Indian Holocaust My Father`s Life and Time - SEVEN HUNDRED TWENTY
Palash Biswas
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SLIDESHOW
Supporters rejoice as Anna ends fastA day after the Parliament agreed in principle to key elements of the Jan Lokpal bill, social activist Anna Hazare on Sunday ended his 12-day-old fast, triggering celebrations across the nation.
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http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2406117.ece
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'Ambedkar' In And For The Post-Ambedkar Dalit Movement
www.ambedkar.org/Babasaheb/postambedkar.htm - Cached28 Mar 2000 – (A paper presented in the seminar on thePost-Ambedkar Dalit Movement organised by the Department of Political Science, University of Pune ...
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Theorising The Dalit Movement: A Viewpoint -Ambedkar.org
www.ambedkar.org/.../THEORISING%20THE%20DALIT%20MO...- Cachedby A Teltumbde - Cited by 4 - Related articles
10 Apr 2000 – The Dalit movement, in the familiar sense of organised ... -
Dalitism
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Dalit Buddhist movement - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dalit_Buddhist_movement - CachedJump to Dalit Buddhism movement after Ambedkar's death: The Buddhist movement was somewhat hindered by Dr.Ambedkar's death so ...
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In and For the Post-Ambedkar Dalit Movement - Great Scholar ...
greatscholar.blogspot.com/.../in-and-for-post-ambedkar-dalit-move... - Cached15 Jan 2007 – (A paper presented in the seminar on thePost-Ambedkar Dalit Movement organised by the Department of Political Science, University of Pune ...
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Social movements in India
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concludes on the Dalit movements: 'The. "post-Ambedkar Dalit movement" was ironically only that in the end – a move- ment of Dalits, challenging some of the ...
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" Ambedkar" in and for the Post-Ambedkar Dalit Movement (Anand ...
independent.academia.edu/.../_Ambedkar_in_and_for_the_Post-Am...- Cached" Ambedkar" in and for the Post-Ambedkar Dalit Movement.
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Untouchable Spring .... అంటరాని వసంతం: Political Philosophy of ...
10 Oct 2010 – How did he perceive the role of Dalit movement (Depressed class) in India's ..... 'Ambedkar': in and forPost-Ambedkar Dalit Movement. ...
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19 Jul 2010 – The post Ambedkar Dalit movement had witnessed several ups and downs. On one side a categorical awakening among the Dalits had grown ...
Anna says fast only 'suspended', wants electoral reforms!
What reforms?
Union law minister Salman Khurshid said on Sunday that the government will continue to engage civil society groups while legislating.
We Know what it means. CIVIL SOCIETY means only the Brahaminical Class!
Energence of BRAHAMINICAL ALL INDIA CIVIL SOCIETY and RESURGENT Aggressive Hindu Nationalism Herald Greater Dangers for Excluded Communities!
Media, NGO and CIVIL Society Oriented Pro US Democratic Movement Set OFF the Block and it is Just a Beginning!
TV Blitz Round the Clock with Celebrating Ruling Market Dominating Class and UNITED Brahaminical Political Class PRONOUNCE DISASTER for We the People!
TV Telecast Focuses on Thousands gathered at India Gate this evening to celebrate victory of Anna Hazare's crusade against anti-corruption took the nation by storm, Would the Media would care to COVER Bharat Mukti Morcha MULNIVASI Massive Rally Demanding OBC Head Count and Protesting Anti People LPG Policies at the Same Venue RAMLILA Ground scheduled on 1st September next at all?
Architect of 1977 Revolution to Topple Socialist Pattern of Economic system,Subramanian Swamy congratulates Anna, says bigger battle yet to be fought! What Does it Mean?
Anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare ruled Indian cyberspace during his 12-day fast demanding introduction of Jan Lokpal Bill in Parliament.
Who Rules over Cyberspace?
Face Book Oriented Indian Spring is Reminiscent of Arab Spring as well as London Globalisation Riots!
Jan Lokpal Bill: Flaws in Anna Hazare's Bill, can't get passed, said BJP leader L K Advani, But BJP surrendered to ANNA Team thanks to RSS!
Why?
Governemnt claims, NO Mistake!
Is it?
Yes, Reforms Drive is NOT HURT at all! Rather LPG Mafia Rule Succeeded to DIVERT Main Issues!
We have seen the Civil Society Media NGO Combine in Bengal supported by Market Forces to KILL the Communist Marxist Maoist Movement in Bengal.
It was Regional!
Now, it is National.
And I am Afraid that it would Kill Ambedkarite Legacy, Constitution and Movement!
And it is the NEXT MISSION well Supported by Brahaminical Political class which is apparently Targeted by ANNA BLITZ.
The Alignment is so much so HIDDEN!
Team Anna members expressed hope on Sunday that the Lokpal bill would soon become a reality, noting that it would be difficult for political parties to go back on their positions in parliament on the issue.
Meanwhile, ANNA Statement Clarifies the Real Agenda!He has only "suspended" his fast not ended it, Anna Hazare said Sunday and added that his campaign for a strong Lokpal institution would continue till parliament passed the anti-graft bill.
"Several new bills like land acquisition and rehabilitation, food security and others are being prepared by the government," Khurshid told reporters here. "Common people have a right to express their views."
He said that civil society groups were an important part of the country's political system and congratulated activist Anna Hazare, 74, who broke his hunger strike at the Ramlila maidan Sunday, a day after parliament agreed in principle to his three key demands for a more inclusive Lokpal bill.
"I congratulate Annaji for holding a successful and peaceful movement," he told reporters. "Civil society should play an important role in the country's political system. This movement was an example." he said.
"I have just suspended the fast... did not end it. The fight will go on till parliament passes the Lokpal bill," the 74-year-old told thousands of his cheering supporters at the Ramlila Maidan. He also called for peoples' participation for electoral reforms.
He broke his 288-hour-fast after sipping coconut water and honey offered by two young girls - Simran and Iqra - one a Dalit, the other a Muslim.
"I thank all of you for today. It's your success," he said, referring to the parliament agreeing to the three crucial points demanded by Team Anna for a strong Lokpal.
"We have to change the election system of the country... we have the right to reject," he said, adding that people should be allowed to use the option not to vote if they don't like any candidate.
Referring more than once to B.R. Ambedkar, the architect of the Indian constitution and champion of Dalit cause, Hazare said "justice must be ensured for the farmers of the country who are in a pitiable state today". He also talked about bridging the rich-poor divide and fighting against commercialisaion of education.
"The fight has begun with the Lokpal bill. That's why I have just suspended the fast, did not end it," he said.
Thanking the youth of the nation for their immense support to the movement, Hazare described them as the strength of India.
"I am very happy that a movement of this enormity was non-violent. You have set an example to the whole world," Hazare said amid loud applause.
He also had a word for those who sported Gandhi caps with the 'I am Anna' written on it.
"You cannot become Anna just by wearing the cap. You have to have pure thoughts, work diligently, be unselfish, be ready to sacrifice and be able to tolerate cynicism...," Hazare said.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has hailed the triumph of the common man and the maturity of parliamentary democracy and said contemporary developments will usher in progress for the nation.
Senior BJP leader L K Advani on Sunday said the Anna Hazare's movement against corruption will continue as it is a fight of the whole country.
"Hazare's movement against corruption will continue as it is a fight of the whole country...," Advani told reporters.
After Hazare ended his fast today, his associate Arvind Kejriwal visited Advani's house to thank him and his party for the support extended to the Gandhian's agitation.
Kiran Bedi, another member of Team Anna, also sent a message to Advani thanking him.
Earlier, Anna Hazare had written a letter to Advani on August 26, in which he had sought BJP's support for his three demands -- appointing Lokayuktas in every state, a Citizens' Charter in every department and bringing the lower bureaucracy within the ambit of Lokpal.
"Can a resolution be brought in Parliament on these issues? I am not only hopeful but I also believe that our MPs will agree right in the beginning of the debate on all the three demands so that the people of this country can be freed from the shame of day-to-day corruption," Hazare had wrote in his letter.
Hazare also thanked Advani and Parliament for respecting his movement.
"In our minds we have immense respect for Parliament. Our Parliament is the holy temple of our democracy," he said, adding that "we all will have to work together to make it (the country) better".
The Gandhian had stated in his letter that he was not taking the indefinite fast for any personal gain. He insisted that his movement is not against any party or individual, but against corruption.
"If during the movement any words have been spoken by me or my people which have hurt you or any other individual then I express regret on my and their behalf. Our aim is not to hurt anybody," Hazare remarked.
Anna Hazare was hospitalised after after he ended his 12-day fast on the Lokpal issue on Sunday and doctors said he is "very dehydrated and exhausted" but there is no cause for worry.
The 74-year-old Gandhian was taken straight toMedanta Medicity hospital in Gurgaon from the fast venue at Ramlila maidan and admitted for a check-up and he will be under strict observation.
"He has been admitted. He is resting. His blood pressure is 120/70 and heart rate is 94. We are closely monitoring his condition because he has lost 7.5 kgs in a very short interval of time and keeping his age," Dr Naresh Trehan, chairperson and managing director of the hospital who headed a team of 36 doctors attending on Hazare, told reporters.
"The heart rate is high, normally it should be 80," he said.
However, Trehan said, "There is no need to worry as all vital organs are settled. We have put him on liquid diet for at least 48 hours that includes coconut water and honey.
"We will also conduct tests of his kidneys, liver and other vital organs to check for any damage," Trehan said, adding the Gandhian will be discharged only after his condition is declared fit.
"We have started his liquid diet. After this, we will slowly move towards semi-liquid diet and solid diet thereafter," Trehan said.
Police had a tough time controlling the crowds to make way for the vehicle that brought Hazare to the hospital from Ramlila Maidan as the Gandhian's supporters carrying bouquets thronged the road to catch his glimpse.
It took about 30 minutes for the police to clear the way for Hazare, who was accompanied by his close aides Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia among others.
Some of the supporters even demanded that the Gandhian come out of the vehicle for a few minutes so that they can touch his feet to seek his blessings, eyewitnesses said.
Throughout his fast at Ramlila Maidan, a team of doctors had been monitoring Hazare's health. "He may stay in the hospital for a couple of days," one of the team doctors said.
"Today what we are seeing at Ramlila is a new sense of acknowledgment for the common man," BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said on Sunday. "Ultimately it will usher in a new era of rapid progress."
Anna Hazare, 74, ended 13 days of fasting at the Ramlila ground Sunday after reassurance from parliament and the government that the three key demands of his anti-graft group would be incorporated in the proposed Lokpal bill.
He further said: "Yesterday what we saw was the best element of parliament and the nation will be really happy with the level of debate and sincerity of purpose. This the beauty of democracy."
The BJP spokesperson said the protest at Ramlila ground was not a middle-class movement, as perceived, but a mass movement with many coming from villages to participate.
"Given the sense of the parliament Saturday, approving the three key demands of Anna Hazare, it would be difficult for thje political parties to resign from their position," Prashant Bhushan, a member of Team Anna, said.
"The matter is under public scrutiny."
Another Team Anna member, former police officer Kiran Bedi said: "Anna has a written commitment from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh."
