As Anna Hazare Sits at Ramlila Ground, The Nation Joins March

On the fourth day of Anna Hazare’s fast for the Jan Lokpal bill, he appeared stronger encouraged by people’s overwhelming support.

Anna left Tihar jail but the room where Anna stayed has turned into a veritable shrine with prisoners and police personnel of the prison coming there to offer respect.

Anna Hazare left Tihar jail as over two and a half lakh people accompanied his vehicle late this morning. The immense support for Jan Lokpal Bill was reflected as people joined his convoy. Many had traveled from far away to be part of it.

Anna made his way to Rajghat as he paid tribute to Bapu Gandhi. From there he proceeded to Ramlila ground where again several thousand people greeted him. By evening the crowd was over one lakh strong. The number swells by the hour.

The rain did not dampen the spirits of the people gathered and as if on cue there was a heavy downpour as Anna reached Ramlila ground. Anna was accompanied by his associates Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia even as Kiran Bedi welcomed him on stage. Kiran Bedi had been speaking to the over eager people gathered at Ramlila Maidan since the morning assuring them that Anna was on his way to speak to them.

Also greeting Anna were RTI activists Akhil Gogoi and Magsaysay award winner Sandeep Pandey.

The people gathered there were ecstatic as Anna addressed them and thanked them for their concern and good wishes. Anna said he was full of energy as the energy of the hundreds of thousands of supporters the nation over was giving him more power than he needed.

Dr. Naresh Trehan examined Anna Hazare and said that Anna is in good health. His vitals are strong and he is well.
Anna Hazare, Arvind Kejriwal and Prashant Bhushan took questions from reporters in the evening.

Talking about their detention at Tihar, Arvind Kejriwal revealed that they were taken to Tihar prison and not allowed use of their phones or given access to television even though the police claimed Anna Hazare and his associates were not under arrest.

Arvind Kejriwal and Prashant Bhushan in response to questions about the points of negotiation in the Jan Lokpal bill said that they are not approaching the issue as negotiable points and non negotiable points. The bill must be strong and tackle corruption effectively and that is a non negotiable. On speculation about cracks within the team demanding a Jan Lokpal bill made it clear that this is all speculation and canards spread with little or no effect. Justice Hegde and the rest of the drafting committee of team Anna has been in touch and are taking each others viewpoints in order to make sure the bill is effective and acceptable to all.
Support continues to pour in from organizations and individuals from Delhi and the nation over.

• The All Assam Students Union extended their support as they joined the campaign for the Jan Lokpal Bill. Contact Gautam – 9435548496
• The students of IIT Guwahati joined the demand for a Jan Lokpal Bill extending their support to Anna. Contact Sayak Bhattacharya 9864840081
• Mumbai fasted with Anna as for the first time in history the legendary Mumbai dubbawalas did not deliver lunch. This is the first time in 120 years that these tireless tiffin carriers did not carry tiffins. 5000 of them gathered at Azad Maidaan demanding the Jan Lokpal Bill.There was also a rally in support of Anna Hazare in Thane West.
• People in Jamshedpur are on an indefinite fast demanding the introduction of the Jan Lokpal Bill. There is also a signature campaign in Jamshedpur for the cause Contact Arti Bajpeyi Dubey 9993503232, Harish Khutiar (Jaishpur) – 94241 82442
• The Indian Ex servicemen Movement (IESM) joined the demand for a Jan Lokpal Bill as they joined the call given by a former soldier of the Indian army – Anna Hazare. Contact Bill Maj Gen Satbir Vice Chairman 9312404269, Cmdr. Vibhuti – 986810277
• In Babarpur, Auraiya(UP) over 350 people are sitting on dharna demanding the introduction of the Jan Lokpal Bill. Contact 9045498201
• There was a flower rally from Rajghat to Ramlila ground in support of Anna Hazare’s demand for a Jan Lokpal Bill. Contact – Abhimanyu 9873917110 and Arunima 9560786279
• A candle march asking for a Jan Lokpal Bill and supporting Anna Hazare was held in Dimapur, Nagaland.
• A candle march asking for a Jan Lokpal Bill and supporting Anna Hazare was held in in Dharmanagar in the state of Tripura as well. Support continues to swell in the North Eastern states.
• There were rallies for a Jan Lokpal Bill and in support of Anna in Jammu. The rally was from Central Park to Gol market. Contact Amer 9796876680
• There was a gathering of over a thousand non resident Indians at the Indian Consulate at Angelo Rosse Park in San Fransisco – USA.
• There will be a march in support of Anna and his demand for a Jan Lokpal bill in Connaught Place on the 20th of August 2011. Assembly point – K Block near Nirulas outer circle at 3pm. The March will proceed to Ramlila ground at 1pm.
• There will be a rally in Kolkata in support of Anna and the Jan Lokpal Bill. The rally will proceed from The Metro Channel near Metro cinema at 5pm on 20 Aug 2011.
• There will be a candle march at the Indian High Commission in London between 6pm and 8pm London Time, 20 August 2011.
• There will be a march in Los Angeles State Bank Of India pioneer boulevard on the 20th of August 2011.

