Wednesday, December 28, 2011

The Rise and Fall of Kisan Cabal Cancer

Wednesday, December 28th 12:52 PM IST

Time for Anna Hazare to declare victory and move on to next act

Anant Rangaswami 38 mins ago




“You’ve got to know when to hold ‘em
Know when to fold ‘em
Know when to walk away
Know when to run…
…Now every gambler knows the secret to survivin’
Is knowin’ what to throw away
And knowin’ what to keep”
These words are from American country singer Kenny Rogers’ The Gambler.
Team Anna has behaved like a gambler all right; playing their cards close to the chest, not letting the politicians get an idea of how many aces they held. In March, as Anna Hazare announced his first fast, the Congress called the bluff – and lost. Later, in August, as Anna announced another fast, he was denied permission to fast at Ramlila. He courted arrest, was arrested, released and began his fast. The Congress kept calling for a show, and Team Anna won — again and again and again.
Anna HazareThis is the time to walk away from the table, with your winnings in your pocket. From this moment, let Parliament and politicians deal with the inherent contradictions and weaknesses of the new law. PTI
They got both Houses of Parliament to declare a ‘sense of the house’ and got the government to announce that a ‘strong’ Lokpal bill would be tabled in Parliament in the winter session. The standing committee had numerous meetings and, finally, a Lokpal Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha. The Bill might not have been the dream Bill that Team Anna was looking for, but it is an anti-corruption bill which goes much further than existing laws of the land.
Yet, Team Anna stayed stubborn, accusing the Congress of having cheated the country, of betraying the country, of not wanting a Lokpal bill. Up to this point, it was two gamblers at the table; Team Anna and the Congress party.
Then, everything changed, the moment the bill was taken up for debate in the Lok Sabha. It was clear that there were more ways than Team Anna’s way and the highway; there was a BJP way, a Samajwadi Party way, a Trinamool Congress way, a Shiromani Akali Dal way, a CPI (M) way, an AIDMK way, a DMK way and so on.
What the debate achieved was to bring to public attention that the Lokpal issue was not a simple matter; that the issue was complex, with many points of view. With each passing hour, the Congress became less of an enemy to the lay citizen who supports Team Anna. It was apparent that there were multiple points of view on multiple facets of the Lokpal bill.
Today (Wednesday), we will see more of the complexities as the debate enters the Rajya Sabha. There will be more points of view, more voices in opposition, more amendments. By the end of the day, we might have a bill passed by the Rajya Sabha which is very different from the one passed in the Lok Sabha, necessitating a joint session of both houses of Parliament. Finally, the joint session will, hopefully, pass a bill that is an amalgam of the two versions passed by the two houses.
It is important that Team Anna sees this as a victory. An important and hard-fought victory, not a hollow one. They should not, now, snatch defeat from the jaws of victory by pushing the politicians more than they already have.
This is the time to walk away from the table, with your winnings in your pocket. From this moment, let Parliament and politicians deal with the inherent contradictions and weaknesses of the new law.
This is not to suggest, for a moment, that they should stop caring about the perceived weaknesses in the bill. What they should do is monitor the functioning of the Lokpal for six months – and then demonstrate to politicians and their supporters – why certain aspects of the bill do not work or do not work effectively.
There are many other issues that need to be tackled, and Team Anna (and other NGOs, learning from Team Anna) could take these issues up one by one. Electoral reforms and judicial reforms – much of the ultimate success of an anti-corruption law will rest on these two aspects of governance.
“Even if the Lokpal controls the CBI, it will have no control over the courts. These seem incapable of convicting any resourceful person beyond appeals within his or her lifetime. Little will be achieved if the Lokpal initiates a thousand cases that then drag on for decades, with the accused out on bail,” wrote Swaminathan Anklesaria Aiyar in The Economic Times.
Perhaps, by the time the Rajya Sabha has finished with the government’s version of the Lokpal, the Lokpal will, indeed, control the CBI. As Aiyar points out eloquently, there is another battle to be fought – judicial reforms.
The message to Team Anna: Move to the next table, get up from this one. You’ve done well; play at the next with the confidence you’ve gained in the Lokpal victory.
See more

