Anna Team ends fast; to join politics, asks public to name it

Mangalore Today / ITV

New Delhi, August 3: Former army chief retired General V K Singh today offered coconut water to Team Anna members to break their 10-day-long fast, even as Anna Hazare, Arvind Kejriwal and others told their supporters that they would soon launch a political party.

"The people will select our candidates, the people will decide our manifesto, we will go to the farmers, the youths and workers to write our manifesto. There shall be no party high command", declared Arvind Kejriwal minutes before he broke his indefinite fast.

 

"From now on, our fight will both be on the roads and inside parliament. I appeal to all those who are dissatisfied with Congress, BJP, SP, BSP, DMK and other parties, to leave and join this party of patriots", said Kejriwal.

Kejriwal sought suggestions from the common public about the name, constitution and structure of the new party.

"Pl send in your suggestions at  indiaagainstcorruption.2010@gmail.com or  by post to A119, Koshambi, Ghaziabad, UP", said Kejriwal.

"We want to decentralize power from Delhi. Power must be given to the village panchayats to decide their fate. This government is selling village land and farmland to builders and industrialists without consulting village panchayats", said Kejriwal.

"Agriculture minister Sharad Pawar is giving Rs 800 per quintal to farmers but giving Rs 1,400 for imported wheat. Why this disparity?", asked the Team Anna member.

Kejriwal derided the suggestion that Team Anna had bowed down to the government, saying : "Till date, we have only been praying to this government by resorting to fast, but this regime is not listening to our prayers. Now is the time to overthrow this government. Now our battle will grow from a smaller to a bigger one".

"Our movement has now entered the third stage. We will now fight for Sampoorna Kranti (total revolution), or in other words, Sampoorna Vyavastha Parivartan (total change in system)", said Kejriwal.

In his speech, Gandhian Anna Hazare reiterated he would criss-cross the whole of India for the next one and a half years to make people aware about the new political alternative.

"We want to overthrow these traitors at all costs", said Hazare.

Former army chief retd general V K Singh recalled Loknayak Jayaprakash Narayan’s words in 1975, that the root of all problems in India was corruption. "And what is the situation today?", he asked, as Anna supporters roared a resounding "yes".

"And do not forget, the slogan that JP then gave: ’Singhaasan chhodo ki janata aati hai’ (leave the throne, here come the people). He gave this slogan because corruption had touched its nadir", said the retired general.

The former army chief cautioned Team Anna to be on guard against charges of corruption against them, now that they would be joining politics.

"They will try to denigrate you in every manner, so that you fail to give the political alternative", said Singh.

The former army chief said, the directive principles of Indian constitution were being disregarded by the present regime. "Had the government been following these principles, the situation would not have come to this pass today", he added.

"The people have the magic wand with them. If they want, they can change the fate of this nation.  Today this government lacks direction and policies.

"Whenever there is disaster, the army is called, and it works to perfection. If the army can work successfully, why not this system?

"In army, we are taught two big things : one, love all religions, and two, there is no caste, no class, all of us are soldiers.  This is the mantra which guides our army. We should try to follow this", said Singh.

The former army chief recited Guru Govind Singh’s couplet "Nischay kariye, apni jeet kariye".  He asked Anna supporters to be firm in their resolve and achieve victory.