As Anna fasts, people demand Jan Lokpal Bill faster

After yesterday’s declaration by Team Anna that Jan Lokpal Bill must be passed as expeditiously as possible, many questions were raised on the feasibility of the entire process. Shanti Bhushan, former law minister and the co-chair of Joint Drafting Committee on Lokpal Bill, responded to these doubts early this morning. Overwhelmed by people’s support who refuse to tolerate corruption lying down, Team Anna vowed that we shall not leave Ramlila ground until Jan Lokpal Bill is passed in this session. Shanti Bhushan explained, in rather fine details, that the current government’s Lokpal Bill can be withdrawn and the Jan Lokpal Bill can be introduced on Tuesday in the Lower House of Parliament (as Monday is a holiday).  On Wednesday and Thursday, Jan Lokpal Bill and each of its provisions can be discussed at length by the Parliamentarians of the Lower house. And then the Bill may be sent to Rajya Sabha. And by the 29th – 30th August the discussions can be concluded and the Bill may be passed. He shared the experience that during Emergency, the 39th Amendment was passed not just in both the houses but also in legislative assemblies of the states very quickly as then there was not just political will, but also political urgency to do so. It may be underlined that adequate time is being granted for discussion. Otherwise Indian parliaments have displayed dismal apathy to many Bills which were passed within minutes of tabling, without any debate or discussion. Santosh Koli, RTI activist and working with Parviartan from long, addressed the stage saying that she, as a dalit herself, was compelled to come out and respond to those who say that this campaign is anti-dalit. (Santosh – 8527218191) Arvind Kejriwal has appealed to all the people to sit on dharna  outside houses of MP as well as write letters to them. He also requested media organisations to publish contact details of all the MPs for the public. Kumar Vishwas, eminent poet and core member of the campaign expressed gratitude to the mediapersons, ‘warriors of pen and camera’ who have been braving the odds at ground zero and disseminating Anna’s message to the world. Bhartiya Kisaan Union extended its support to the Jan Lokpal Bill and said that corruption at the level of Panchayats, in irrigation department, in forest department should be essentially checked. A Lokpal which cannot do this probably is defunct and no use at all. (Ransingh Arya and Dr. S.S. Bhora – 9891839922)

India joins in bigger numbers, fight against corruption goes global

It was the seventh day of Anna Hazare’s fast and as support from
across the country kept growing, global support grew as NRI’s from all
over the world demanded the Jan Lokpal bill in strong numbers.

The call for peaceful protests outside the houses of MPs by Team Anna
got responses in all parts of the country. Supporters of India Against
Corruption sat on dharna outside PM Manmohan Singh’s house with
flowers, to insist for a strong Lokpal Bill. All the protesters were
detained by the police.

Supporters of the Jan Lokpal bill also protested outside the houses of
Sheila Dikshit, Pranab Mukherjee and Kapil Sibal but were detained by
police and taken away immediately. A throng of people also protested
outside LK Advani’s house.

Moreover, supporters also protested outside their MPs’ houses all
across the nation. After day long protests outside their MPs’ house in
Nagpur and Ujjain, protestors in Indore convinced MP Sumitra Mahajan
to come out in support of the Jan Lokpal Bill.

After the PM reiterated on record that they are ready to talk and
reach a compromise on the Lokpal bill, nobody has come forward from
the government’s side to talk. On the same issue, Arvind Kejrival
expressed from the stage at the Ramlila grounds that Team Anna is
ready for talks and that whatever discussion has to happen should be
done on stage at the Ramlila grounds for the whole nation to see and
witness.

With Day 8 of Anna’s fast approaching he has already lost 5 kgs weight.

Support for the Jan Lok Pal Bill was expressed by celebrities who came
to the Ramlila grounds.

Kailash Kher encouraged the crowds at Ramlila by singing and gave his
voice in the fight against corruption.

Kabir and Pooja Bedi also came out in support of Anna and the Jan Lokpal Bill.

Medha Patkar who had been relentlessly addressing the crowds at Azad
Maidan, Mumbai, addressed the crowds at Ramlila.

Jaspal Bhatti, also made his presence felt at the Ramlila grounds to
give support to the movement.

Shailesh Gandhi, Information Commissioner, Raja Bundela, Sagguru Jaggi
Vasudev, and Asif Mohammad Khan (MLA of Okhla Constituency ) also
supported the movement and were present on stage at the Ramlila
Grounds.