Mumbaikars don’t have the luxury to support Anna

Anant Rangaswami Dec 28, 2011




To anyone who lives in Mumbai, the flop show at MMRDA grounds wasn’t a great surprise.
Mumbaikars have little time for themselves. The very concept of sacrificing even a little bit of this precious commodity to go and attend a political rally (and the Anna Hazare rally is one, make no mistake) is inconceivable.
Chief Election Commissioner SY Qureshi could have given Team Anna a tip or two on how different Mumbai is from the rest of the country. Speaking at the CNBC Awaaz Consumer Awards a month ago, Qureshi told the assembled audience that Mumbai would NEVER see an election on a Friday or a Monday — because Mumbaikars would immediately grab the election ‘holiday’ opportunity and make it a long weekend. As a result, Mumbai has an embarrassing voter turnout, which is lower then 40 percent in some constituencies.
A supporter of anti-corruption activist Hazare gestures at the venue of his three-day fast in Mumbai . Reuters
That’s a lesson Team Anna could so easily have learned.
To understand why holidays are so precious and guarded one needs to take a look at the life of the average citizen. Most work six-day weeks; most have a long (in terms of time) commute — even those earning seven-figure salaries. The weekdays (and Saturdays in many instances) are days when family members interact only over the necessities; conversations are about school fees, electricity bills, groceries, money needs, the dabbawalla and the dhobi, illness at home, renewal of bus and train passes, and so on.
That’s why the weekend (for the lucky) and the Sunday (for the less fortunate) is protected with such zeal. It’s a time when husband and wife can spend some time in privacy, sometimes travelling 25-30 kilometers for the luxury of being able to hold hands without being seen by someone; it’s a time when couples go and watch a terrible movie only because it allows them to get away from 10 other family members who they share the chawl with; it’s a time to show the children the beach that they’ve only heard about from their classmates; it’s a time when the daughter-in-law gets a break from the mother-in-law (and vice versa).
It’s a time to attend to pressing matters, repeatedly put off because of lack of time, like a visit to the doctor to have the lump in the breast seen to, or the rash that your six year old has had for over a week.
It’s a time to hunt for an elusive electrician because the geyser has gone kaput and the children need their hot water. It’s a time when you have to find a new bai (maid) to replace the one who disappeared last Wednesday. It’s a time to visit your father, who lives 20 kms away, or your mother-in-law who lives 40 kms away.
It’s not the time to attend a rally against corruption. Compared to one’s own problems, corruption and Anna Hazare pale into insignificance.

BJP cuts a sorry figure on Lokpal; has the party lost it?

