Anna sets Aug 15 deadline for Lokpal Bill

Mangalore Today News

New Delhi, April 10: Anna Hazare told his supporters to prepare for a bigger battle against the government, if the Parliament fails to pass the Lokpal Bill, a law that the country has been waiting for more than 40 years. Setting August 15 as the deadline, Hazare said that certain corrupt politicians might not let the bill pass easily and if need be a stronger fight against corruption would be required.

 

 

"This is the battle, we have to fight a war," said Hazare to his supporters.

Since there is no law for those who are corrupt, they are not scared to face charges. But, with the implementation of the Jan Lokpal Bill, corruption will be a serious force to reckon with.


Hazare said,"after this law all those who are corrupt will be scared, today no one is scared of law as it doesn’t punish corrupt people. Every citizen is suffering from corruption and people supported me for this reason."

According to him since all institutions are under governmental control they don’t have autonomy and that is the main reason why corruption is so widespread, With the introduction of the Lokpal bill there will be autonomy and corruption would be wiped off.

"Every institution that has been formed to check corruption is under the government therefore it is not effective. All institution are under government that’s why they do not have autonomy. This new Jan Lokpal bill will bring autonomy in all the institutions, this will lead to the wiping of corruption," said Hazare.

 

 

 

Several people have criticised the movement and Anna’s ways of forcing change. But Anna justifies his method of protest as he did not do it for his personal benefit but for the benefit of the entire country.

"Let the people say anything about our way of protest, this was not for my benefit, I did it for the country and for the citizens of India and for the poor people. My method of protest is justified. Since the government was not willing to talk therefore we had to start this agitation", adds Anna.

Anna truely believes that with the passing of this bill it will be ensured that corrupt ministers will go to jail.

Hazare ended his 98-hour long fast on Saturday after the Government bowed before the people power and agreed to most of the demands put forward by the veteran social activist and Gandhian.

The final agreement was made after three meetings held over two days and which showed no signs of either side willing to budge from their stand. The Government agreed to Hazare’s demands. Infact, Anna and his supporters believe that the Government had agreed beyond their demands.

"The government has agreed beyond our demands. I am thankful to the Prime Minister, Sonia and Kapil Sibal. UPA government cares about the concerns of the people," said Swami Agnivesh.

In the agreement, the government has committed itself to introducing the new Lokpal Bill in the forthcoming monsoon session of Parliament. Union Law Minister Veerappa Moily will be the convener of the 10-member Joint Drafting Committee that will commence its work forthwith and evolve its own procedures to prepare the proposed legislation.

The five members of the civil society include Hazare, senior lawyers Shanti Bhushan and Prashant Bhushan, RTI activist Arvind Kejriwal and Karnataka Lokayukta Santosh Hegde. Shanti Bhushan will be the co-Chairman along with Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee.

The Government will be represented by Mukherjee, Sibal, Moily, Home Minister P Chidambaram and Water Resources Minister Salman Khurshid.

The Drafting Committee will complete its work by June 30 and the Cabinet approval will be taken before the start of the monsoon session. The monsoon session of Parliament is likely to start in the first week of July.

Though both sides talked tough on Friday morning, Hazare sent a draft to the government containing his demands and after discussions between Sibal and Hazare’s emissaries Government sent a draft to the fasting leader.

The government draft conceded the demand for a joint committee and other details of the draft agreement.

Hazare demanded that there should be co-chairman from the civil society side with five members from both sides and that it should be constituted through a notification and not by a letter of the Law Ministry. The Government finally agreed to this proposal paving the way for a resolution.

He agreed to be part of the committee to keep pressure on the Government and for a minister to be chairman so that the "the Cabinet will accept the recommendations (of the committee).