On people pouring out in the streets to support Anna, Bhushan said that they are celebrating the feeling that if people come together, they can change things.
Anna's three key demands were a citizen's charter, bringing lower bureaucracy under Lokpal and setting up Lok Ayuktas in states.
Congratulating Anna Hazare for creating mass awareness on the issue of corruption, Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy on Sunday said a bigger battle is yet to be fought.
"Intention of the government is not good, but Anna Hazare stood firmly on his stand. So far only one battle has been won and the bigger one is still to be fought," Swamy told reporters in Lucknow.
He said the "next battle" would have to be fought jointly by every citizen.
"Anna Hazare's campaign has created awareness among people for which he has to be congratulated. He has shown what a fakir can do," he said while addressing a function to felicitate Vishwa Hindu Parishad president Ashok Singhal.
Swamy said while Hazare was insisting on a stringent law, a person can also be punished under the existing provisions.
"Anna Hazare is emphasising on stringent law. It is right that strict provisions are made. It may take time but a person can be punished under existing law as well," he said.
The Janata Party president said the court has permitted him to argue the 2G spectrum case and use CBI records, and the next hearing would be on September 15.
He alleged that former telecom minister A Raja was not alone responsible for the 2G scam and there were others behind it as well.
He added that corruption has a multi-dimensional effect and it generates black money.
Search engine Google produces 29 million results when a query is made by entering Anna Hazare's name, while Sonia Gandhi's name yields a little below 9 million results.
A page created in the Facebook on Anna Hazare has been liked by 3.64 lakh users against UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi's page which has 57, 291 likes.
An account created in the name of 'Support Anna Hazare fast against Corruption' attracted 1.45 lakh likes. There is also a Facebook page 'I hate Anna Hazare' and it has been liked by 4,137 users.
Hazare video from Tihar jail compound, recorded by Kiran Bedi, has nearly 1.6 lakh views in YouTube so far and was rated as the second most viewed video of this month in Indian news and politics category.
Number one slot was occupied by a video uploaded by an Indian on US debt crisis.
Similarly, another video on Anna Hazare's indefinite fast against corruption was rated at Number 4 with nearly 1.65 lakh views.
Currently, SMSes containing words Anna Hazare or Corruption are the most circulated in the messages, according to web to mobile Free SMS service providers.
Nisha Parekh, vice president (international operations), SMS Country which runs 160by2.com, said out of 5 to 5.5 million SMS they handle everyday, nearly 1.5 million are messages related to Anna Hazare or corruption.
"House bows to Anna whip", "Parliament yields to Anna", "Anna wins it for the people" are some of the screaming headlines in newspapers today. But has he really achieved?
Opinion is divided among politicians, journalists and others with majority feeling that while the issue of corruption he projected may have drawn national attention, the methods he employed may not have been appreciated.
Some feel that the 74-year-old Gandhian has "achieved a lot" but they also question the methods used by him and his team which sometimes appeared to be undermining constitution and Parliament.
Hazare initially went on a hunger strike setting a deadline of August 30 for passage of civil society's Jan Lokpal Bill by Parliament without referring it to the Standing Committee.
The civil society had also sought inclusion of Prime Minister, higher judiciary and MPs conduct in Parliament within the purview of the bill but he settled for referring three of his key issue to the committee which will report back to Parliament.
Eminent jurist P P Rao and journalists Chandan Mitra and Vinod Mehta feel that Hazare did achieve a lot by getting Parliament to endorse three of his crucial demands in the Jan Lokpal Bill for consideration by Parliamentary Standing Committee.
MPs belonging to Congress and BSP feel the methods adopted by him were not appropriate, while SP leader Mohan Singh said the methods created a fear of scrutiny among the political class.
The politicians are one in that Parliament has prevailed over Hazare that it has not conceded any of his major demands but only referred some issues for scrutiny by the Standing Committee.
Manmohan Singh said while Hazare managed to channelise people's anger towards corruption, he failed to achieve much on his demand to pass the Jan Lokpal Bill drafted by him by Parliament by August 30. The BSP on the other hand maintained that the Gandhian can "himself" answer on what he achieved by his agitation.
"It is for him to answer what he achieved.... BSP has always stressed that Constitution is supreme and no one was above it," party's leader in the Lok Sabha Dara Singh Chauhan said here.
He said whatever laws have to be framed for the "larger benefit of the people" should be made within the constitutional framework.
Senior Congress leader Anil Shastri, however found nothing wrong with the movement which he described as "massive movement against corruption".
"I do not think, Parliamentary democracy was undermined Hazare's agitation.... Supremacy of Parliament was not in any way affected by this," he said.
Congress Spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said, "I believe that both have won and no one has lost. The great thing about this event is that it a win win for all sections."
Taking the point further, RJD MP Jagtanand Singh said that people have a right to demand from Parliament and somebody is perfectly within his right to insist on it like Hazare did.
"How does it undermine Parliamentary democracy? They wanted their views to be included when Parliament makes law. Government realised it cannot ignore the voice of people in the streets and those leading people's agitation out there finally understood Parliamentary processes cannot be by-passed," he said.
28 AUG, 2011, 12.20AM IST, RAMA BIJAPURKAR,ET BUREAU
Anna Hazare's fast: Who thronged to Ramlila Maidan to support the Lokpal issue
EDITORS PICK
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Swamy congratulates Anna, says bigger battle yet to be fought
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Foundation is laid but don't expect a miracle: Santosh Hegde
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Who exactly were the people responding to Anna Hazare's call to come out and join his fight against corruption? What was the profile of the masses that we saw on television, and in newspaper photographs? There has been a lot of second guessing on this. It was time to bring some data to the table by doing some market research. Television channels showcased some very articulate people, young and old, except that one was left wondering if this was a self-selecting sample!
Most columnists including this one had his or her take on who the folks at Ramlila and Azad Maidan were, and the candles and the T- shirts and the SMSes in English led some of us to guess that the upper middle class that had decided to find its voice. Once we thought we knew who it was, theories flew fast and furious.
Many thought the aam aadmi was not there. But was it just the upper middle class? Or was it truly a citizens' movement?
ET on Sunday and Hansa Research surveyed Movement Anna's demographics. Random samples of people at Azad Maidan in Mumbai and at Ramlila Grounds in Delhi were drawn on August 24 and 25. The points of inquiry were: gender, age, education, employment status and occupation.
Methodology
Each venue was sub-divided into 20 parts and 10 to 15 interviews were done following a specific selection rule in each part. This was done to avoid the bias of sampling only those who offered themselves for interviewing. In Azad Maidan 233 people were sampled and 311 in Ramlila Grounds. The data was analysed separately for each city and then pooled, according equal weight to data from both cities.
Everyone Came
The support base, it is clear from the data, cuts across all social classes and occupations. But it is skewed in favour of men - 72% men and 28% women. And no, this is not a crowd of students - only about a quarter of them, overall, were students. A third of them in Delhi and 17% in Mumbai were students. It isn't a crowd of unemployed or retired people either. Only 15% were not employed, half of whom were housewives. The rest were working, most of them full time.
Of the 60% who were working, 33% are blue collar ( 14% are unskilled workers, 19% skilled workers), 22% are junior level white collar workers (clerks/salesmen/supervisory level), another 23% are middle to senior level white collar workers (junior and senior white collar officers/executives and self employed professionals) , 17% are petty shopkeepers, traders, small businessmen. 34% in Delhi and 15% in Mumbai were government employees.
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- Lok Sabha adopts a 'sense of the House resolution', accept three of Anna's key demands
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/anna-hazares-fast-who-thronged-to-ramlila-maidan-to-support-the-lokpal-issue/articleshow/9760978.cms
Lokpal legislation and statutory procedures
ERA SEZHIYANSHARE · COMMENT (1) · PRINT · T+
A resolution passed in Parliament may have limitations when it comes to implementation
In the context of the ongoing moves on the Lokpal Bill issue, it has to be noted that a resolution of either House of Parliament, even when it is passed by a division, has limitations with regard to implementation by government.
There are three types of resolutions: one is the kind that, when passed, the government will have to implement statutorily; the second type can control the procedure of the House; the third type may be an expression of the opinion of the House.
For instance, when a Bill on appropriation of grants is passed by the Lok Sabha and considered by the Rajya Sabha, it gives statutory authority to the government to withdraw amounts from the Consolidated Fund to meet the specific purpose for which Parliament makes the grant.
Article 123 of the Constitution provides that if both Houses pass a resolution disapproving an Ordinance promulgated by the President, it shall be mandatory to cease to operate it. Under Article 356, the Proclamation of President's Rule issued for a State should be approved by Parliament through a resolution; otherwise it will cease to operate. Resolutions moved by private members are generally meant to express an opinion; even if passed it is not mandatory that the government implements it.
About the impact of a resolution passed by the UK Parliament, Erskine May states: "Every question, when agreed to, assumes the form of either an order or a resolution of the House… By its resolution, the House declares its own opinions and purposes."
In Law of the Constitution, Dicey says: "On this basis, the resolutions of a House may be divided into the following three categories: (1) Resolutions which have statutory effect, (2) Resolutions which the House passes to control its own proceedings and (3) Resolutions which are mere expressions of opinion by the House."
Rule 171 of Lok Sabha: A resolution may be in the form of a declaration of opinion, or a recommendation; or may be in the form so as to record either approval or disapproval by the House of an act or policy of government, or convey a message; or commend, urge or request an action; or call attention to a matter or situation for consideration by government; or in such other form as the Speaker may consider appropriate.
Practice and Procedure of Parliament by Kaul & Shakdher states: "Resolutions may be broadly divided into three categories:
"Resolutions which are mere expression of opinion of the House: Since the purpose of such a resolution is merely to obtain an expression of opinion of the House, the Government is not bound, as convention has it, to give effect to opinions expressed in these resolutions. It entirely rests on the discretion of the Government whether or not to take action suggested in such resolutions.
"Resolutions which have statutory effect: The notice of a statutory resolution is given in pursuance of a provision in the Constitution or an act of Parliament. Such a resolution, if adopted, is binding on the Government and has the force of law.
"Resolutions which the House passes in the matter of control over its own procedure: The House by such a resolution evolves sometimes its own procedure to meet a situation not specifically provided for its Rules. It has the force of law, but its validity cannot be questioned in a court of law."
In Parliament, Ivor Jennings writes: "Private Members' Motions then are part of the technique of propaganda. They enable the opinion of the House to be taken. The 'opinion' need not be representative for the attendance may be small."
On August 10, 1978, N.K.P. Salve moved a motion in the Rajya Sabha for the appointment of two Commissions of Inquiry to look into corruption charges against the family members of the Prime Minister and the former Home Minister. This writer opposed it, for under the Commissions of Inquiry Act a motion passed by the Lok Sabha has statutory effect, and the government has to implement it. A motion passed in the Rajya Sabha was only a recommendation to be considered by the government at its discretion. However, the Rajya Sabha adopted the motion 104 to 78.
