Team Anna indefinite anshan at Jantar Mantar

Is the Anna Campaign making an awareness campaign to weed out corruption in the system  and the eminent people in Anna's camp ought to be aware of the ccorrupt practices in our society which also needs to be corrected.Team Annas think tank is harping on one point of JLPB, the deate on this must continue but experts are of opinions that we as a society must stand firm to weed out corruption. Jail, punishment and other violent actions are against Gandhian philosophy. Leaders must quit their office, profession on their own if found deflected from their path of welfare and irregularities committed as prevalent in Japan, Europe and other developed countries.Leaders with black records must also be ostracized by the democratic institutions and society.

However the Team Annas press release is as follows: Seen in the sea of people were thousands in Anna cap , singing patriotic songs and thus started the fervid campaign of Team Anna at Jantar Mantar this morning, the movement of people against corruption and inefficiency in government and its cadres. Coincidently today Pranab Mukerjee, one of the key accused as claimed by team Anna, in Submarine AND Rice export scams, also took office as the 13^th president of the nation. People from all walks of life, young and old, men and women, children and college going students turnout to see the uproar in the massive gathering , in the sweltering heat of the Sun and managing day’s life with basic minimal amenities such as water and food. Speakers, one by one, mocked at the long and old history of incompetence, lethargy , corrupt practices and lawless governance ruling the country for last 63 years of independence which many call “rule by the black foreigners”.

Amazing was the enthusiasm shown by people sitting on open road, singing patriotic songs and cheering team Anna. Sunil Lal, a team member has converted the Jan Lok Pal bill in 16 languages including Marathi, Gujarati, and Punjabi etc for the common people to understand what it means to them. Another supporter, col Devender Sehrawat raised the issue of farmers and minimum support price and how the governments, one after another, have ignored farmer’s interest to plunder their lands offering minimum prices and colluding with the business groups. This has happened while the lame “land acquisition act” has been pending like a ping pong ball in the governments and judiciary. The unaccountability in government offices was clearly imaginable when people talked about countracts worth Rs 50 lacs being sanctioned but only Rs 3 lacs was spent on actual development , remaining amount being shared between politicians and business goons. This is a naked truth we see when we compare the quality of roads and hospitals and schools and us and what we see in private institutions which have become rampant machines to loot the common man. Rightly someone pointed out as in “Pan Singh Tomar”- only guns are left in Chambal, all dacoits now sit in Delhi. Speakers also talked about how political parties resort to illegal and unethical practices for seeing vote by offering money and other lures to gullible voters.

Suman Lal Jain,(95), an associate of Vinoba Bhave and friend of Anna also joined to show his support for the national cause of eliminating graft and corruption from the country. Fodder cam, 2G scam, CWG, Coalgate and what not- all came as topics of reference for the speakers who mocked at callousness shown by the top leadership of all political parties who have ruled the nation ever after independence and nothing has come to the common man who has attuned to live without water, power , healthcare and other basic things of life.

Thousands of people turned up to support the campaign. The gathering was addressed by Anna, Kiran Bedi, Manish Sisodia, Gopal Rai, Prashant Bhushan and Arvind Kejriwal. Kumar Vishwas and Sanjay Singh managed the stage. Also present were Shanti Bhushan, Sunita Godara, Devinder Sharma and Akhil Gogoi.

In many places in India, Anshankaris were not allowed to hold peaceful protests and were detained. In Kolkata, some people were arrested as a huge crowd of protestors gathered around the Central Lock-up, Lal Bazar. In Pune, volunteers of India Against Corruption were arrested while in Mumbai 50 activists protesting were peacefully arrested. Around 8 buses from Bhatinda carrying 1000 supporters was stopped from entering Delhi.

People from various cities across the country are expected to arrive in Jantar Mantar tomorrow. This includes people from all four districts of Sikkim who will come to Delhi all the way from their home state. One of them is Mr YT Lepcha who will also sit on indefinite fast.

Around 400 people started an indefinite anshan at Delhi today.

People from places like Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh are pouring in to lend their support to the Janlokpal Bill. A street play group from Palwal also performed a play on corruption called – Dhritrashtra ka Darbar. Even in the sweltering heat, people from all age groups, castes and regions of the country are lending enthusiastic support to the fight led by Anna Hazare. A 95-year old freedom fighter who had also taken active part in JP andolan had come all the way from Agra to support India Against Corruption. In a small UP-Bihar border village of Sitab Deara, JP Narayan's  87-year old brother KC Verma and his wife also sat on an indefinite anshan.

Roaring ‘Vande Matram’ and ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ those who couldn’t join the fast at Delhi are lending their support from their native places by organizing anshans there.

Towards the evening, Arvind Kejriwal and Prashant Bhushan explained the charges on 5 out of the 15 ministers against whom an independent SIT is being demanded. These ministers were Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, newly elected President Pranab Mukherjee, Virbhadra Singh, Kapil Sibal and P. Chidambaram. Before starting explanation of charges on each of the 5 ministers, the crowd was asked how many felt that the respective minister was corrupt. Barring a few, all hands went up in the air followed by a loud roar.

The coalgate scam involving Prime Minister was discussed in detail. The allegations on Pranab over the rice export scam where the Ghana govt had raised serious allegations against the then External Affairs Minister currently the President Pranab Mukherjee was also discussed along with the Navy War room leak case.
For details of the charges on each of the Ministers, pls visit our website www.indiaagainstcorruption.org.

Referring to Ambika Soni's statement that a defamation case would be filed against Team Anna members, Arvind Kejriwal dared the govt to file the  case.

Annaji in his address said after seeing the number of youth gathered at the venue he felt like a 75-year youth. He said that what the Britishers could not loot in 150 years, our politicians have looted after we gained our Independence. He also said that even though the PM had agreed on 3 demands - Citizen Charter, Lower Bureaucracy and Lokayukta - the govt did not fulfil its promise.

Arvind Kejriwal challenged the NSUI who allegedly tried to create ruckus at the gathering this morning, by inviting them for sharing their thoughts rather than engaging in destructive and anti- social activities. He sought involvement and support from young Indians to further this national cause and improve the state of affairs in the nation. He promised to expose 15 corrupt politicians who are MPs and this list included PM Manmohan Singh, Pranab Mukerjee and many others. Speakers from many prominent parties and groups spoke including Imam Council of India.