Hazare ends fast, says fight wouldn't die

Declares judicial accountability, electoral reforms next on agenda.

It took a glass of coconut water mixed with honey, fed by a Dalit and a Muslim girl, for social activist Anna Hazare to break his 12-day-long fast, even as he asserted his fight against corruption had not ended.

“I have only suspended my agitation. I will not rest until all the changes I seek are achieved,” Hazare said in his first address after breaking his fast. Later, he was taken to Medanta hospital in Gurgaon, where he is likely to stay for the next two-three days. In the evening, in a meeting which lasted for half-an-hour, prime minister Manmohan Singh met president Pratibha Patil and briefed her about the consensus resolution passed in Parliament.

“The PM briefed the president about the ongoing session of Parliament and the consensus resolution passed in both Houses on matters related to the Lok Pal Bill,” a Rashtrapati Bhavan spokesperson said.

Yesterday, in an unprecedented move, Parliament passed a resolution aiming for a stronger Lok Pal. It also urged the Standing Committee to look into the issues of citizen’s charter, inclusion of lower bureaucracy under the Lok Pal and the establishment of Lok Ayuktas in each state – the three sticking contentious issues between Hazare and the government.

The social activist has laid out his future plans, which include changes in the electoral system, the right to recall and reject MPs and judicial accountability. “Corruption has increased because of the centralisation of power. We have to change the electoral system, bring in judicial reforms and laws for recalling our MPs,” Hazare said.

Unlike him, who made no mention of the prime minister or Parliament, Arwind Kejriwal, Hazare’s close aide, said he was ‘extremely grateful’ to the prime minister and the parliamentarians. “We are extremely grateful to the prime minister for yesterday’s letter. We are also grateful to Parliament for reaching a consensus on Anna’s demands,” he said.

Kejriwal dismissed charges that Team Anna’s methods were against the Constitutional. “We respect Parliament. However, issues do come up at times. Swaraj doesn’t mean you elect people for five years and forget about them till the next elections,” he said.

Kejriwal also stressed the need for having public consultations on all laws before they are passed by Parliament. “We want every MP to have a meeting with the Gram Sabha before voting on a law in Parliament,” he said. Launching an indirect attack on former Bihar CM Lalu Prasad Yadav, who attacked civil society in Parliament yesterday, Kejriwal said, “We are not against the Constitution, but B R Ambedkar would never have thought a day will come when people will eat chara (fodder).”

Meanwhile, the Congress described the ending of Hazare’s fast as a ‘win-win situation for all’. “It’s a historic occasion as it is a win-win situation for Indian democracy and all stakeholders,” Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said. However, Justice Santosh Hegde, a member of Team Anna, cautioned against expecting miracles from the Lok Pal.

“We have achieved the first milestone in having a strong Lok Pal Act and it may take its own time…The people of India should not expect a miracle. We have just put the foundation for a strong Bill,” he said.