NEW DELHI, Dec 5: Anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare today said he will go on an indefinite hunger strike from December 10 at his village Ralegan Siddhi in Maharashtra for passage of the anti-graft law.
Hazare, who had earlier announced that he would go on indefinite hunger strike here from the first day of the winter session of Parliament, said he shifted the venue of his agitation at his village on the advise of his doctors as he had undergone a surgery recently.
“I had promised the people of India that if the Government does not pass the Janlokpal Bill, then I will sit on ‘Anshan’ (fast) from the first day of the winter session at Ramlila Maidan. I am not well as I underwent a difficult operation and doctors have asked me to take precautions,” Hazare told reporters.
“I will be sitting on an indefinite hunger strike from December 10 at Ralegan Siddhi instead of Ramlila Ground in Delhi”, he added.
He said the agitation would be organised under the banner of his newly-formed organisation, Jantantra Morcha. “We have held over 700 rallies in seven States in the past six months under the organisation to mobilise people.”
The Gandhian attacked both Congress-led UPA and the opposition for having “anti-youth, anti-student, anti-village and anti-poor” economic policies.
“Instead of bringing in multi-national companies, the government should focus on developing village and generate employment there as Gandhiji had said that India won’t develop until its villages are developed,” Hazare said.
Hazare urged youth, students, women, writers, poets, litterateur and journalists to organise people for the war against corruption.
“I especially request the right-thinking political workers to break their party lines and come forward to give a new leadership to the people of India and make plans to elect a responsible Lok Sabha in 2014,” he said.
Hazare said he had written a letter to all political parties requesting them to declare Gramsabha as the legislative body of Panchayat and promise to make villages the basic administrative unit.
“I pleaded with them to make village-centric economic policy to fight unemployment and create employment-oriented education system, create a health system that reaches people and warned them against neo-liberal economic policies,” he said.
He also appealed to citizens to participate in the agitation and join the fast and also write to UPA chairperson and Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, leaders of the Opposition and demand for early passage of Janlokpal Bill.
Hazare said he had written a letter to the Prime Minister last month for “not keeping” his promise on the passage of Janlokpal Bill, which he had made through a letter to him in 2011 during his 13-day indefinite fast at Ramlila Ground here during the nation-wide anti-graft agitation.
The anti-corruption activist said that despite being a follower of non-violence, he was forced to resort to “verbal-violence” as lives of poor people were badly affected due to corruption and… “Janlokpal Bill is still held up in Rajya Sabha.”
Hazare said that for the December 10 agitation, a call centre would be set up and it would become functional from December 7. Anyone, across India and abroad, could dial to get all the information about it.
Asked about his future course of action if the Government fails to pass the Janlokpal Bill, he said “we would take a decision two days ahead of the end of the winter session” of Parliament. (PTI)
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel