive 288 hours of fasting

In Ralegan Siddhi: Anna Hazare smiled benignly, sipping on honey-mixed coconut water at Ramlila grounds on Sunday. The 12-day fast had left the 74-year-old almost eight kgs lighter. Doctors called his fast nothing short of a miracle, yoga gurus and spiritual masters hailed him, while his fans attempted to find out the secret of his strength. 

anna hazare's health

Doctor puts to rest fears about Hazare's health

Anna Hazare supporters need not worry about his health. Dr Parag Sancheti, chairman of city-based Sancheti Institute of Orthopedics, said he had seen Hazre in much worse circumstances earlier. He was rushed to Gurgaon's Medanta Medicity Hospital soon after Hazare broke his fast. Reiterating Team Anna's stand that his health was stable, Dr Sancheti said that Anna, who has been his patient for the last few years, is physically fit except for a few blood pressure problems.

In fine fettle: Anna Hazare breaks his fast with coconut water
and honey offered by little girls Simran

Dr Sancheti said he had been called in by Team Anna to persuade Hazare to break his fast, given his long-term association with the activist, but before things could reach a saturation point, Congress leader Vilasrao Deshmukh reached the Ramlila Maidan with news of people's victory.

Hazare's health

Hazare's condition stable: Doctors

Anna Hazare, who was admitted in a hospital here after he ended his 12-day fast for a strong Lokpal Bill, is stable and moving towards normalcy, doctors said today.

"Nobody knows when he will be discharged. His condition is stable. He has to be monitored. Usually, it takes two-three days. When his parameters are established and his body starts tolerating and digesting food, only then he can go," Chairman of Medanta Medicity, Dr Naresh Trehan, who was monitoring Hazare's health during his fast, said.

The 74-year-old activist was brought to the hospital yesterday after he called off his hunger strike.

Hazare wants to take rest and has declined requests to meet him because he is "still very weak", Trehan said, adding various tests have established that the activist's liver and kidneys were normal.

"His condition has improved 30% between yesterday and today. He has not started eating properly but progress is satisfactory," Trehan told reporters.

The doctor said it is important that they increase his diet gradually. "His blood pressure is 130/84 and heart rate is below 80 and this is good progress. (It is) in the right direction," he said.

"The tests show that blood ketones and urine ketones have decreased," he said, adding his weight has also stabilised.

"It was falling 500 grams (per day) during the fast but it fell only 200 grams yesterday, which is also an indicator that his recovery is on the right path" he said.

"When he was brought to the hospital, he was very exhausted. He has slept and has taken a lot of rest since yesterday. He was given juice last evening, and this morning given vegetable soup. Initially, he will be given light fruits
and subsequently solid diet," Trehan added.

What anna Said: Hazare Ends His Fast

By Margherita Stancati

Social activist Anna Hazare ended his 13-day hunger strike on Sunday after Parliament adopted a resolution agreeing to his key demands for a bill to set up a Lokpal, an independent anticorruption agency.The Indiangovernment backed Mr. Hazare’s proposal to allow the Lokpal to investigate the lower bureaucracy as well as top officials. It also agreed to set up anticorruption units in every Indian state. The draft bill will need to go through further parliamentary procedures before it can be voted on.During his fast, Mr. Hazare rallied mass support for his anticorruption movement, putting pressure on the government to move forward on the Lokpal, an issue that had been pending for decades.

सड़क से संसद तक बीजेपी अन्ना के साथ आई

नई दिल्ली।। बीजेपी ने अपने अंतर्विरोधों को दरकिनार करते हुए अन्ना हजारे के जन लोकपाल विधेयक को संसद के बाहर और भीतर समर्थन का ऐलान किया है। पार्टी अध्यक्ष नितिन गडकरी ने अन्ना को पत्र लिखकर संसद से सड़क तक उनके आंदोलन का समर्थन किया है। उन्होंने जनलोकपाल बिल को आधार बनाकर संसद में चर्चा कराने की भी मांग की।

उधर, देर रात बीजेपी के लालकृष्ण आडवाणी समेत दूसरे सीनियर नेताओं और टीम अन्ना के मेंबर्स की मीटिंग के बाद दोनों पक्षों ने इसे पॉजिटिव बताया। प्रेस कॉन्फ्रेंस में अन्ना के सहयोगी केजरीवाल ने कहा, 'बीजेपी हमारे बिल के ज्यादातर मुद्दों पर सहमत है। अब हम सरकार की प्रतिक्रिया का इंतजार कर रहे हैं।'

Lokpal Bill row: Is the PM's proposal too little, too late?

