New Delhi: A phenomenon is in the making as strangers gather at town squares across India, light candles, raise slogans and pledge to root out rampant corruption, as part of one of the biggest mass activism the country has seen in a long time.
Social activist Anna Hazare may be rooting for changes in a proposed anti-graft ombudsman bill, but his pledge to fast until death has captured the imagination of a nation fed up with scandals and snowballed into a larger movement against corruption.
Inspired by Mahatma Gandhi's 'Satyagraha' protests that helped end British colonial rule, Hazare launched his campaign at Jantar Mantar in the heart of the national capital this week to force changes in the 40-year-old draft legislation to give the ombudsman police-like powers to prosecute politicians and bureaucrats including judges and members of the prime minister's office.
As Hazare's fast entered its fourth day, citizens across India and in countries such as the United States and Canada planned marches, lit candles, posted Facebook invites to events, tweeted and sent mobile text messages to unite against corruption.
India Against Corruption, an NGO set up by youths to express collective anger at rampant corruption prevalent in the country, has set up an event at New York’s Times Square on April 9 to allow overseas Indians to vent their frustration and lend support to the cause.
On Friday afternoon, yoga exponent and spiritual leader Baba Ramdev joined Bollywood stars Farah Khan, Tom Alter and Anupam Kher at the Jantar Mantar to express solidarity with Hazare.
Those unfamiliar with the government's Lok Pal Bill or the Jan Lokpal Bill drafted by members of the civil society, see Hazare's cause as a clarion call to join citizens in a country-wide movement to rout corruption.
Facebook messages posted by users spoke more of anger and resolve, than of the ombudsman bill that has been put on the backburner for 43 years by successive governments and what the redrafted version will entail.
"India stands 87th world ranking in Corruption but its stands 1st in Swiss bank blackmoney more than USD 1456 billion which is more than 13 times of our National Debt," Shreekanth S Huddar posted on Facebook.
"Boycott of IPL must be given serious thought since it will directly impact Sharad Pawar and send a strong message. If Indians can reject cricket for corruption then the message is delivered: Dont mess!!! We are serious this time," Nikhil Bhaskaran wrote.
"I pledge not to cheat in my xams!! hereby i start my real support for the corruption free nation...," said Gaurav Bhagtani in a message on Facebook.
People staked out in the mid-day sun on street corners in the national capital, a 97-year-old woman traveled all the way from Haridwar to meet Hazare and Shiv Sainiks in Maharashtra held mass fasts as the government went into a huddle to discuss the further course of action to address the issues demanded by Hazare’s supporters.
The government says it has opened a channel of communication with Hazare on demands for activists to sit on a committee that will oversee the drafting of the new legislation.
Pressure from Hazare prompted farm minister Sharad Pawar to step down from the Group of Ministers tasked with drawing up the anti-corruption bill late on Wednesday.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's coalition faces a series of corruption scandals, including an alleged telecoms scam that may have cost the country up to $ 39 billion.
Singh promised the bill would be passed after his party's landslide 2004 election victory. Hazare and his supporters have drafted their own alternative version of the legislation, calling for the activist to chair the steering committee.
The campaign comes days after police charged former telecoms minister Andimuthu Raja with abuse of office as part of an investigation into the telecom licence scandal, potentially India's largest ever corruption case. (With inputs from Reuters)
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