Over the next few days, the Opposition demanded the early appointment of a House committee or the Commissions of Inquiry. The Rajya Sabha Chairman asked this writer for a note, which was submitted on August 12. On August 17, Chairman B.D. Jatti gave his ruling: "Two courses, therefore, seem to be open to the government, namely, either they should seek the guidance and advice from a committee of the members of Rajya Sabha, or forthwith appoint two separate Commissions of Inquiry. I am of the opinion that in terms of the Motion, the question of appointment of a Committee by me would depend on the indication from the Government as to which one of the two alternatives in the Motion is acceptable to the government."
L.K. Advani, the Leader of the Rajya Sabha, accepted the ruling and promised that the government would carefully consider the recommendations of the motion. There the matter ended.
Regarding a statute for the establishment of the Lokpal, the government prepared on August 4, 2011 'The Lok Pal Bill, 2011' according to the Rules of Procedure and practices, and along with the President's Recommendation under Article 117(1) and (3). This Bill was referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on August 8; it was required to send its report in three months. The committee advertised on August 20 inviting views/suggestions within 15 days. These have to be sent by September 4, and the committee may examine them and submit a report by November 3.
However, the agitation by Anna Hazare and the civil society team has created an urgent and critical situation. It may not be possible for the government to send on the Jan Lokpal bill or the bills propounded by others. Unless the government has made clear and satisfactory decisions on the points raised by the civil society team, the situation could go out of control.
Of the 10 Lokpal Bills introduced so far at the Centre, five were by Congress governments and the rest by non-Congress governments. The major difference among them was the exclusion of the Prime Minister by the former and the inclusion by the latter in the ambit of the Lokpal Bill. But none of them demands a constitutional amendment for the establishment of a Lokpal. A constitution amendment may require still more time; the legislatures of not less than half the States would have to ratify it, as required under the Article 368(2). This will take months.
KARNATAKA EXAMPLE
If there is a will, there is a way to enact an effective Lokpal Act even under the statutory procedures available. The Karnataka Lokayukta Act of 1985 enacted by the Ramakrishna Hegde government provided for a Lokayukta to investigate and report on allegations or grievances relating to the conduct of public servants including the Chief Minister; Ministers and members of the legislature; all officers of the State government; chairman, vice-chairman of local authorities, statutory bodies or corporations established by or under any law of the State legislature, including cooperative societies, persons in the service of local authorities, corporations owned or controlled by the State government, a company in which not less than 50 per cent of the shares are held by the State government, societies registered under the State Registration Act, cooperative societies and universities established by or under any law of the legislature.Where, after investigation into a complaint, the Lokayukta considers that the allegation against a public servant is prima facie true and makes a declaration to that effect, and the declaration is accepted by the competent authority, the public servant concerned, if he is a Chief Minister or a Minister or a member of State legislature, shall resign his office. If he is any other non-official, he shall be deemed to have vacated his office, and, if an official, shall be deemed to be under suspension, from the date of acceptance of the declaration.
If, after investigation, the Lokayukta is satisfied that the public servant has committed a criminal offence, he may initiate prosecution without reference to any other authority. Any prior sanction required under any law shall be deemed to have been granted.
Any effective government in a functioning democracy worth its name should anticipate a problem before it becomes a crisis and solve a crisis before it lands the government and the country in a catastrophe.
(The author is an eminent parliamentarian.)
Keywords: Jan Lokpal, Anna Hazare fast, anti-corruption movement, India Against Corruption, Ramlila Maidan, Parliament resolution
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2404017.ece
Team Anna wants special Parliament session to pass Lokpal Bill
PTISHARE · PRINT · T+
Team Anna on Sunday hoped that the government will convene a special session of Parliament to pass the Lokpal Bill in a month's time.
Team member and senior lawyer Prashant Bhushan said the government has told them that it would include all the three issues in the Bill and send it to the Standing Committee concerned.
"We hope that the government convenes a special session of Parliament within a month's time to pass Lokpal Bill," he said in Ramlila Maidan, minutes after Anna Hazare ended his fast.
"By that time, we hope that the Standing Committee also completes its work so that the Bill can be passed," the Supreme Court lawyer said.
Asked about their stand on their government version of Lokpal Bill, Mr. Bhushan said there is no point in demanding its withdrawal now as Parliament has agreed in-principle on three issues raised by the Team Anna.
Meanwhile, activist and another team member Medha Patkar dismissed suggestions that Team Anna was divided.
"We don't have any differences among us. The reports that I and Prashant Bhushan went to negotiate with the government because we are moderate are totally untrue," she said.
"First of all that day it was decided that I and Prashant Bhushan will go as different people engaged in different activities," she said.
Ms. Patkar said she would not have joined the negotiating team if she had any inclination that it will lead to speculation about differences among the members.
"Our views are very clear. We take decisions unitedly. We consider Arvind and his team as real core team," Ms. Patkar said.
Keywords: Anna Hazare arrest, Tihar Jail, Anna Hazare fast, Jan Lokpal, anti-corruption movement, India Against Corruption, civil society, Ramlila Maidan, Parliamentary session
People celebrate Anna's 'miracle'
PTISHARE · PRINT · T+
APSupporters of social activist Anna Hazare gather in thousands to celebrate near the India Gate memorial in New Delhi on Sunday.
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NEWS
Foundation laid but don't expect a miracle: HegdeCongress welcomes end of Anna's fastAnna Hazare rules Indian cyberspaceTOPICS
Lokpalcrime, law and justicecorruption & bribery
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politicsnational politics
parties and movements
'Anna has pulled off a miracle', was the unanimous cry from Mr. Hazare supporters who thronged the India Gate in thousands following anti-corruption crusader's call to celebrate their victory.
Cutting across the barriers of age and gender, people looked into a mode of celebration while dancing on the tunes of bands, doing Bhangra, singing patriotic songs, raising impromptu slogans, flying kites names after Anna, waving Indian flags, and some even distributing free sweets and chocolates among themselves.
"Anna has awakened the nation", said 80-year-old Retd. Army Officer Shiv Kumar Sharma, who had come with his wife and friends to the India Gate.
"I don't think that Lokpal alone will eradicate corruption from India. However, I do feel that Anna Hazare through his movement has woken up the nation... The whole country has stood up against corruption and I think this is the biggest achievement of this movement," Mr. Sharma said.
Though, Lokpal is not the whole answer to the problem, it is a very good beginning, said R.S. Yadav, a retd Colonel.
Amidst huge media presence and police deployment, people sang patriotic songs and waved Indian flags while some were seen getting their face painted in the colours of tricolour.
"I am proud to be an Indian today," said 22-year-old Sunil, who is pursuing his MBA in Delhi.
Mohan Aggarwal, a businessman, had come with a group of 40 people from Vaishali, and was seen distributing free sweets and chocolates among the people gathered at the India Gate.
"It's our way of celebrating by distributing sweets. Only a God can do what Anna has done through his struggle. We had never imagined in our dreams that one day the whole country would stand up against corruption... He has done a miracle," said Aggarwal.
Some were not "satisfied" with the government's response to the whole movement.
"Though I am not fully satisfied with the government's response, at least something is being done to rid this country of corruption. Anna has shown us a path and now it's our responsibility to follow it... At least I won't give or accept bribes from now on," said Yudhishter Singh, a Customs Manager, who had come all the way from Ethiopia to be a part of the movement.
Keywords: Anna Hazare arrest, Tihar Jail, Anna Hazare fast, Jan Lokpal, anti-corruption movement, India Against Corruption, civil society, celebration, India Gate
Full victory yet to come: Anna
GARGI PARSAISHARE · COMMENT (11) · PRINT · T+
Gets affirmative 'voice vote' from multitude to end fast
It was with a burst of deafening applause and firecrackers that thousands of people welcomed Anna Hazare's announcement that he would break his 12-day-old fast, after he received a letter from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh conveying the 'in-principle' acceptance of his demands by Parliament after a debate on Saturday on the three 'sticking points' in the Lokpal Bill.
The letter was carried by Rural Development Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, who read it out to the people gathered on the Ramlila grounds here. Thereafter, a happy-looking Anna declared that he would break his fast at 10 a.m., Sunday. In his inimitable style, Mr. Hazare asked the crowd whether he had their permission to end his fast. The affirmative 'voice vote' swept away any misgivings about the lack of a vote in Parliament.
Earlier, it was expected that the government would move a resolution and take 'voice vote' in Parliament on Mr. Hazare's three 'sticking points' — inclusion of lower bureaucracy in the Lokpal Bill, setting up of Lokayuktas in States and creation of citizens' charters in government departments.
Describing the outcome of debate in Parliament as a "partial victory," the anti-corruption crusader said, "The full victory is yet to come."
Keywords: Jan Lokpal, Anna Hazare fast, anti-corruption movement, India Against Corruption, Ramlila Maidan, Parliament resolution
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2404046.ece
Black money: what more can the government do?
S. RAJARATNAMSHARE · PRINT · T+
QUESTION: We are hearing suggestions that it is necessary to bring a law to deal with black money by way of confiscation, death penalty or incarceration for life. Invariably, it is repeated by all and sundry that the government is not tackling black money properly and that the law should provide deterrent punishment with all the foreign money belonging to Indians declared illegal and that they should be compelled to bring them back to India. Are the suggestions practicable or right?
ANSWER: Primarily not all the Indian money abroad, in the sense that all foreign assets belonging to Indians, is black money. A person can acquire the status of a non-resident under the foreign exchange law, which is easy, merely by the person asserting himself to be a non-resident, while going abroad for an indefinite period without a return ticket. There are non-residents in this sense in almost every family of affluent assessees, whether in business or in service. A non-resident is not accountable for his source of money abroad. He is vulnerable, if at all, only when he brings the money back to India. The law had even given immunity at one stage for foreign remittances by way of gifts, whether they are genuine or not, a practice which is followed till date, though the period of immunity is long since past.
Income-tax law cannot deal with any undisclosed and unaccounted income beyond six years, since they are out of reach of income-tax law even for residents in India. All that could fall within the jurisdiction of the income tax law are those incomes which have surfaced in the last six years and the income from the past and present assets in India during the six years.
Considerable part of the money abroad, therefore, is not all black. It may be white or grey. As for black money, the government in recent years has taken a number of steps which may bear fruit over the years.
There is no need for any immunity or amnesty to buttress the effort, but all that has to be done is to give publicity for the present provisions under the income-tax law giving immunity from penalty under Sec. 273A where any concealed income is disclosed prior to detection. In fact, such publicity in 1986 during the then regime of V. P. Singh as Finance Minister had yielded some results though it was wrongly described as amnesty scheme. There is also settlement procedure in complicated cases before the Settlement Commission. There are deterrent provisions by way of penalty and prosecution in the present statute. Confiscation is possible where the offences could be brought under Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. Even for others not covered by this Act, tax, penalty and interest, besides compounding fee where prosecution is exigible, will far exceed the value of the asset concealed. What is, therefore, wrong is not the law but more amendments and statutes, which may only give a wrong sense of satisfaction that tax evasion and corruption are being tackled without any tangible results.
Enforcement of law is different from law itself. It is such enforcement which requires to be activated. The present law starting from the Indian Penal Code, 1880, and many more added over the years to make the law more stringent may lead to greater corruption. It is not realised that tax evasion is a crime punishable under the criminal law unlike, for example, in France, where it continues to be a civil offence. Provisions providing for excessive punishment may persuade the courts to infer innocence rather than inflict punishment, which is not commensurate with the offence so as to be self-defeating. Encouragement for voluntary repatriation of assets, which is built in the present law, should go side by side with stringent action against proved tax delinquency.