Is the Prime Minister’s proposal of a debate on the floor of house on all the different versions of the Lokpal Bill sufficient to break the deadlock or is it too little too late. Secondly, what are the full implications of the all party resolution commitment to a final draft of the Lokpal Bill and have they been fully understood?

Historian and commentator Ramachandra Guha; co-convener of the national campaign for people’s right to information Nikhil Dey and the Editor-In-Chief of Outlook, Vinod Mehta argue out the issue of the Lokpal Bill with CNBC-TV18's Karan Thappar.

Has Rahul Gandhi changed the Lokpal game?

Minutes after he made a sudden appearance in the Lok Sabha on Friday to profound his idea of Lokpal as a constitutional body, Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi told reporters outside Parliament House that, “it’s a game changing idea.”

Certainly, it was more than just proposing a new concept of Lokpal. He has, in fact, infused a new aggression in the Congress, which appeared to be floundering in the last few days  because of differences within its core group.

janlokpal bill:All eyes on Parliament today

 

Lokpal debate: All eyes on Parliament today

NEW DELHI: Members of Parliament - who have been at the receiving end of protests outside their homes -- will be under the eagle eye of Anna Hazare and his team on Saturday. Team Anna will be closely watching the Parliament proceedings that come after over nine months of advocacy, letters, protests, meetings and discussions and will finally know where the debate on the anti-corruption legislation stands.

After frantic meetings over the last two days, Friday was a quiet day with no word from the government's end. But Team Anna used the opportunity to meet with major political leaders.

effect of anna wave in kasmir

Srinagar, : Even as the Anna wave is sweeping entire India, including the Jammu city of the state, the valley of Kashmir seems to be unfazed. While the winter capital has witnessed some noisy demonstrations in support of the anti-graft crusader, the valley, by and large, has remained aloof, although a section of its society has, just out of curiosity, been watching the emerging scenario with a degree of vicarious interest.

India 2011: that 1980s feeling again(british media)

The current turmoil has taken much of the shine off the so-called ‘New India.'

Casting a glance back at how India appeared to the outside world just a few months ago is rather like looking at grainy footage of yesteryear: a booming economy, IT whiz-kids making waves all over the globe, top ranking in international Test cricket, the ICC Cricket World Cup in the bag, Bollywood on the roll. It seemed India couldn't get anything wrong. All the good news fit to print was coming out of India. And set against the crisis in Pakistan, lurching from one embarrassment to another, the Indian “miracle” looked even more stark.

india economy and corruption

India's economy slowing amid anger about corruption

MUMBAI: For much of the past month, India has been gripped by a raging public debate about how to tackle corruption, which is seen by many here as the country's most important challenge. But a slowing economy may soon overtake corruption as a more pressing problem.

On Thursday, for instance, as the Indian government negotiated with a fasting anti-corruption crusader, the country's central bank issued a blunt warning: Economic growth could soon fall below 8 percent.

India democracy 'at crossroads' as MPs debate graft

NEW DELHI — India's government said Saturday the nation's democracy is at a "crossroads" as lawmakers debate ways to end a high-stakes standoff with a hugely popular anti-graft hunger striker.
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, a top trouble-shooter for the ruling Congress party, renewed an appeal to 74-year-old Anna Hazare to call off his fast as doctors said the activist was weakening after 12 days without food.

"I would like to request Anna Hazare to end his fast," Mukherjee said.

Crisis: Team Anna accuses Govt of betrayal

Crisis: Team Anna accuses Govt of betrayal

New Delhi: Team Anna is not happy with the Government's resolution on Anna Hazare's three demands. Hazare's close associate Prashant Bhushan, who met Government representatives on the resolution to be adopted by Parliament on Saturday, said that it is unfortunate to see the response to what Anna has written to the Government. His father and senior lawyer Shanti Bhushan, who is also a close associate of Hazare, accused the Government of backtracking on the resolution.

Prashant Bhushan said that if the Government is serious about enacting a strong Lokpal then it should move a motion and Parliament should vote on it. He insisted that there should be a formal vote with division in Parliament and not a mere statement of intent.