R Jagannathan Dec 28, 2011



If Tuesday’s parliamentary debate is any guide, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) appears to have lost it. Despite a powerful speech by Sushma Swaraj and a fairly incisive one by Yashwant Sinha, the truth is the Congress won the Lokpal debate by exposing the hollowness of the BJP’s flawed strategy of running with the hare and hunting with the hounds on the Lokpal Bill.
In contrast to the Swaraj-Sinha challenge to the bill, Kapil Sibal, Manmohan Singh and – ultimately – Pranab Mukherjee simply countered with logic and fact. The BJP was left without a leg to stand on.
What is clear is that the BJP is as rudderless and unfocused as the Congress has been all these months. Given that 2011 gave the party all the chances it needed to show the Congress in bad light – with all the corruption cases coming home to roost – it simply blew it.
Apart from disrupting parliament the BJP thought it could latch on to the anti-corruption bandwagon and put the Congress in the corner. Reuters
All through the year, the Congress has been on the backfoot, and government strategists – from P Chidambaram to Kapil Sibal and Salman Khursheed – compounded their problems by dealing wrongly with the Anna and Baba Ramdev threats. Not to speak of the 2G and Commonwealth scams, and the country’s serious economic challenges (inflation, slowdown, rupee).
But what did the BJP do? Apart from disrupting parliament – a major mistake in the TV age, when all disruption looks negative to viewers – the party thought it could latch on to the Anna bandwagon and put the Congress in the corner. For a while, it even seemed to be succeeding, but as always, it depended too much on the Congress making all the mistakes. Once this stopped, the BJP’s strategy fell apart.
Look what happened on Tuesday.
The party, surprisingly, chose to dump the Lokpal Bill and instead called for another bill to be sent to the Standing Committee for deeper consideration. While this can be explained as an effort to give more teeth to the sarkari Lokpal, the way it came across was that the party was going to delay the bill even further.
The Congress saw through the strategy and insisted on passing the bill the same day, giving its opponents no chance to regroup. This essentially exposed the BJP’s pro-Anna strategy as hollow. When it came to the crunch, the BJP wanted to delay the bill, not strengthen it.
Next, the Congress messed up when it failed to get enough votes (50 percent of the house’s strength) to give the Lokpal Bill constitutional status. Sure, the party’s floor-managers will get an earful from the Dynasty, but what did the BJP do? It chose to embarrass the Congress by getting the bill defeated in the Lok Sabha. This gave the Congress a second chance to show that the BJP was not sincere about the Lokpal – and Mukherjee said as much. The people, he said, would “teach the BJP a lesson.”
The BJP may be patting itself on the back for spiking Rahul Gandhi’s guns – after all he was the one who pushed for constitutional status – but surely this is momentary?
The BJP also stood exposed on taking the anti-corruption bill to the states. It suddenly raised the bogey of a “threat to federalism” and said the Centre must not shove its bill down states’ throats. It took Manmohan Singh very little to puncture this balloon. He pointed out that the creation of Lokayuktas in states was one of the key points agreed in the August “Sense of the house” discussion.
Shashi Tharoor rubbed it in when the BJP tried to show off its “ideal” Lokayukta Bill in Uttarakhand. Tharoor said in the Uttarakhand Bill – which had the approval of Team Anna – the Lokayukta would need 100 percent concurrence among its members to investigate the CM, whereas in the Lokpal Bill, only three-fourths needed to okay it to put the PM under scrutiny.
For its part, the Congress seemed to bend over backwards to accommodate many of the points the BJP wanted to incorporate in the Lokpal Bill. In the process, it emerged as a statesman-like party in contrast to the BJP’s opportunistic role.
What is clear is that the BJP will no longer be able to ride the Anna Tiger – though question-marks have been raised over whether Team Anna is also losing steam. The poor crowd strength at Mumbai’s MMRDA grounds, where Anna has begun his three-day fast, tells its own story.
In terms of policy choices, too, the BJP seems to have no ideas. Whether it is FDI in retail or the nuke bill or something else, the party seems to be only interested in embarrassing the Congress, rather than coming up with its own ideas.
Perhaps, this is part of the strategy – to ensure that the Congress is shown as bumbling and unable to manage. But, in the end, the people will not forgive the party if it lets the country go downhill just to show the Congress up.
A party that wants to be in government some time in the future needs to stand for something. Currently, the BJP stands for nothing.

 

