Hazare camp clamours for more, says fight won't stop with Lok Pal

Sensing conciliation by the government after prime minister Manmohan Singh talked of a “lot of scope for give and take” on the Lok Pal Bill and the government being open to “discussion and dialogue”, Anna Hazare and his associates said they wanted more. “After Lok Pal, we will also have to fight for farmers’ rights, a law ensuring permission from the gram sabhas before land acquisition and one for fairer elections,” the social activist said at Ramlila Maidan here on Saturday. His supporters have already clarified they want their version of the anti-corruption ombudsman law passed before August 30.

However, despite the brave words, the Hazare camp was clearly worried. Even as there was substantial gathering on Saturday, sources said tomorrow (Sunday) was an acid test. If the crowds did not swell substantially beyond the current number of 15,000 on a holiday (Monday being another public holiday), it could be a cause for worry. The backup strategy of the activists is to get Hazare to give a nationwide call of ‘Dilli Chalo’ if the government continues to ignore them. Hazare’s close aides said in the likelihood of his health deteriorating, the call would be made to supporters across India, as a pressure tactic against the government.

“If doctors say Hazare’s health is deteriorating, we will give a nationwide call to our supporters to reach Delhi,” Kiran Bedi told Business Standard. “The government is counting the number of supporters. They don’t want it to increase,” she said.

As of now, doctors say all vital organs of Hazare are stable. However, a vigilant eye is needed, they add. Inside the core team, the general perception is the numbers at Ramlila Ground had been less than satisfactory. It is believed if the numbers were to rise, the government would open channels of negotiations. Even as the government kept the doors open, it gave no indication of being in a hurry to act on deadlines.

“We need a large number of supporters tomorrow to put pressure on the government. We are requesting protesters to come in as large numbers as possible,” said Bedi. Meanwhile, Hazare said the funds in government treasuries were threatened not by thieves, but from those guarding it.

“Why should we fight? The funds in government treasuries are ours. These treasuries are not threatened by thieves, but by those guarding it. The country is not betrayed by enemies, but by these traitors,” Hazare said.

“I want to tell the youth of this country this fight should not be stopped with Lok Pal alone. We have to fight to remove the faults within the present electoral reforms. Thanks to the faulty system, 150 criminals have reached the Parliament. The country has not got “actual freedom” even after 64 years of independence, the only change has been “the whites being replaced by the blacks”.

“The government is giving land to companies which employ labourers and suck their blood. They are told to either ensure production or lose their jobs. Is this democracy? All have come together to make money. The chain of corruption has to be broken,” he said.

Hazare’s associates Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia said they were ready to talk to the government, but no one had approached them. “We are ready to talk but there is no communication from their side. Whom should we talk to ?,” they asked.

On the August 30 deadline, former law minister Shanti Bhushan said the government could pass the Bill within days, provided it had a “strong will”. “It can happen. I have been the union law minister and know how things work,” he said.

Asked whether the deadline was a little impractical, Kejriwal said, “If the government desires, it can pass 15 Bills in five minutes. But, with the anti-corruption Bill, they have taken more than 42 years. We want to know how many more will it take?”