What is required is strengthening the administration of the present law rather than many new laws.
Keywords: tax evasion, money laundering, Indian money in Swiss bank, black money
http://www.thehindu.com/business/Economy/article2406426.ece
Watch Video : 'Web Clips Doctored, Part of Smear Campaign' - Agnivesh |
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| Daijiworld Media Network Watch Video Clip - Click Here The video clip shows Swami Agnivesh betraying Team Anna, and telling union minister Kapil Sibal that Team Anna is a 'mad and misguided elephant'. He was allegedly favouring the government in the teleconference instead of defending Team Anna. "Despite the government giving so many offers, why is he still not accepting it? The team is crossing the limits and trying to sit on the government's head, which is not tolerable," he said to Kapil Sibal, which was caught on camera. But Swami Agnivesh has come out strongly against the allegation, and has said that the webclip is totally doctored. "I never had any such teleconference with Kapil Sibal. You can check my mobile number or even Kapil Sibal's number to confirm whether we really had any such phone calls. This is an effort to malign me, nothing else," he lashed. "I never call anyone 'Maharaj', so how can I address Kapil as Kapil Maharaj, as shown in the video clip?" he questions. In the clip, Agnivesh is allegedly heard expressing disappointment that he was not selected as a negotiator. But Agnivesh said, "I was just a member of Team Anna, and never wanted to be a negotiator." Watch Video Clip - Click Here |
http://www.daijiworld.com/news/news_disp.asp?n_id=113814
Politics News
Government hasn't made any mistakes: Salman Khurshid
Karan Thapar, CNN-IBNUpdated Aug 28, 2011 at 10:14pm IST
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Karan Thapar: Hello and welcome to Devil's Advocate. How does the government defend itself against what many consider the gross mishandling of Anna Hazare? That's the key issue I shall explore today with Law Minister Salman Khurshid. Salman Khurshid, Pranab Mukherjee has already admitted that the government may have bungled. Most people much go stronger than that. They say this a debacle, possibly a disaster. Can you this morning accept that the government made serious mistakes?
Salman Khurshid: See, please don't pick words out of context. Pranabda was speaking to the House and in the House repartee; you want to put an end to…
Karan Thapar: One moment, are you trying to say that outside the House he would say something else?
Salman Khurshid: In House repartee you have to call an end to issues that become irrelevant, when you want to get to the core, and he wanted to get to the core and he essentially was saying let's not argue about your point of view, let us now get to the point.
Karan Thapar: Salman, let me interrupt you and put this to you. Probably 90 per cent of India today is convinced that your government seriously mishandled the Anna situation. Can you today, as an honest minister accept that serious mistakes were made?
Salman Khurshid: I'm saying that everything you do doesn't necessarily give you those returns that you expect when you do it. You have to stand back and look at what steps you took, what by hindsight you may not have taken. But I don't think this is a blame game or an acceptance of a postmortem.
Karan Thapar: Forgive me, you're sounding like Lehman Brothers claiming that subprime motives wasn't a crime. You've actually been negligent, you've allowed a crisis to develop. India has been traumatised for 13 days, and when asked, a member of the government hasn't got the capacity to say that his government made serious mistakes?.
Salman Khurshid: No, I don't believe we made serious mistakes, I do believe that it was a unique experience. I do believe that it was important not just for us to act alone, but to get every big political party, the major political parties on board, and I think at the end of the day that's what we achieved and it's the result that should matter.
Karan Thapar: What you've achieved in fact is a monumental mess that lasted for 13 days traumatising India. But let's leave that aside, I'll come to that in a moment's time. Let me repeat my question. Are you saying to me that your government made no mistakes handling Anna Hazare?
Salman Khurshid: I'm saying that they made no mistakes. I'm saying that the outcome of what we did…
Karan Thapar: I'm interrupting you. Do you want to really say that you made no mistake?
Salman Khurshid: Yes, I'm saying the outcome of what we did, it depends on how you define a mistake. A mistake is to do something that you should not be doing.
Karan Thapar: Aren't you quibbling with words?
Salman Khurshid: I'm not quibbling with words, I think this is a very sensitive, complicated and a difficult situation that has just unfolded into a mutual resolution.
Karan Thapar: This pride, is this bravado that you cannot admit you made mistakes?
Salman Khurshid: No, no, it's faith, it's confidence and belief that we don't want the government to be kicked around by people who have…
Karan Thapar: But the government was. The government was not just kicked around, you became a football.
Salman Khurshid: I don't think government was. I think it's the best possible resolution Parliament could have got and if you look at what we have done, the manner in which we have done, I don't think you can quibble with it.
Karan Thapar: I am going to give you once last opportunity to answer this question, I'm asking it perhaps for the fifth time. Are you seriously saying you made no mistakes?
Salman Khurshid:Ask me for a 100 times, we made no mistakes. What we did may not have turned out to be as it would, maybe our anticipation and calculation turned out to be not what we thought it would be, but I'm not prepared to admit that we made mistakes. We very carefully step by step tried to understand the complicated situation and the fact that what we did may not have given us positive results, is not to be treated as 'you made a mistake'.
Karan Thapar: Alright, I let you answer that in full without interrupting you because I thought it was fair that you should be able to explain to the people why you think you didn't make a mistake.
Salman Khurshid:That's only fair for the media to behave like that always.
Karan Thapar: Let's not quibble about that.
Salman Khurshid: I'm asserting. I'm not quibbling.
Karan Thapar: Let's come to the consequences of what happened. To begin with, your government today in the eyes of many Indians stands discredited, its authority is dented, many people are losing faith in your government.
Salman Khurshid: I don't think that's the impression we have. First time, after years, certainly in my life, to have a unanimous resolution by popular acclaimed in the House led by the leader of the House,
Karan Thapar: That acclaimed in the House was not for the government. In fact the truth is that two of your most senior ministers Kapil Sibal and P Chidambaram are discredited. Arvind Kejriwal refused to speak with them, at Ramlila Maidan they became hate figures.
Salman Khurshid:I will question that. They were involved…
Karan Thapar: On what basis can you question that?
Salman Khurshid: I will tell you why. They were involved at a very difficult stage, they were involved when they had to take calls that were difficult calls, they were involved when there was intransigence on both sides.
Karan Thapar: And they messed up, which is why Arvind Kejriwal refused to speak to them, which is why they were withdrawn as interlocutors and you replaced them.
Salman Khurshid: No, no, they were never withdrawn. Nobody was withdrawn.
Karan Thapar: But they disappeared from sight.
Salman Khurshid: I'm sorry, they remained there constantly, they did what they were required to do and they helped us all the way. I didn't go to the Ramlila Ground, it was Mr Deshmukh who went.
Karan Thapar: Alright you may dispute that your colleagues were discredited.
Salman Khurshid: I'm not prepared to accept. You may be popular or unpopular with the crowd on a particular moment for a particular event, but I'm not prepared to accept that they are discredited.
Karan Thapar: Alright let's come to the impression of the Prime Minister. Today many Indians are questioning his leadership, they believe that he wasn't in control during this crisis, worst of all in the eyes of many people he's losing the respect he had in 2009. For the Prime Minister, this has been a serious debacle.
Salman Khurshid: I don't think that you have studied what happened. How every step was led by him, how every decision was done by him, for four days, the Prime Minister just sat there almost as though he was in a control room monitoring every step that we took and every word that we spoke, and I'm sorry that if someone thinks that the Prime Minister was not in control, then they don't understand what happened.
Karan Thapar: Alright, but the impression has gone across the whole country, very widely that the government is discredited, people are losing trust, the Prime Minister's authority is diminished, people are losing faith in him. That's the problem you face today.
Salman Khurshid: I'm not prepared to accept that, but I certainly will display that the space that has been taken by contending people, we will need to get that space back.
Karan Thapar: There's an awful lot of space that you need to get back. An ocean has also opened between you and the people.
Salman Khurshid: It happens in a democracy and when oceans open they also split to give you a part that happened with Moses.
Karan Thapar: You're not Moses. You have lost the capacity to lead the people to the future land, that's the problem.
Salman Khurshid: We may not be Moses, but we're not against Gandhi either. Gandhi is on our side.
Karan Thapar: You didn't fulfill his principals. The Gandhi mantle descended on Anna Hazare, you looked like the British colonialists and imperialists and like them you stand discredited.
Salman Khurshid: That is your view and I don't want to contradict it again and again, but I'm telling you the bottomline is that whenever these kinds of things happen, there are gives and takes, there are improvements and falling in popularity stakes, we know what we're doing, we know where we're going and we know the time that we have.
Karan Thapar: Let's then come to the serious mistakes you made, which of course, you say you didn't make at all, but the people widely believe you did. Given that you knew from April that Anna Hazare intended to start a second fast unto death in August, why did you not hold the special session you held on Saturday, pass a resolution you passed on Saturday, earlier so that you could prevent this?
Salman Khurshid: We didn't hold a special session on Saturday.
Karan Thapar: But you held a special day of debate. why didn't you do it earlier?
Salman Khurshid: We were to do it for other legislation but when we found that there as a criticality involved in the health of Anna Hazare. We assumed we could not wait till Monday.
Karan Thapar: How come you didn't realise and appreciate that the situation would become critical. You had warnings from April, that's what I'm saying. Instead of understanding it is a political crisis, you treated it as law and order, that's the error you made to begin with.
Salman Khurshid: World over, why do peace talks happen, when they happen?
Karan Thapar: Because a crisis develops, but do you have to let a crisis develop?
Salman Khurshid: You should not have a crisis. Why do you go to a doctor when a crisis develops? Don't allow your crisis to develop.
Karan Thapar: Isn't prevention better than cure? You failed to prevent.
Salman Khurshid: Of course it is. But you can't always prevent and sometimes you have to cure.
Karan Thapar: You had a warning from April of a hunger strike and you couldn't prevent the crisis developing?
Salman Khurshid: We tried our best.
Karan Thapar: You didn't, that's what I'm saying. You treated it as law and order.
Salman Khurshid: It's your assessment. No we didn't treat it as a law and order problem. There were two parallel lines working. One was the line of negotiation, one was the line of trying to understand what was the give and take available, the other was a line which automatically had to be applied which was the law and order line.
Karan Thapar: Hang on a second. You said there was a line of negotiations and yet 48 hours before Anna Hazare's hunger strike began, Manish Tewari was calling him corrupt saying he was corrupt from head to toe, at that point, you should have been reaching out, you instead offended him, and offending frantically everyone in the country as well.
Salman Khurshid: I think we've talked about this in an earlier programme, Manish Tewari had an answer then, he had drawn a line, it was a position that a young man took upset by the fact that the Prime Minister had been sent a very distressing message. He took that position but he did realise that it was a tougher position to take.
Karan Thapar: He realised 10 to 12 days later. It was a monumental mistake of judgement and are you really blaming it on Manish rather than the officials of the Congress?
Salman Khurshid: I'm not blaming anyone, I'm just explaining Manish's emotions, I'm not blaming him.