#Lokpal

Also see

4 comments

Comment


Share on
Real-time updating is paused. (Resume)
  • SiDevilIam 0 minutes ago
    Kisan Babu Hazare has been successfully bribed by the Congress, or their break away distant cousins, NCP before. Just offer him a Rs100000000 (thousand crores). He has many irons in the fire, both figuratively and literally.Being a Marathi, not expert in English language, much less the olitical jargon, civil service, aka Babu jargon, political jargon, a little street Hindi to get by in this modern world, Kisan depends upon his so called, aides, Oops, close or not so close aides.
    For instance, Arvind Kejriwal, former civil servant appointed in the Income Tax department and Kiran Bedi, former IGP of Delhi, now retired but not tired a bit in getting her own revenge against the establishment, aka the central government led by the Congress party, UPA-II.
    There are several others. For instance the Supreme Court Judge (Retd) Santosh Hegde, also former Lokayukta of Karnata. Supreme Court lawyer pair, father and son duo, Shahi Bhushan and Prashant Bhushan.
    Minor (comical characters, too many to name here, pop up from time to time to spice the so called, civil socity's movement against corruption. Made famous by major Indian (English language) media, led by the largest circulation (by whose count?) The Times of India (Group) selling everything from sex, Oops, sex advise to money lending, Oops, money sending and anything in between.
    TOI has recanted their chant form the day when the movement started in March of this year of the lord, 2011. Now they are publishing more and more articles that has more and more meat, Oops, "Bhindi and Kothmir" two basic vegetarian ingredients in Indian (style) cooking.
    Not I. I did neither change my (personal) views, as expressed in my acidic comments over this flea circus. I am on record whipping this village idiots and all his idiot followers. TOI has given me my own page where all my past comments are neatly stored.
    One of my comment was: I am paraphrasing, "TOI has bet upon a wrong horse, Oops, a donkey in a three legged race. Kisan being an ass, Oops, a jackass and the Congress (party) being a Pegasus.
    Kisan is having his dream busted in public, the latest numbers in MMRDA fenced and gated, Maidan being as low as 10, 000 and as high as 10,001, depending whose head count you believe in is having daydreams. "Jail Bharo."
    Just like a dissatisfied jackass, he is still blabbering about hitting the Congress where it hurts more. The upcoming local elections.
    He needs a swift kick in his pants, Oops, Dhoti, Oops, rump. "Jump and run into wilderness where you came from. Ralegan Siddhi," I would say to his holy high(handed)ness, Kisan Babu Hazare.
    ...and I am Sid Harth@sidileak.com
    show less
  • FP will only publish congress paid new today...
  • Cnu4frnds 11 minutes ago
    This is one of the serious problems facing our people's mind. We are habituated to all the crap around us. Even, if one starts to do something there are hundreds pulling him down. Lokpal at present, the weakest bill tabled and sure it wouldn't become an act. Even if it does, it has to be constantly monitored to make sure it works efficiently. The job of team anna only ends when the lokpal becomes a self sustaining and efficient act. Dont be arrogant with such premature arguments.
  • For Mr. Arvind Kejriwal, its more an ego issue than a political negotiation and thats why he wont take it as victory and will be defeated that way. Unless, in case he gets some other instructions from Naagpur.



[+] Hot Topics:
Indiatimes|The Times of India|The Economic Times|
More
The Times of India
Mumbai
The Times of India
You are here: Home » City » Mumbai

This time, speakers stick to script


, TNN | Dec 28, 2011, 05.41AM IST
MUMBAI: The atmospherics and buzz that marked the crowd response and speeches at every Anna andolan in the past was sorely missing on Tuesday as the veteran activist began the latest chapter in his campaign in Mumbai. While crowd numbers flowed and ebbed as the day passed, Team Anna members Arvind Kejriwal and Kiran Bedi, who are known for provocative addresses, stuck to the script by speaking about the loopholes in the government's Lokpal draft.
Kejriwal, while appealing to the Parliament to reject the government draft, criticized the government control over CBI. "Jab sarkar ki kursi hilti hai, to woh CBI ko Lalu or Mayawati par chhod deti hai (Whenever the government gets politically insecure, it raises CBI cases against Lalu and Mayawati)," he said.
The first speaker of the day was Maulana Shamoon Qazmi, a Muslim representative on Team Anna's core committee. Countering the accusation that Team Anna is anti-minority, Qazmi questioned why the government has not created quotas for Muslims in Parliament and Assemblies if its concern for Muslims was sincere. "If RSS is a terror outfit, why has it not been banned," he asked. According to Qazmi, RSS leader late Nanaji Deshmukh has been an inspiration to Hindus and Muslims.
Veteran actor Anupam Kher, who has been a regular supporter of the Anna movement, said the government was wrong to believe that Hazare and his supporters would yield. "The government thinks that Anna and we will get tired and give up our fight against corruption...but this will not happen." The fight, he said, will go on.The other Bollywood celebrity to pledge support to Anna was Vishal Dadlani. The music composer had earlier offered to pay the MMRDA ground's rent for a day.
Filmmaker Pritish Nandy too lashed out at the government version of the Lokpal bill. "It is a pathetic bill...it is an embarrassment. Don't know what is holding back the government from bringing in an effective Lokpal bill. People must ask their MPs and MLAs why a strong bill is not there," Nandy said.
Some speakers chose to target PM Manmohan Singh and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi from the dais. India Against Corruption Mumbai unit chief Mayank Gandhi said, "Agar hamari building mein watchman, khud chori na kare par dusro ko karne de, to woh kaisa watchman hai (What use is the watchman in my building if he doesn't steal but allows others to steal)?"
Team Anna member Medha Patkar said the protest was an appeal to the conscience of the people and the fight was no longer restricted to one law. "It has become a larger question of ethics now," she said.
The protest also drew a 13-year-old speaker. The teen from Madhya Pradesh, Dolphin Agarwal, gave an enthusiastic speech, criticizing the government bill and announcing that she would take part in the jail bharo andolan that begins on December 30.

