|
New Delhi: Anna Hazare
and his team ended their indefinite fast against corruption here
Friday evening, spelling out the contours of their political
alternative that would be a "movement" to put an end to the
"Delhi-centric government" and take governance to the villages and
the people.
Hitting out at an "unresponsive government" that refused to buckle
to their demands of passing the Jan Lokpal bill for creation of an
ombudsman to probe graft in the system, Team Anna, as Hazare's
band of civil society activists is known, said they would take
their agitation "inside parliament and on the streets".
Ending their fast before thousands of cheering and clapping
supporters at the Jantar Mantar here, Hazare and his team were
joined on the stage by former army chief Gen. V.K. Singh, who said
that the time had come for a change in politics "as the country is
directionless".
The former army chief, who had filed a suit in the Supreme Court
challenging the government's stand on his date of birth, warned
Hazare to be prepared to face opposition from "anti-democratic
forces".
Team Anna ended their indefinite fast at around 6.30 p.m. with
coconut water given to them by Singh.
Arvind Kejriwal said their political alternative would not be a
party but an "andolan" or movement and they would tour the country
to meet farmers, the youth and other people to know their problems
and seek solutions and come up with a manifesto.
"Our aim is not to grab power, but to end the Delhi-centric
government and take governance to the villages and the people.
Ours will not be a party, but a movement," Kejriwal told the
cheering crowd.
Kejriwal, who was on fast since the past 10 days and his weakening
health condition had led to serious concern, spoke for just over
half an hour about the political alternative.
"There will be no party high command and the people will select
the candidates. We will go among the farmers and the people and
ask them about their problems. They will tell us about their
problems and their solutions. We will also go among the youth and
ask them about the problems they face and ask for solutions.
Likewise, we will go around the entire country and meet people.
They will form the ghoshna patra, or manifesto."
"Ours will have the structure of an andolan, and be what the
people want."
Kejriwal said that if the government acceded to their demands of
"right to recall (non performing MPs), right to reject
(candidates) and empower village councils" then they would not go
for a political alternative. He denied that they had broken their
fast because the government had not approached them to call off
their fast.
He said they would put up on their website all the donations they
get and threw an open challenge to the political parties to do the
same, and likewise with their expenses.
Kejriwal invited those in the ruling Congress and opposition
Bharatiya Janata Party to join their "desh bhakt" movement if they
were feeling "suffocated" in their respective parties.
"I have a vision that in three years, India will change," he
added. General elections in India are due in 2014.
Hazare reiterated that he would not enter politics but give
support to the political alternative.
Hazare, 75, said "If the Jan Lokpal bill and not the Lokpal bill
is passed then it will end 65 percent corruption in the country".
He also taunted politicians "who stay in air conditioned rooms and
were unaware of the plight of the poor".
Hazare and his team members Thursday announced that they will call
off their fast Friday.
Arvind Kejriwal, Gopal Rai and Manish Sisodia began their fast
July 25 and were joined by Hazare July 29.
Their announcement Thursday evening to call off their fast and
form a political alternative was welcomed by political parties,
with the Congress saying that Team Anna's hidden political
ambitions had become clear.
Swati Agarwal, a supporter, said she was very happy that Team Anna
was forming a political party."I will surely vote for the party of
Team Anna in the next elections."
This was Hazare's fourth fast against corruption, and Team Anna's
first.
|
Comments
|
Quick links