Karan Thapar: Strange explanation that a spokesman could make such a disastrous mistake as to offend the one man you want to try and win.
Salman Khurshid: There were many other contact points which were positive, which were creative and constructive and I think that's what worked in the end. Please give us credit for what we have done yesterday, instead of running us down on everything.
Karan Thapar: One can virtually give you credit for having dug yourself out out of a grave with the help of others around you, wouldn't choose to become your burial partners. That's the only thing I want to give you credit for. Let me point out a second mistake. When Anna had announced that he wanted to protest, why did you impose undemocratic condition restricting the protest. You forced him to bring people out in the street in defiance of your unfair and undemocratic restrictions. You created that protest.
Salman Khurshid: You sound as though this is the first time law of the land has been imposed. The law of the land is for everyone, its no different for me, its no different for Anna.
Karan Thapar: Do you not see this undemocratic, high handed and arrogant fashion?
Salman Khurshid: No, it was not an arrogant faction, I must pay tribute to the Delhi Police for the manner in which the last 10 days have been handled, I think it's the most remarkable conduct and behaviour and I've had this from Anna's side himself.
Karan Thapar: I'm very happy that you should pay tribute to the Delhi Police but I don't hold them, the country doesn't hold them responsible for the faults that happened. It's the politicians who are their master, i.e., your government, that is at fault. Your second mistake was that on August 16, before he had committed any fault, you swept down on his home and preventively detained him at 7 am in the morning. It was offensive, it annoyed people of the country.
Salman Khurshid: It may have annoyed, but I can't understand one thing. It's happened to me six times, when I was UPCC president, you didn't ask anybody why that was done to me.
Karan Thapar: Because you're a politician…
Salman Khurshid: Because I'm a small man. And I don't have media partnerships.
Karan Thapar: This is an icon who had hundreds and thousands of people behind him. you provoked the people. No one gets provoked when a Salman Khurshid is preventively detained.
Salman Khurshid:I'm sorry they were. It's just that you don't know. The world doesn't end with the media box. The world is much larger. The world certainly starts and ends with Anna Hazare. Anna Hazare is a very important icon. Anna Hazare is someone to whom not only our Prime Minister has saluted, but paid tribute. Today, we are pleased and happy that he is in a hospital, that his health will be secure. But, we're not folding up and going away, not because you think so, we're here and we will be here.
Karan Thapar: Whether you're folding up or whether you're retreating because you've been pushed on the backfoot and you're stumbling, perhaps over the wicket, we leave that to the people to judge.
Salman Khurshid: Just as we will leave it to the people, the role that you in the media are playing.
Karan Thapar: Absolutely, and it's only right that the people should have criticism if they believe it's the case of people like me. Let's come back to you because I'm questioning you.
Salman Khurshid: I'm questioning you as well. I'm not here just to answer.
Karan Thapar: You say you treat Anna as an icon. How come that a man was considered not just by the people, but by you as an icon of the fight against corruption, went detained, and he hadn't even at that point been formally arrested, was actually put in Tihar Jail alongside Kalmadi and Raja, that created so much anguish that perhaps a million people all over India in the next 10 days came out progressively in protest. Can't you accept today that that was a terrible error of judgement?
Salman Khurshid:Let me tell you, it wasn't a million.
Karan Thapar: Altogether in 10 days?
Salman Khurshid: You go on for six months, it'll be even more. I'm not even talking about numbers. Please don't exaggerate and please don't build an emotional picture that's unacceptable.
Karan Thapar: But you're not answering my question.
Salman Khurshid: Let us be scientific, if there was micromanagement, I would imagine that our colleagues if at all they were involved, would have made alternate arrangements. If you're asking me, at the end of the day, did it look good cosmetically? My answer is no, it didn't.
Karan Thapar: So are you accepting in that euphemistic language that it was a mistake?
Salman Khurshid: I have said to you that he was sent by the order of the Magistrate.
Karan Thapar: Whoever's order it was, you could have told him to …
Salman Khurshid: I can't question a judge in this country, I'm not going to be on your provocation questioning a judge of the country. But I have said to you, whatever may have happened, whatever we may have done, the consequences of that may not have been what we would have desired. I'm prepared to accept that, and if I don't accept that.
Karan Thapar: That is euphemism.
Salman Khurshid: I don't know how many of your viewers are going to understand what euphemism means.
Karan Thapar: Well lets assume the viewers do and let's not question their intelligence.
Salman Khurshid: I'm not questioning their intelligence, I'm questioning your vocabulary not their intelligence.
Karan Thapar: I think they can follow the vocabulary of words. What I'm saying to you is this, a progression of mistakes by your government from April to…
Salman Khurshid: You can't.
Karan Thapar: Don't you want to answer questions that are difficult?
Salman Khurshid: If I wanted to stay away from difficult questions, I wouldn't have come to your programme. But please don't try to slip in the word mistake repeatedly by left to the right. I'm not going to accept that.
Karan Thapar: A series of decisions that many consider questionable ensured that hundreds and thousands came out, you converted through your decisions a protest into a mass movement, you created the problem that lasted for 13 days and traumatised India. Today with hindsight I'm asking you with good grace, can you not accept that your decisions were wrong?
Salman Khurshid: I said the consequences may not have been what we wanted them to be. If you want to use the word wrong, please go ahead, but certainly, I don't believe that everything that has happened in these days has been negative, I think some positive things have happened, we have gained something out of those positive things. I think for the future we can say that this will add to our understanding and knowledge of mass movements of the kind that we get in the 21st century.
Karan Thapar: And god what a lesson it's been. But let me put this to you, the country has been traumatised for 13 days, the country believes the government and senior ministers, will heads roll, will anyone in your government accept responsibility for the trauma India has been put through?
Salman Khurshid: I am prepared to accept if you think that something…
Karan Thapar: Are you offering your resignation on television?
Salman Khurshid: I'm not offering my resignation, I'm accepting responsibility. This is the problem. I don't accept, our government doesn't accept and Parliament doesn't accept that you should be sitting on channels deciding how government should function. You can advice, you can comment, but please don't tell us how government is to function.
Karan Thapar: I am not telling you how the government should function. I am pointing out mistakes that people believe you made which you deny. I am pointing out errors that lead to a nation wide movement that could have been restrained as a protest. Again you will deny
Salman Khurshid: Please understand. Let me give you words
Karan Thapar: Will anyone take responsibility and resign?
Salman Khurshid: Please ask the Prime Minister. You're not going to ask me - 'is the Prime Minister happy with my work?', 'Is the Prime Minister happy with someone else's work?', 'Is the Prime Minister happy with our collective contribution?' The Prime Minister will be able to tell you.
Karan Thapar: You know what that sounds like - if the Prime Minister wants to sack someone so be it but no minister will accept that he or she was responsible and honourably offer to resign.
Salman Khurshid: I don't know. I cannot speak for anybody. I can only speak for myself. You are not interviewing the Cabinet, you are interviewing one minister. And I can only speak for myself. If errors of judgement have been made, errors of judgement are made whenever you are involved in a difficult situation. Error of judgements are not mistakes, please understand. I have a very clear understanding of this.
Karan Thapar: Error of judgements are mistakes that's only a equable to say they are not.
Salman Khurshid: They are not equable. Why would they have different words and different phrases if everything meant the same thing?
Karan Thapar: You know Churchill said a lie could be called a terminologically inexactitude. It is actually the same thing. Whether you call it an error of judgement or a mistake, it's the same thing.
Salman Khurshid: I am sorry.
Karan Thapar: Why the euphemism for the other?
Salman Khurshid: I am sorry, I am not prepared to accept that.
Karan Thapar: Okay my last question. The country has been through trauma, I've heard you defiantly refusing to accept you've made mistakes, no doubt you put up an extremely valiant defence for the government, your colleagues and cabinet would be extremely pleased and happy. But, for a moment, the people of India wanting a democratic accountability might be deeply dismayed. They might say 'he's a brave minister, he faced up to tough questioning which perhaps his other colleagues aren't prepared to do but at the end of the day when he was asked a simple question - can you accept you made a mistake - pride and arrogance came before speaking the truth'.
Salman Khurshid: You use the word arrogance too often, I don't like it. I told you courage of conviction it is, faith in yourself. We are not pushovers. We might have made errors of judgement, and as I said we may have lost ground somewhere, but we are determined to get that ground back. We have, I believe, we have reached out to a remarkable man in a remarkable movement and we do want that movement to go forward and give India a much better scheme of things. We are determined it will happen.
Karan Thapar: Salman Khurshid, thank you very much for facing a hostile interview.
Salman Khurshid: Thank you.
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http://ibnlive.in.com/news/government-hasnt-made-any-mistakes-khurshid/179300-37-64.html
Anna Hazare's next mission: India tour for clean leaders
Dwaipayan Ghosh & Prerna Sodhi, TNN | Aug 28, 2011, 03.30AM IST
NEW DELHI: Even before his ongoing fast could come to an end, Anna Hazare on Saturday announced he would soon launch another campaign to ensure that no tainted leader gets elected to the next Lok Sabha. Speaking after more than 38 hours, Anna declared he would tour the country and appeal to citizens to be wary of such leaders in the 2014 general elections.
In his second address of the day within two hours, Anna said people's high expectations from MPs were routinely belied.
Taking the dais around 9 am - a good two hours before his usual time of appearance over the last three days - a resolute and confident Anna declared he will continue his campaign for a strong anti-corruption law till his last breath. Asking people to remain vigilant after the ongoing campaign winds up, the 74-year-old said blind trust on MPs had brought the country to the current pass. "We trusted these people to abide by the Constitution. Now that we have woken up, let us not fall asleep again or let complacency seep in."
With fears about his health taking centrestage, Anna also tried to reassure his supporters, saying he could fast for another "three-four days" and "nothing will happen to me". He also said, "I am drawing energy from my supporters. I will not break my fast till Jan Lokpal Bill is brought before the House." However, he had relented by the end of the day and is all set to break his fast at 10 am on Sunday.
A little before noon, while leader of Opposition, Sushma Swaraj, was speaking during the Lokpal Bill debate in Lok Sabha, Anna again took the microphone and launched another attack on MPs. This time, his body language, too, was confident, as parliamentary approval for his demands increasingly seemed a certainty. He even got up to greet actor Aamir Khan and director Raju Hirani, something he had never done in the past. He looked fresher, and with his trademark cap making a comeback, seemed dressed for the occasion.
"We had some expectations from our MPs. They did not live up to them. In the coming elections, we are not going to elect them. Next time, do not elect them as they are not performing according to the rules laid out in the Constitution," he said.
"I will tour the country and appeal to people to not elect the people who opposed the Jan Lokpal Bill," Anna said.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Anna-Hazares-next-mission-India-tour-for-clean-leaders/articleshow/9763716.cms
22 AUG, 2011, 02.12AM IST, AMEYA CHUMBHALE,ET BUREAU
Jan Lokpal Bill: Anna Hazare hooks millions into the cyber space, tops film superstar Shahrukh Khan in Google search results
NEW DELHI: Anna Hazare, the diminutive ex-soldier who has rallied people from all walks of life in his fight against corruption, has now stormed the virtual world too, where his fan following on social networking sites is growing by the minute.
