As Anna Hazare observed a day-long fast in New Delhi on Sunday, people at his native Ralegan Siddhi village too observed fast, staged marches and shops there downed their shutters while his supporters in some cities organised rallies.
Activists of India Against Corruption held marches in Mumbai, Ahmednagar, Chennai and Patna to express solidarity with Hazare for an effective Lokpal. They also observed a token fast. Villagers of Ralegan Siddhi observed a day-long fast in support of the 74-year-old crusader against corruption. Shops in the village also downed their shutters.
A “Prabhat Pheri” (morning march) was organised in the village with students also participating.
The hour-long march taken out across the village culminated at the Yadavbaba temple.
A TV set was placed at this temple for the villagers to follow the developments at Mr Hazare’s fast venue at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. Hundreds of IAC activists took out a vehicle rally from Shivaji Park at Dadar in Central Mumbai.
In Ahmednagar district, around 6,000 youths took out a motorcycle rally.
As a gesture to back Mr Hazare for a strong and effective Lokpal, people from around 900 villages in the district observed fast.
A huge rally was taken out from Mahatma Gandhi statue at Wadia Park in Ahmednagar town and culminated at Bhingar, the birth place of Hazare.
In Patna, a large number of students, advocates and traders joined IAC activists in observing the fast at the historic Gandhi Maidan, IAC state unit media in-charge Sanjay Dutta said.
In Chennai, over 700 people observed a token fast.
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‘All-powerful lokpal can be super police’
Age Correspondent
New Delhi, Dec. 11
Even while Team Anna refuses to climb down from its demand for the passage of the Jan Lokpal Bill, the NCPRI cautioned that an all-powerful monolithic Lokpal could become a super police body.
NCPRI member Nikhil Dey, while taking part in the public debate at Jantar Mantar, maintained that the Jan Lokpal Bill as proposed by Team Anna could be such a powerful body, that many voices would start being raised against it.
“We are of the view that corruption cases against lower bureaucracy first be reported to the police and then it be taken up by the Lokpal. If the lower bureaucracy is included in the ambit of the Lokpal, there will be a requirement of about 35,000 officials to do the job, which will lead to creation of a mammoth anti-graft ombudsman,” said Mr Dey, asking who would monitor such a powerful police body. The NCPRI also supported the government move for a separate law for grievance redressal.
In an apparent snub, Mr Dey asked Mr Arvind Kejriwal not to summarise the debate in a manner suggesting that all agreed to details of Jan Lokpal.