Politics News | Updated Dec 28, 2011 at 10:38am IST

Anna's health a serious concern: Team Anna



New Delhi: Amid growing concerns for his health, Anna Hazare continued his second day of his three-day fast in Mumbai on Wednesday, an aide said.
The sprawling MMRDA Ground, the fast venue, wore a deserted look with only security personnel, journalists and a handful of Team Anna activists in attendance.
Team Anna member Manish Sisodia, camping at the MMRDA Ground, said Hazare’s health was a matter of serious concern and he and other team members have appealed to him to call off his hunger strike.
Anna
Hazare, who retired to a room adjacent to the stage on Tuesday evening, has not ventured out since.
"His temperature has come down to 100 from 102 last (Tuesday) night and his pulse rate has come to 76 from 96," Sisodia said.
The mercury in Mumbai touched a 10-year low of 11.4 degrees Celsius on Tuesday, driving away supporters from the venue. Similar weather conditions are likely to continue on Wednesday.
With Additional Inputs from PTI
(For updates you can share with your friends, follow IBNLive on Facebook, Twitter and Google+)




There are no comments on this article yet.
Why don't you post one?
Comments are moderated and will be allowed if they are about the topic and not abusive.

Characters remaining (358)
To post this comment you must log in.
Log In/Connect with: Log In with FacebookLog In with Twitter
More Login Options
or
Fill in your details:

Will be displayedWill not be displayed


Will be displayed
Share this Comment:
  Post to Facebook
  Post to Twitter

Please answer this simple math question.
4 + 2 =
Copyright © 2011 Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All rights reserved. For reprint rights: Times Syndication Service


Politics News | Posted on Dec 28, 2011 at 12:29pm IST

RS: BSP, SP, RJD hold the key to passing Lokpal Bill



New Delhi: The Congress, sticking to its original plan will table the Lokpal Bill in the Rajya Sabha after lunch on Wednesday itself, and count on support from regional outfits like the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Samajwadi Party (SP) and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) to see the Bill through.
The Congress had earlier in the day decided to table the Bill on Thursday after getting the nod from President Pratibha Patil's office.
The key to passing the Bill lies not with the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) or the Opposition but with the BSP, Samajwadi Party and RJD.
RS: BSP, SP, RJD hold the key to passing Lokpal Bill
These three parties account for 27 crucial votes in the Upper House of Parliament as the Congress does not have majority on its own or with its allies in the UPA. The BSP, Samajwadi Party, RJD and Lok Janshakti Party could tip the scales as the first three had staged a walk-out in the Lok Sabha.
That leaves the Congress-led UPA with the option of support from other smaller parties and Independents in the Rajya Sabha.
In the 245-member House, the Congress (71) along with its allies Dravida Munnetra Kazagham (DMK) seven, National Conference (NC) two, Mizo National Front (MNF) one Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) seven, Nagaland People's Front (NPF) one, Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) one, Bodoland People's Front (BPF) one.
The All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) with six MPs is undecided but on the whole the UPA has the support of 97 members and falls short of a simple majority. The eight nominated members are likely to go with the Government giving the UPA a support of 105 MPs.
Independent and Others account for six votes, Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) one, LJP one, Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) one. How these nine MPs will vote is still unclear. But if they along with the 27 MPs belonging to the BSP, Samajwadi Party and RJD abstain the strength of the Lok Sabha comes down to 209 and the half way mark also comes down to 105.
Earlier, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal said, "Lokpal can be taken up for consideration today. Lokpal Bill may be passed today or tomorrow."
However, the Opposition has planned to protest against the delay.
Rashtrapati Bhawan is still awaiting request from the government for tabling of Lokpal and Lokayukta Bill in Rajya Sabha. Sources said there is no delay from the President's office.
Union Minister V Narayanasamy had said the Lokpal Bill will have to get presidential assent in the wake of amendments made to it in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday and it can be tabled in the Rajya Sabha after that.
The Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) is in touch with the Shiv Sena, the Biju Janta Dal and the Asom Gana Parishad to finalise the strategy. The Left parties, too, are likely to oppose the Bill.
The BJP which had also raised a number of objections to the Lokpal bill was to some extent mollified because the government came out with official amendments like giving option to states to set up a Lokayukta, changing the requirement of three-fourth members to clear investigation against Prime Minister to two-third and to protect the powers of Lok Sabha Speaker and Rajya Sabha Chairman in regard to MPs.
However, BJP leaders said they would review their position on Wednesday morning with the party still having strong reservation over the provision for quota for minorities in the Lokpal structure and control of Lokpal over CBI.
(For updates you can share with your friends, follow IBNLive on Facebook, Twitter and Google+)