Hazare, who began his hunger strike on Friday to demand inclusion of the Prime Minister, judges and top bureaucrats in the planned Lokpal's ambit, is also among the top 10 names searched on Google; and was watched by 40,000 people on YouTube on Friday.
On Independence Day, Anna had over five lakh mentions through status updates and comments across top social networking sites, including Facebook and Twitter in the country. Two days later, the number had shot up to 9 million, according to Vangal Software and Services, a company that analyses trends on social networking sites. On Thursday, while he was still in Delhi's Tihar Jail, the number of posts and updates mentioning him rose to over 12 million.
The Capital and India's Silicon Valley, Bangalore, topped the list of Anna posts on Facebook, Twitter and other similar sites. Delhiites mentioned the 74-year-old in over nine lakh posts, Bangloreans in nearly eight lakh, Mumbaikars in over seven lakh, Gurgaon 4 lakh, and Pune with 2.3 lakh mentions.
Vinita Ananth, CEO of Vangal, said, "In April, Anna was mainly mentioned across social sites in metro cities. But this month we are seeing posts, tweets and status updates supporting Anna's movement from other smaller cities and towns such as Mangalore, Vizag, Warangal and Pune."
Anna was among the top 10 most-searched terms on Google from August 15-18. As per Google Insight, Jan Lokpal Bill, Kiran Bedi and Arvind Kejriwal were also among the top searches. On Friday, Anna logged 1.64 crore Google results while Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan trailed at 1.38 crore.
On YouTube, over 40,000 people watched the video shot by Kiran Bedi inside Tihar Jail in which Anna has addressed his supporters. Facebook has 542 fan pages by Anna's name.
Jessi Paul, CEO of a marketing advisory firm, Paul Writer Strategic Services, said: "Social media allows like-minded people to congregate easily and declare a campaign. It's easy and convenient to recruit people for a cause. The traffic also goes up when existing users initiate a discussion or a fan page to promote the cause, something we have seen with the Anna Hazare campaign."
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/Jan-Lokpal-Bill-Anna-Hazare-hooks-millions-into-the-cyber-space-tops-film-superstar-Shahrukh-Khan-in-Google-search-results/articleshow/9688979.cms
17 AUG, 2011, 06.45AM IST, ET BUREAU
Anna's campaign big hit on YouTube, Facebook & Twitter; unites Netizens
NEW DELHI: "My Dear Countrymen, the second freedom struggle has begun. I have been arrested as well. Will this struggle stop with my arrest? Absolutely not. You should not let that happen," Anna Hazare said in a video message posted on YouTube within minutes of his arrest on Tuesday morning. The video was prepared before the arrest and was posted immediately afterwards, and dealt with the way forward for the movement. Hazare spoke about the 'second line of leadership' , naming Arvind Kejriwal, Kiran Bedi, Manish Sisodia and Shanti Bhushan, among others. There was no way of telling, at the time the video was shot, that the second rung leadership would also be arrested with Hazare.
Hazare appealed for calm among agitators. The protests must be nonviolent and care must be taken to not cause any damage to public or private property, he said in the video. He called for jails to be filled, a common refrain during his previous addresses as well. The pre-recorded video message was testimony to the India Against Corruption campaign's media savvy. The movement uses social media platforms Facebook and Twitter very effectively, apart from its own regularly updated website Indiaagainstcorruption .org. The website has dedicated microsites for eight Indian cities and one for non-resident Indians.
The campaign's Facebook page was frequently updated through the day and each update received hundreds of comments and these comment threads also acted as clearing houses of information. Information about the timing and venue of protests and contact numbers of coordinators were passed around through Facebook. The campaign also launched an appeal for supporters to SMS details to at least ten of their friends, creating an effective SMS campaign with details. The campaign's Twitter account Twitter.com/Janlokpal also posted frequent updates and practical information .
Within hours of Hazare's arrest, the hash tag #isupportannahazare became the top trending topic in India. Hash tags are tag lines used by Twitter users to indicate a common theme and trending topics are the most popular topics of discussion. Six of the top ten trending topics were related to the Hazare campaign.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/Annas-campaign-big-hit-on-YouTube-Facebook-Twitter-unites-Netizens/articleshow/9630625.cms
Obama and Manmohan procrastinate, Sarkozy is on a permanent honeymoon and Berlusconi is busy planning the next bunga-bunga party. Call them leaders?
Anna ends his fast, a nation erupts in joy: Pics
Finally, it's done: After an epic 12 days, Anna Hazare called off his fast at the Ramlila Maidan on Saturday night after a historic session in Parliament — replete with tremendous oratory from ministers cutting across party boards — ended with broad acceptance of key demands of the social reformer.
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Anna Hazare's supporters celebrate at the India Gate in New Delhi on Sunday after the veteran social activist ended his epic fast
- Anna Hazare: A fasting activist turns a national icon
- At Ramlila, a mini India watched Anna break fast
- How they kept Ramlila Maidan clean - only for Anna
- BJP says it's with Anna in anti-graft fight
- Hindu-Muslim unity in Anna's support
- 28/08/2011
Lokpal bill may come up in Parliament in November
New Delhi: A redrafted Lokpal bill may be brought in Parliament during its winter session, that usually starts mid-November, after the parliamentary standing committee on law and justice deliberates over various drafts of the proposed anti-graft law, government sources said Sunday.
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The sources said that, at that stage, amendments or changes in the legislation would be possible with the approval of both houses of parliament. After being passed by both the houses, it would go to President Pratibha Patil for approval before becoming a law.
On a day when activist Anna Hazare ended his 12-day fast here over a strong Lokpal bill, the sources said the proceedings of the Saturday's special debate on the bill in parliament would be sent to the standing committee so that it could take a look at the MPs' unanimous decision of accepting three key demands made by Hazare.
Hazare's demands are a citizens' charter, creation of Lokayuktas in the states and inclusion of lower bureaucracy in Lokpal's ambit. The parliamentary committee, currently examining the Lokpal bill, would deliberate on various suggestions and drafts related to it and submit recommendations to parliament.
Committee Chairperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said the panel would try to complete its work before the winter session of parliament.
Source: IANS
28/08/2011Rs 70 lakh and counting, donations still pour in for Anna
New Delhi: Donations have been pouring in from across the country to support social activist Anna Hazare's anti-graft movement. India Against Corruption (IAC), the NGO spearheading it, has so far received more than Rs 70 lakh in cash donations and more is still coming in an activist said.
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The donation collection desk at Ramlila ground since Aug 19 - the day Hazare moved there from Tihar Jail - has received cash donations of more than Rs. 70 lakh, Vikas Tyagi, a coordinator at the donation department, told IANS. "Many people are coming in and giving us donations. Till date we have received more than Rs 70 lakh and the counting is still on as people continue to donate today (Sunday)," he added.
The donation department maintains an account of money received and spent on daily basis. "We use that amount in different areas such as purchasing food items, maintaining loudspeakers and other electric systems. We keep a record of all the money," he said. IAC, headed by Arvind Kejriwal, receives cash donations from only Indian citizens or those who have an Indian passport.
According to the IAC website, those with Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI), or People of India Origin (PIO) or people with dual citizenship cannot make donations due to regulatory restrictions. People can also send demand drafts and cheques payable at Delhi and a copy of the PAN card/valid government photo identity proof with the cheque or draft.
Donors can also make online payments. "For online bank transfers, please send us an email with your postal address and a scanned copy of your PAN card (for Indian citizens)/Passport (for those residing abroad) on IAC email and we will dispatch you a receipt within a day or two of receiving the cheque," the website said.
Source: IANS
Also read:
NEW DELHI: Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L K Advani on Friday said the Jan Lokpal Bill has several inherent flaws due to which parliament may find it difficult to pass it in the present format.
"I know what are the flaws in the provisions of the Jan Lokpal Bill due to which it will not get passed. And this, I tried to explain to them (Team Anna) yesterday," Advani told a group of students from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) who called on him.
"I also told (Finance Minister) Pranab (Mukherjee) and the government that look, these people are emotionally attached to the title 'Jan Lokpal Bill' so assure them whatever be the final shape of the Lokpal Bill after amendments, do continue to call it the Jan Lokpal Bill," he said at his residence.
"They (Mukherjee) said we will think about it," said the top BJP leader, adding that his party would support any legislation that was aimed at ending corruption.
"I am 100 percent in support of any law or legislation that aims at ending corruption," he said.
Taking the example of Gujarat, Advani also said that there would be no corruption if the senior leadership was clean and effective.
"Practically speaking, Gujarat does not have any Lokpal bill. But there is no corruption there. Because if the senior leadership is upright and clean, there will be no corruption," he said.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday night threw its weight behind Anna Hazare's anti-graft movement after its top leaders held talks with the social activist's associates to clear its doubts on the civil society's Jan Lokpal Bill that Hazare wants passed by parliament.
The party said though they support the movement, they will not try to gain political mileage from the protest.
Senior leader L.K. Advani, party president Nitin Gadkari, leader of the opposition in both houses of parliament Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley were present at the meeting with Arvind Kejriwal, Prashant Bhushan and Kiran Bedi.
Gadkari and Jaitley, after the talks at Advani's residence, told reporters that they supported the anti-corruption movement of Anna Hazare who has been fasting since Aug 16.
Gadkari, speaking to reporters after the meeting, said: "The BJP supports the movement. Our party stands for a corruption free India and we support the issues they have raised in parliament and outside."
The leaders said they had raised "certain issues" with Team Anna and were satisfied with the outcome of their talks. They also appealed to the government to find a "just solution" to the Lokpal logjam.
Arun Jaitley said after their talks with Team Anna they were satisfied that the anti-corruption legislation would be framed within the framework of the constitution. "We had very constructive and positive talks," Jaitley said, adding if the government puts its mind it can find a solution to the standoff.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/jan-lokpal-bill-flaws-in-anna-hazares-bill-cant-get-passed-says-bjp-leader-l-k-advani/articleshow/9742437.cms
25 AUG, 2011, 09.18AM IST, TNN
Jan Lokpal Bill: Parties oppose bending rules to suit Anna Hazare
NEW DELHI: The logjam between the government and Team Hazare seemed to have worsened with the all-party meeting convened by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh failing to endorse the civil society group's demand that its version of the Lokpal bill be passed by Parliament.
While all political parties appealed to Anna Hazare to call off his fast and agreed that the "Jan Lokpal bill"advocated by the Gandhian and his aides be given "due consideration,"the meeting saw strong opposition to parliamentary procedures being short circuited to pass the anti-corruption law.
The opposition of political parties to bending parliamentary procedures to quicken passage of the Hazare's group's version of Lokpal complicates the government's negotiation with the activists. The lack of a breakthrough makes its painfully evident that the standoff is lingering.
The government finds itself in a fix as despite offering major concessions to the Hazare group, the fasting leader has only raised the bar further, insisting that all his demands ranging from inclusion of the lower bureaucracy in the Lokpal's jurisdiction to written assurances be fulfilled.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's remarks at the iftar he hosted on Wednesday evening that Hazare should heed the appeal to break his fast has cut no ice and the deadlock raised the possibility of police action to hospitalize the 74-year-old Gandhian who's health indicators - despite his seeming spritely demeanour - are reason for concern.
