Letters: Why knock Hazare? - II

Anna Hazare has adopted the Gandhian mode of protest. Dissent is the essence of democracy. Article 19 of the Constitution of India empowers the people with the fundamental right to speech, expression and to assemble peacefully in protest without arms. Section 51A of the Constitution enlists the fundamental duties of every citizen of India and this includes the responsibility to cherish and follow the ideals that inspired our national struggle for freedom.

Anna Hazare has acted in the spirit of the country’s democratic tradition. His fast brings to light the anguish of the ordinary citizen, particularly the poor who are directly affected by corruption. It is because of the misuse of funds allotted for the alleviation of poverty that children die of hunger in Orissa or Bihar. Anna Hazare is the voice of such victims who have suffered for decades.

Padamjit Singh, on email