Get $75 Free Advertising

Try Google AdWords. Claim Your $75 Coupon Now!
www.Google.com/AdWords
Ads by Google
WHAT'S YOUR REACTION?IBNLive0   IBNLive0

Comments (0)


All comments will be published after moderation

Government vs Team Anna: Demands on Lokpal

IANS | Dec 27, 2011, 01.10PM IST

20
Lokpal bill will not end corruption: Mulayam
Lokpal bill will not end corruption: Mulayam
NEW DELHI: A glance at the government and Team Anna's respective positions on key issues in the Lokpal bill.
Inclusion of prime minister:
Government's bill: Includes prime minister under Lokpal, but with his actions in international affairs, external or internal security, public order, atomic energy and space exempt from the ombudsman's purview. The full bench of the Lokpal consisting of the chairperson and all members will consider initiation of inquiry against the prime minister and at least 3/4th of its members will need to approve initiation of inquiry. The inquiry should be held in camera.
Team Anna: Want prime minister under Lokpal without any riders.
Inclusion of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI):
Government's bill: It does not include CBI under Lokpal and has instead given Lokpal a separate inquiry wing. It can also refer cases to CBI for further inquiry.
Team Anna: Wants CBI to be merged in the Lokpal and says Lokpal without investigative powers is useless.
Lower bureaucracy:
Government's bill: Lower bureaucracy has been brought under the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) with the superintendence of Lokpal.
Team Anna: Wants it under the Lokpal
Minorities' reservation in Lokpal:
Government's bill: Reservation for minorities in Lokpal was added in the government's bill at the last minute after political parties demanded it.
Team Anna: Team Anna's draft has been silent on reservation for minorities, but this demand has come from other quarters of civil society and MPs. Some members of the group have dismissed it as diversionary tactics of the government.


Do you like this story?

Will live and die for India, says Anna Hazare

TNN | Dec 27, 2011, 03.42PM IST

168
I will fight till my last breath, says Anna Hazare
I will fight till my last breath, says Anna Hazare
NEW DELHIl Anna Hazare on Tuesday addressed the huge crowd that had gathered at the MMRDAground Mumbai. Accusing the government of betraying the people, the anti-corruption crusader said, "I will live and die for India.""Dil diya hai, he vatan, tere liye jaan bhi de denge," said Anna to the ecstatic crowds. The 74-year-old spoke of the lengths he had gone to for the sake of the country. He said he had shunned his family, didn't even know the names of his nephews and nieces; and did not marry, for the cause of the nation.
Battling a viral infection, Anna said he' was not afraid to die and would keep on fighting. He said his friends and Team Anna members Arvind Kejriwal and 'behen' Kiran Bedi had asked him to stop his fast, but he would not listen to them. Anna added, he had not eaten for three days.
Referring to his fast some months ago in New Delhi, he said the Ramlila Ground fast that continued for 12 days was because of the people's support.
Slamming the government, Anna Hazare said its betrayal over the Lokpal Bill is not a betrayal of Team Anna, but of the people. "And one day, the people will rise, and punish the government, he said, with furrowed brows.
"Bigger than the Parliament at Delhi is the Parliament of the people," said the Gandhian. "But bigger than both is the Parliament of the village. Voters of poll-bound states must punish the government for betraying the Lokpal bill," he added.
Anna said that doctors were concerned about his temperature, but he would continue his fast.
Meanwhile, the crowds enthusiastically cheered Anna's do-or-die rhetoric.


