Both Anna Hazare and Kapil Sibal are members of the committee that will draft what the country hopes will be a historic and tough law to combat corruption. But in a case of public friction, Mr Hazare has said that Mr Sibal, who is the Telecom Minister, should not participate in the process of forming a new law if he doesn't expect it to be effective. Mr Hazare, who spent the...

The Supreme Court will hear tomorrow the bail plea of civil rights activist Binayak Sen, who has been sentenced to life imprisonment on charges of sedition and links with Naxalites. Sen, 61, has challenged the order of the Chhattisgarh High Court, which had rejected his bail plea on February 10. A professional doctor and a pass-out of the prestigious Christian Medical College (CMC), Vellore, Sen has sought bail contending that the trial...

The Jan Lokpal bill calls for no participation of government in the selection committees of Lokayuktas. Does this undermine the very essence of democracy and the role of our public representatives?While civil society and ordinary citizens are rallying behind Satyagrahi Anna Hazare by batting for the Jan Lok Pal bill, the protest at Jantar Mantar is raising a few worrying questionsDoes the Jan Lokpal bill as proposed by Anna Hazare bypass...

Show courage, fasting social activist tells Manmohan With more members of civil society and various political parties lending support for Anna Hazare's fast, which entered the second day on Wednesday, the Centre said it was ready for a dialogue with the anti-corruption crusader and was open to suggestions on the Lokpal Bill. Earlier in the day, Mr. Hazare wrote to the Prime Minister stating that he was pained that the government, rather...

For 55-year-old Mohimuddin of Goroimari, which falls in the Chaygaon Assembly constituency in lower Assam's Kamrup district, the protection of minorities from undue harassment in the name of identification of foreigners was the prime issue until a few years ago. This time round, he is more worried about the backwardness of his village coupled with price hike. A poor peasant with seven mouths to feed, Mohimuddin says the prime demand of...