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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | 'People should suggest the way ahead for Team Anna’ by Arvind Kejriwal

'People should suggest the way ahead for Team Anna’ by Arvind Kejriwal

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published Published on Jan 6, 2012   modified Modified on Jan 6, 2012

The anti-corruption movement is at the crossroads today. Where do we go from here? We are conscious that a wrong decision at this stage could prove disastrous for the movement. I met Anna in hospital two days back. Most of the time, I found him in deep thought. More than his physical ailment, he is suffering from a deep sense of being cheated. He is deeply hurt.

When he went to Ralegan Sidhi after his August fast, he was contacted by several senior Congress functionaries in the last four months, who kept assuring him that the government and their party were serious about the Lokpal Bill and they would bring a strong Bill. They assured that most of our suggestions would be incorporated. Especially after our Hisar campaign in the first week of October, the PM wrote to him. He was again assured by many that the seniormost leadership in the Congress was working on the Bill. We were to go for a yatra from October 15. Anna called it off. Anna was surprised when the standing committee submitted its report. Out of 34 amendments suggested, the committee had accepted just one. That was the first time when Anna blamed Rahul Gandhi. Again, we were privately assured that the committee was not the final word and our concerns would be addressed in the Bill.The Bill that was presented in Parliament is not only weak and ineffective, it is dangerous and would further weaken our already compromised anti-corruption systems. It renders CBI ineffective. It seeks to amend the investigative procedures provided in the Criminal Procedure Code so much to the advantage of the accused that it would be impossible to successfully convict anyone. Earlier, we were fighting for a strong Lokpal Bill. Today, we are fighting for stopping this one from being passed. This Bill should be withdrawn and replaced with a completely different one.

When I met Anna in the hospital , he kept on repeating - "If the PM and the seniormost leadership were to cheat the nation like this, where is the hope for our country? If parliamentarians were to behave like the way some of them did, what is the future for our country ?" He was feeling very sad.

We were in back-channel talks with the government in December. In our last meeting, they almost challenged - "You can't hurt us electorally. We will win. We will form the government and make laws. You carry on with your movement and fasts." This means if any people's movement can't hurt them electorally, they don't care. That's dangerous.

What should we do now? Should we campaign against Congress or UPA? Some people are objecting - why has this anti-corruption campaign turned anti-Congress ? My response is - haven't we been pushed to the corner? We are certainly not anti-Congress. Why should we be? All those who were looking for a hidden agenda have miserably failed.

There is none. There is just one agenda - we want a strong anti-corruption law. If we were anti-Congress , we would not be talking to them and engaging with them all this while. We are being accused of being pro-BJP . Some people have created an atmosphere in the country that if you are anti-Congress , you are pro-BJP . There is no middle space. If someone called us anti-Congress today , we could still accept that charge with some reservations as we have been pushed to the corner.

There is absolutely no evidence of our being pro-BJP . In fact, the evidence indicates to the contrary. Due to the report of Justice Santosh Hegde, who happens to be one of our key core committee members , the BJP CM of Karnataka had to resign. How could we support a party which admits the likes of Kushwaha in its folds? If we do not go for the tour of election-bound states, what should we do? Should Anna go for another fast? But the government has already indicated that if people participating in the movement don't translate into votes, they don't care. Some have suggested we should form our own party. But we neither have the will nor the capacity. This is a people's movement. The movement was successful because thousands participated. The people should now suggest the way ahead. Send your suggestions to iacsuggestions@gmail.com.

The Hindu, 6 January, 2012, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/People-should-suggest-the-way-ahead-for-Team-Anna/articleshow/11383019.cms


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