The Hazare group's insistence that the official lokpal bill be withdrawn from the standing committee examining it and the "stronger"law it backs be legislated by Parliament in the current monsoon session itself did not generate much support. This was despite the overwhelming view that the government bill was inadequate and ineffective.
All major parties ranging from Left to BJP as well as regional outfits called for a recast of the government bill. The recently formed nine-party group that includes Left constituents, AGP, RLD, BJD and AIADMK was one in demanding that the government bill be withdrawn. RLD leader Ajit Singh said the government should not stand on false prestige.
The all-party resolution states that the final draft of the bill should enjoy broad national consensus, a suggestion that Jan Lokpal bill will be one, but not the sole contributor.
While a rewrite of the Lokpal bill now inevitable, there was support for a key element of the Hazare proposal for Lokayuktas at state level. But the government will find it difficult to meet the activists' demand for a written commitment with timelines for the passage of the anti-corruption law.
Parties like MIM and RJD argued that not all sections were enamoured by the Hazare campaign and that there should be no reason to rush with the Lokpal bill. Other parties who felt the current bill would need to be withdrawn and elements incorporated from Jan Lokpal and other proposals however did not want the standing committee to be sidelined.
Left leaders questioned the constitutional validity of the PM's offer to Hazare to refer the Jan Lokpal bill to the Lok Sabha Speaker for referral to the standing committee on law and personnel headed by Congress MP Abhishek Singhvi.
SP leader Mulayam Singh Yadav said the media and corporates should also be brought within the ambit of the proposed law.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/Jan-Lokpal-Bill-Parties-oppose-bending-rules-to-suit-Anna-Hazare/articleshow/9729675.cms
28 AUG, 2011, 07.20AM IST, ET BUREAU
Lok Sabha adopts a 'sense of the House resolution', accept three of Anna's key demands
28 AUG, 2011, 07.20AM IST, ET BUREAULok Sabha adopts a 'sense of the House resolution', accept three of Anna's key demands
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Read more on »Prime Minister|Janata Dal|Finance minister|Congress|Anna Hazare
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The government and the Opposition came together on Saturday as Parliament worked overtime to break the unprecedented political impasse stemming from Anna Hazare's indefinite hunger that entered the red zone - he was on the 12th day of his fast. After hectic negotiations in Parliamentary chambers of various leaders, Team Anna was offered a sense of the House resolution.
At the time of going to press, Team Anna said Anna Hazare will break his fast at 10 am on Sunday.
After day-long high drama, it was a meeting held in the prime minister's chamber late afternoon that finalised the contours of a resolution as demanded by the fasting septuagenarian . The meeting, which witnessed an rare bipartisan effort, was attended by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress leaders Pranab Mukherjee and Salman Khurshid and BJP leaders Arun Jaitley, LK Advani and Sushma Swaraj. The combine agreed on a draft resolution penned by Jaitley.
It read: "This House agrees in principle on the following issues for a strong and effective Lok Pal a) citizen's charter b) lower bureaucracy to be under Lok Pal under appropriate mechanisms c) establishment of a Lokayukta in states. And further resolves to transmit the proceedings in the house to the department-related standing committee for its perusal while formulating its recommendations on the Lok Pal."
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Earlier in the day, as anti-graft protests in Delhi's Ramlila Maidan swelled, both Houses of Parliament saw a day-long debate on corruption and the contours of the Lok Pal Bill, after finance minister Pranab Mukherjee made a statement in both Houses. While lawmakers finally gave the menace of corruption the attention it deserved, high drama unfolded in various chambers of Parliament as leaders of the government and the Opposition got into a huddle to negotiate a resolution as demanded by Team Anna.
In fact, as the government tried to take the Opposition into confidence in drafting the resolution, various pulls and pressures in the Congress party, accentuated by the absence of a purposeful leadership, came in the way of a smooth resolution. The process moved in fits and starts. A resolution drafted by Pranab Mukherjee along with Salman Khurshid was first floated by the government and was approved by the Opposition.
As an end to the deadlock seemed in sight, early evening, the government went back to consider a draft brought in by Kapil Sibal, creating a fresh stalemate. It was then that the leaders from both sides met in the prime minister's chamber.
Once the "sense of the House resolution" was finalised, the government breathed easy. An end to an unprecedented non-violent uprising against the government and the entire political class was now in sight. All day, the young ministers in the government, including Jyotiraditya Scindia, Milind Deora and others, camped in the corridors near the PM's office, impressing upon their senior colleagues about the urgency of resolving the matter by end of the day.
Science and technology minister and former Maharashtra chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, who came late and on his own initiative into government's Anna crisis management team, seemed to have achieved much in bridging the trust deficit between the two sides. But even on Saturday, the Congress party's lack of a coherent script and the government's inability to execute political solutions , allowed Team Anna to keep raising new demands and practice brinkmanship.
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http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/lok-sabha-adopts-a-sense-of-the-house-resolution-accept-three-of-annas-key-demands/articleshow/9764387.cms
28 AUG, 2011, 12.08AM IST, CL MANOJ,ET BUREAU
Lokpal Bill: How Anna Hazare, his Team & the political class won in the bargain
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In the end, after much wrangling and drama, Parliament House and Ramlila Grounds reached a consensus. Team Anna wrested the best possible deal, setting the stage for the septuagenarian activist to end his fast on a record 13th day on Sunday. The Congress-led government, guided by the skillful Pranab Mukherjee, too managed to rally the entire political class to ensure the supremacy of Parliament and Constitution. The rights of parliamentarians on the legislative high-table were not allowed to be undermined by the activists.
What happens now? India is now more hopeful than ever of getting a much stronger and credible anti-corruption law and mechanism. For, the Parliamentary Standing Committee, while processing the Lok Pal Bill in line with "the sense of the House" and as per the "Constitutional provisions", will have to be mindful of the high expectations even if no time limit is fixed for legislation.
What Team Anna Gained
Team Anna fought relentlessly some of the most crafty players one can be pitted against - politicians - and managed to get a presentable deal that the government (openly) and the Opposition (subtly) were reluctant to hand out till late in the evening on Saturday.
The unanimous expression of Parliament that it will recommend to the standing committee to incorporate the demands to bring the entire bureaucracy under the anti-graft watchdog, setting up parallel a Lokayukta in the state as well a citizens' charter for time-bound disposal of public grievances, was the best it could have hoped for after politicians came together.
Team Anna's determination and skills in sustaining the Ramlila Ground tempo for a very testing 12 days played a critical role in this. Expect Team Anna to go around the country showcasing their 'victory' while trying to build similar 'pressure movements' on other fronts too. They will also, in turn, embolden more big-ticket politician-activist clashes.
What the Politicians Gained
The government has succeeded, despite the pressures of a 24X7 television blitzkrieg, to rally the entire political class to ensure the activists could not undermine Parliament, Constitution and the politicians' hegemony in the arena of legislation. They also succeeded in keeping the judiciary out of Lok Pal.
The government played hardball, with the tactical backing of the entire opposition, and forced Team Hazare to roll back all the three original points on which they raised the war cry - that "Jan Lok Pal Bill should be introduced as it is in Parliament", it "should be passed within by the ongoing monsoon session itself, if not within four days" and "the Bill need to go to the Standing Committee at all". The government has also ensured its original Bill was not withdrawn, something the Opposition demanded, even while spiking Team Anna's list-ditch effort for a 'vote' in Parliament.
It is these give-and-take moves between the government, Opposition and Team Anna that finally paved way for Saturday's proceedings in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, facilitating the pact and celebrations. With this, the immediate legislative focus will shift to the standing committee which, incidentally, has already been formally handed over the Lok Jan Pal Bill, along with the versions of Aruna Roy and Jayaprkash Narayan as inputs for a final Lok Pal Bill, before Parliament showcased its confidence building measure for Team Anna.
Yet, it will to silly to think that 'party-politics and 'politicians' interests' will vanish into thin air when the committee meets to process the Bill.
Congress Blues
The ruling party managers might have managed to hold their ground on many tricky issues while dealing with Team Anna. Truth is the ruling party and its government have dropped many points. There is no denying that the Anna movement was fuelled by public anger over a series of scandals that came stumbling out of the closet during UPA-II.
The fact also remains that it was the Congress - rattled by the Jantar Mantar show - that put Team Anna on a pedestal after it declared the sham of jointly drafting the anti-corruption bill. The party again helped Team Anna when it came out with a 'lighter' Lok Pal Bill in Parliament.
The government again bungled with the arrest of Anna. Murmurs of protest within the Congress on the need for urgent damage control are getting louder. It will require the party and its government to try and implement in real terms what they made Rahul Gandhi to speak on Friday.
Team Anna Style
The last 12 days saw Anna's Army, with the 43-year-old Arvind Kejriwal playing general, playing out a very unconventional mind game, scripted in persistence, large doses of blackmail, constant shifting of goalposts and risks, to give politicians some lessons on the craft of bargaining.
The team used its best tool - the televised image of a 74-year old man starving for 12 days for a good cause - to the hilt to reinforce itself emotionally and strategically against the government side. In the process, Team Anna has invited charges of being 'rigid', 'crafty', 'over-ambitious' and even "encouraging lumpenisation of a non-violent movement".
Indeed, it risked a split within, with Kejriwal and Kiran Bedi being accused of "imprisoning and controlling Anna" and Swami Agnivesh and Justice Santosh Hegde themselves questioning the logic of prolonging Anna's fast despite appeals from the Prime Minister and Parliament to end it.
Credit is due to the core team - under Kejriwal's strategy and the Bhushans' legal brains - to have held on until the government and Parliament handed out a deal that was good enough to make a song and dance. Many members of the team Anna will be closely watched for a foray into electoral politics. Team Anna will also secretly celebrate its victory against the competing players among the 'activists community'.
Political Games
Despite the Congress-BJP bouts inside and outside Parliament after Team Anna raised the bugle, there was an unmistakable show of unity among politicians, cutting across political lines, behind the scenes to see that they do not concede their space to the determined assault by activists.
They did it in the name of protecting the supremacy of Parliament and Constitution even while handing out the advisory a presentable and unavoidable peace deal. The political fine-print of the all-party resolution to the relatively safe resolution in Parliament that denied Team Anna an outright victory was the result of that unofficial cooperation of politicians of the ruling side and Opposition.
Even while steering the "historic event", it is also a fact that politicians used the floor of Parliament to give back, live, to Team Anna and its supporters verbal missiles in equal terms. In the name of protecting Parliament/Constitution and "social justice' the politicians hit back at the activists who challenged, attacked and ridiculed them, as nobody has done in the recent past, on an area of their collective weakness: a lack of resolve to fight corruption.
Nobody missed the loaded message when the politicians talked loudly about NGOs' resistance to bring their funds under the Lok Pal scanner.
As the curtains came down on Ramlila Grounds show, one thing is clear. We haven't heard the last of the battle between Team Anna and politicians. Until then, Anna Hazare can bask in global fame.