Do you like this story?

Government vs Team Anna: Demands on Lokpal

IANS | Dec 27, 2011, 01.10PM IST

Team Anna expecting 20,000 at stir


, TNN | Dec 27, 2011, 01.48AM IST
NEW DELHI: A better organised Team Anna is all geared up to get the show on the road. "We will be discussing the government's Lokpal Bill and what kind of bill is actually required for a strong law against corruption. We will discuss all these issues, sing patriotic songs and watch street plays spreading awareness about this issue," said Prashant Bhushan.Team Anna members urged Delhi residents to come to the Ramlila Maidan and show their solidarity with the movement. "We appeal to all Delhi residents who are tired of corruption and want a strong Lokpal Bill to please come forward and participate. It is expected that Anna will be coming to Delhi on Friday and sit in peaceful dharna with supporters," said Bhushan.
While a core team of volunteers from Jai Hind Mukti Morcha will be surrounding the stage and control access from the VIP gate, around 10 teams of 120-odd volunteers will be deployed in and around the maidan for crowd management, women's safety, emergencies, distributing drinking water and night stay. "We have a separate emergency management plan for any crisis and all volunteers have been briefed. All entry and exit gates will be managed by Delhi Police as well as our volunteers," said Ram, an India Against Corruption volunteer. A medical centre, information kiosk, food stall and washroom facilities will be in place at the maidan.

Team Anna

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Team Anna is an organisation of supporters of Anna Hazare.[1]
Anna Hazare, a veteran Gandhian social worker from Maharashtra has started war against corruption in India forcing the Govt. to take quick decisions through presidential proclamations and parliamentary resolutions for enactment of laws against corruption on the lines dictated by him. His nonviolent movement is supported by several millions people. Other noted social workers have joined him in the war against corruption. They are :
  • Arvind Kejriwal- A 'Citizen's Right to Information' activist, a technocrat by qualification, who resigned Govt. service from the post of Income Tax Commissioner. He is considered to be the chief strategist of the team.
  • Shanti Bhushan-A veteran Supreme Court lawyer and former Law Minister of Govt of India
  • Prashant Bhushan - Son of Mr. Shanti Bhushan and himself a renowned advocate of Supreme Court of India.He is reported to have filed some 500 PILs in the Supreme Court.
  • Kiran Bedi - Former cop, first woman IPS of India and a social worker, running two NGO Navjyoti and India Vision Foundation.
  • Manish Sisodia - Former Zee News Producer and Currently Social Activist. Running Kabir NGO with vision of Great India.
  • Kumar Vishwas - Hindi Poet and a professor of Hindi Literature.
  • Santosh Hegde - Former Supreme Court judge.
  • Shazia Ilmi - Former Star News anchor.
  • Abhinandan Sekhri - Former TV news reporter.
  • Shivendra Singh - A 33-year-old journalist who led the India Against Corruption (IAC) campaign.
  • Aswathi Murlidhara - Hazare’s movement provided her a distinct role as a media coordinator, with media advocacy being one of the key functions behind the protest.
  • Nitin Davar - Official “performance in-charge” at Ramlila Maidan and sings all the “jan geets” in between the speeches.
  • Gaurav Bakshi - Created a Facebook page for Anna Hazare and also started the website annahazare.org.
  • Ankit Lal
  • Ashwin Jain
  • Mayank Gandhi
  • Darshak Hathi - Representative of Art of Living
  • Naveen Jaihind
  • Medha Patkar
  • Arch Bishop of Delhi Vincent M Concessao
  • Dinesh Vaghela
  • Sanjay Singh
  • Prithvi Reddy
  • Chandramohan - Representative of Chennai Team
  • Akhil Gogoi
  • Arvind Gaur
  • Devinder Sharma
  • Sunita Godara
  • Gopal Rai
  • Maulana Shamoon Qasmi
  • Swati Maliwal

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Respect political process: Govt to Team Anna". IBN Live. 16 June 2011. Retrieved 5 September 2011.

[edit] External Links

1.http://www.indiaagainstcorruption.org/aboutus.html

Posted by at

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)