The substitution of one man for the people, and the reduction of the people's role merely to being supporters and cheerleaders for one man's actions, is antithetical to democracy. The Central government's flip-flops on Anna Hazare are obvious: it went from abusing him (through the Congress spokesperson) for sheltering corruption, to extolling him for his idealism; from arresting him, without any justification, and getting him remanded to judicial custody for a...

-The Telegraph   Anna Hazare’s dipping health indicators pushed the government and his team into formal talks on the Lokpal impasse tonight. There was no breakthrough at the end of the two-and-a-half-hour dialogue but neither side suggested a breakdown either. Senior ministers and Congress leaders gathered at the Prime Minister’s house late tonight and the meeting stretched till 2am in two phases. Sources said several issues had been more or less sorted out and...

-The Telegraph   Mamata Banerjee today questioned the “hue and cry outside Parliament” over Anna Hazare’s demand for a strong Lokpal bill and warned against making it a “one-point” issue, breaking her silence on the countrywide anti-corruption protests. “Many persons have been giving their views and they have the right to do so. But I must also ask that when the issue is yet to be discussed in Parliament, why should there be...

-The Hindu   Following is the text of letter written by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to social activist Anna Hazare over his indefinite fast against corruption at Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi. "Over the last few days, I have watched with increasing concern the state of your health. Despite the differences between the Government and your team, I do not think that anybody is or should be in any doubt about the deep...

Some commentators have compared the struggle led by Anna Hazare with the movement against corruption led by Jayaprakash Narayan in the 1970s. A man of integrity and courage, a social worker who has eschewed the loaves and fishes of office, a septuagenarian who has emerged out of semi-retirement to take on an unfeeling government — thus JP then, and thus Anna now. Superficially, the comparison of Anna to JP is flattering...