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http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/lokpal-bill-how-anna-hazare-his-team-the-political-class-won-in-the-bargain/articleshow/9760835.cms
28 AUG, 2011, 12.14AM IST, ABHEEK BARMAN,ET BUREAU
Lokpal Bill & Anna's fast: Story of spectacular blunders by Manmohan Singh, Chidambaram, Sibal & Khurshid
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In a year of cruel months for the government, August has been the cruellest. This month has proved two things: one, left to Manmohan Singh and his small coterie of advisers, the UPA will merrily dig its own grave, lie down in it and help cover it with earth. Two, without the Gandhi family at the rudder, the Congress is lost.
Since August 4, when Congress spokesman Janardhan Dwivedi announced that party president Sonia Gandhi would be away from India to treat an illness, the Singh-led government has been knocked around by crises. For more than three months Singh's administration knew that activist Anna Hazare would resume his fast to press for a strong anti-graft ombudsman.
Despite that, it ignored Internet and social media chatter that was drumming up support for the anti-corruption movement. It had no idea about the resentment of people about corruption, experienced daily by street vendors, daily wage workers, rickshaw drivers or families of patients in state-run hospitals.
This lack of touch with ground reality became apparent when, on Independence Day, Singh delivered his speech from Delhi's Red Fort. It was tepid stuff, garnished with staples like growth, inflation, the prospects for industry and farming. In the course of that speech, Singh mentioned the word 'corruption' 16 times.
He then went on to suggest that Ind-ians who questioned the government's efforts to tackle graft were somehow complicit in slowing down our great growth story. Really?
The next day, Singh's government committed its biggest political blunder by arresting Anna Hazare in the early hours of the morning and dumping him in Delhi's Tihar jail where many of the people accused of graft charges are also housed.
By evening, with public outrage mounting, the government hastily decided to release Hazare, an offer that the jailed activist declined to accept, following the civil disobedience playbook with ruthless efficiency.
Lame-duck Government
"It is my painful duty to report to this House certain events that took place yesterday in New Delhi," intoned Manmohan Singh the next day in Parliament.
He related in unnecessary detail events leading up to Hazare's arrest and incarceration. And then laid the entire responsibility for the arrest at the door of the Delhi Police.
This was stupendously disingenuous. Nobody listening to that speech believed for a moment that the cops in India's capital would take such a politically combustible decision on their own initiative. Unlike other states, the police in Delhi report to the Central government, which Singh heads.
Singh told Parliament that lawmaking was its sole preserve and agitators like Hazare were usurping its privileges. To this, CPI MP Gurudas Dasgupta tartly responded that Singh had no business talking about Parliamentary privilege and the Hazare agitation, because the government hadn't bothered to keep the House in the loop, anyway. This insistence on 'we know best what's good for you' cost the government dear. All earlier negotiations with agitators like Ramdev and the Hazare team were conducted by a handful of Congress ministers, without the participation of anyone else from allied or opposition parties. This naturally led to a lot of resentment in Parliament, and delayed any solution to the crisis.
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- Six big successes of Steve Jobs that impacted our lives most
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http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/lokpal-bill-annas-fast-story-of-spectacular-blunders-by-manmohan-singh-chidambaram-sibal-khurshid/articleshow/9760884.cms
25 AUG, 2011, 08.30AM IST, DURGESH NANDAN JHA,ET BUREAU
Jan Lokpal Bill: Braveheart Anna Hazare baffles doctors
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NEW DELHI: Doctors have been left wondering at the tenacity of Anna Hazare to endure long periods of fast despite failing health. Although his vital parameters continue to be a cause for concern, the 74-year-old Gandhian's condition actually improved slightly over the previous day, doctors said.
According to the latest medical reports, his blood pressure was 160/90 and heart rate 82, nearly 10 beats above normal. The ketone levels continued to be high, as was the toxicity in his blood. Dr Naresh Trehan, who is heading the team monitoring Anna's condition, said, "He is holding on".
"Anna's internal adaptation to fasting and stress is high, which is why he is still able to sustain this. That's a miracle in itself because other patients with similar condition are normally brought on a stretcher and are not in control of their senses," said a doctor from G B Pant hospital, who did not want to be quoted.
However, the doctor said Anna's blood pressure level was fluctuating and he could collapse any moment. "He may gradually lose consciousness due to high blood toxicity and lack of sugar in the body and even go into coma if he is not put on a drip soon," he said.
At the time of printing, doctors in the team were discussing whether Anna should be force-fed and shifted to the hospital - which could be either Medanta Medicity in Gurgaon or the GB Pant hospital, across the road from Ramlila Ground. Police presence had also increased at the protest venue in view of the continued stalemate.
The doctors tried to put the septuagenarian on a drip on Tuesday night but sources said that he threw them away. Anna even addressed the gathering thrice on Wednesday, saying, "Nothing will happen to me. I am fine, doctors have said."
Due to dehydration, Anna's eyes have also dried up and doctors said they are putting eye drops continuously. "He is taking 3.4 to 4 litres of water in a day but due to the continued fast, there's less water in his body."
Anna aide Arvind Kejriwal said if anything happens to Anna, the Prime Minister will be held responsible. "We have asked the government if there is going to be any police action tonight but they didn't say anything. We will not allow them to take Anna forcefully to any hospital. The doctors should decide on this, not the police or the government," said Kejriwal.
In Gurgaon, where Medanta Medicity is situated, cops said they had rehearsed how Anna would be taken to hospital in the event he is shifted there. At G B Pant too ICU facilities had been readied.
More stories from this edition of Lokpal Bill
- Rs.70 lakh and counting, donations still pour in for Anna Hazare
- We made no mistakes: Salman Khurshid
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/Jan-Lokpal-Bill-Braveheart-Anna-Hazare-baffles-doctors/articleshow/9729312.cms
Anna Hazare rules Indian cyberspace
PTISHARE · PRINT · T+
A screenshot shows the Facebook page of the India Against Corruption movement.
Anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare ruled Indian cyberspace during his fast demanding introduction of Jan Lokpal Bill in Parliament.
Search engine Google produces 29 million results when a query is made by entering Anna Hazare's name, while Sonia Gandhi's name yields a little below 9 million results.
A page created in the Facebook on Anna Hazare has been liked by 3.64 lakh users against UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi's page which has 57, 291 likes.
An account created in the name of 'Support Anna Hazare fast against Corruption' attracted 1.45 lakh likes. There is also a Facebook page 'I hate Anna Hazare' and it has been liked by 4,137 users.
Mr. Hazare video from Tihar jail compound, recorded by Kiran Bedi, has nearly 1.6 lakh views in YouTube so far and was rated as the second most viewed video of this month in Indian news and politics category.
Number one slot was occupied by a video uploaded by an Indian on US debt crisis.
Similarly, another video on Anna Hazare's indefinite fast against corruption was rated at Number 4 with nearly 1.65 lakh views.
Currently, SMSes containing words Anna Hazare or Corruption are the most circulated in the messages, according to web to mobile Free SMS service providers.
Nisha Parekh, vice president (international operations), SMS Country which runs 160by2.com, said out of 5 to 5.5 million SMS they handle everyday, nearly 1.5 million are messages related to Anna Hazare or corruption.
"We expect it to be around 3.5 million SMSes (Sunday) with regard to Anna Hazare ending his fast," Parekh told PTI.
The social activist, finally, broke his fast on Sunday after Parliament's decision to refer three of his demands -- citizen's charter, inclusion of lower bureaucracy and creation of Lokayuktas through Lokpal bill -- for Standing Committee's consideration.
Ten days ago, the 16by2 handled 1.34 lakh SMSes on Anna Hazare and the figure reached 2.6 lakh on Saturday.
160by2 has 13.3 million registered users, who use the site for sending bulk SMSes.
Currently, Anna Hazare and Corruption are the two most used words in messages sent via Way2Sms, another SMS service provider.
"Messages containing the words 'Anna Hazare' and 'Corruption' have been delivered close to 13.5 million unique mobile subscribers in last 5 days via our way2sms," V V Raju, CEO of Way2SMSsaid.
He said along with social networking portals, users are largely using way2sms to express their support to Anna Hazare's campaign against corruption and in the last 5 days, they observed close to 3 million people using the word 'Anna Hazare' in their messages.
Keywords: Anna Hazare fast, Google search engine, Indian cyberspace, Ramlila Maidan, Anti-corruption campaign
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Ramlila Maidan turns into garbage ground
PTISHARE · PRINT · T+
The HinduSupporters of social activist Anna Hazare at Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi on Sunday. Photo: Ramesh Sharma
While Anna Hazare supporters went euphoric after the social activist broke his 13-day-old fast, the Ramlila ground silently bore the brunt of the agitation as garbage and filth was left strewn around the venue.
Empty and partially-filled water bottles, biscuit packets, food packets, cartons, rice, curry, banana peel, dirty carpets, among others, were lying scattered all over the ground.
During the fasting period of Mr. Hazare, the ground was cleaned by volunteers and MCD employees at regular intervals but on Sunday, after he broke his fast and left for Medanta hospital for check up, no such action followed.
Big size dustbins were placed at different corners of the ground so that all garbage could be gathered and thrown at public dustbins outside.
"We have other important works... Preparations for celebrations at India Gate are to be undertaken, and I am engaged in that. This is not my work," a volunteer from team Anna said who was part of the team allocated to take care of keeping the maidan clean.
The kitchen – 'Anna ki Rasoi' -- set up at one corner of the ground which was delivering free lunches to people, who assembled to support Mr. Hazare, too added to the littering.
Cooked rice, curry, chopped vegetables, spices were strewn near the kitchen.
Keywords: Anna Hazare fast, Ramlila Maidan, garbage ground, Jan Lokpal Bill, anti-corruption campaign
Foundation laid but don't expect a miracle: Hegde
PTISHARE · PRINT · T+
The HinduFormer Karnataka Lokayukta Santosh Hegde. File photo
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Anna Hazare rules Indian cyberspacePeople celebrate Anna's 'miracle'Anna breaks fast, says poll reforms next on agendaCongress welcomes end of Anna's fastTOPICS
Lokpalpolitics
social issue
Team Anna member N. Santosh Hegde on Sunday saluted the Parliament for rising to the occasion and giving its nod to key elements of Jan Lokpal bill, but cautioned the people not to expect a miracle as enacting the legislation will "take its own time".
He was also against exerting "more pressure" on Parliament on the issue now.
"I am sure they (Parliament) will understand the necessity for quick enactment because that will bring glory for them (Parliamentarians) also," the former Supreme Court Judge, who was part of the joint Lokpal bill drafting panel, said.
"We have achieved the first milestone in having a strong Lokpal Act and it may take its own time — it's not something you can expect today, tomorrow or next month," he said, adding, "Let not the people of India expect a miracle. But we have just put the foundation for a strong Lokpal bill."
He said what Parliament has done for the people of India "at least in this regard...may be because of Anna's efforts..is something great.
"I thank each one of them. Parliament has risen to the occasion. We do share a part of the victory with Parliament", Mr. Hegde, who till recently served as Karnataka Lokayukta, said.
He said the agitation for a strong and effective Lokpal, spearheaded by Mr. Hazare has achieved a lot. "It's a victory for the people of India. Anna has achieved for the people of India." He said the government should continue to respect the feelings of the people.
Keywords: Anna Hazare fast, anti-corruption movement, Jan Lokpal Bill, Ramlila Maidan, Lokayukta
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