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Time limit for deciding on new unions on the anvil

2011-10-03T22:33:00.000-07:00

New Delhi: The government plans to make it mandatory for states to recognize or reject new labour unions within 45 days, following a stand-off between workers and management at the Manesar plant of the country’s largest car maker, MarutiSuzuki India Ltd.
State governments, which are empowered to execute laws relating to trade unions and industrial disputes, currently face no time limits for acting on applications to form labour unions.
“We are aware of the problem, and the recent protests at Maruti Suzuki India Ltd’s Manesar plant have only highlighted the situation emphatically,” said an official in the Union labour ministry, asking not to be identified. “The draft for the changes required in relevant Acts will be in place within a couple of months.”
Asking states to approve or refuse applications for forming new labour unions within a month and a half without fail is crucial, the official said. “You have to work in a time-bound manner. There will be changes both in the Industrial Disputes Act and the Trade Unions Act to put this in place.”
At least 10% of a company’s workforce needs to join hands to form a union or break away from an existing union. A company, too, has to recognize the union after the state labour department does so.
Industry authorities often collude with states to hold up applications for months or have them rejected, said D.L. Sachdeva, secretary, All India Trade Union Congress (Aituc).
“In many companies, there are labour unions that are stage-managed by the management. Such pocket unions generally don’t take care of the interests of the large workforce, creating the need for a new union. The Maruti workers’ protest at Manesar is the best example of this. Unless you allow the formation of new unions, the exploitation by the management will continue,” Sachdeva said.
He said the Union government must step in or labour unrest will escalate. “You have to take decision in a time-bound manner to resolve industrial disputes and workers’ unrest.”
If the state labour commissioner rejects an application for forming a new union, applicants can go to an appellate body against it, said another labour ministry official, also on condition of anonymity. “We are exploring whether this body needs to be set up afresh as independent units, or the cases will go to the lower judiciary.”
Authorities understand that the lower judiciary is burdened with a huge backlog of cases, and going to it may not provide us with a solution in time, this official said.
In that case, the new appellate authority will examine whether the rejection by the state labour commission is correct or if it has taken a decision in collusion with the company’s management. “The appellate body will have full authority to overthrow the labour commission’s decision if it finds that the new application has merits.”
The process will be completed in two months, officials said.
The first official cited above said that following the recent anti-corruption protests led by social activist Anna Hazare, it is now imperative to bring transparency to industrial laws.
Two rounds of labour unrest at Maruti’s Manesar plant, first in June and the second in August and September, held up production and cost a revenue loss of Rs. 900 crore, according to the company’s estimate. Its September sales fell 17% compared with a year earlier, Mint reported on Monday, even as most other car makers registered a jump in sales.
The Haryana labour commission has rejected eight applications for the formation of labour unions from various industries in the recent past, said Anil Pawar, a trade union leader working with industrial labourers in the Gurgaon-Manesar industrial belt.
These include the application of Maruti workers and another from workers at Napino Auto and Electronics Ltd, an automobile ancillary manufacturing company.
He said workers can move the labour court, but going there is like “waiting forever”.
“I don’t think there is any problem from our side. Rejection of eight applications in the last couple of years is not a big issue,” said Satwanti Ahlawat, labour commissioner of Haryana.
She said the labour union Act does not specify a time frame for acting on applications for creating unions. “But we have told ourselves that we will complete the procedure in four months.”
Ahlawat also said the protest at Maruti had little to do with the rejection of workers’ application to form a new union. “There might be some undercurrent, but I don’t think this is the reason for the protest.”

Now, officials face penalty if work not done in time

2011-10-03T22:31:00.002-07:00

NOIDA: The impact of Anna Hazare's crusade against corruption is finally being felt at the Noida Authority. The Authority has announced its decision to revive and implement its Citizen's Charter that was drawn in the year 2007.
Starting Monday, delay in completing an official work within a defined timeframe could mean punishment for Noida Authority officials. "Under the conditions of the Charter, officials are bound to give feedback to an applicant within the stipulated timeframe, failing which they would face serious consequences," said Noida Authority chairman and CEO Balwinder Kumar. "We are committed to provide efficient and prompt services to our allottees and citizens. We hope that, on their part, residents earnestly respond and reciprocate in a positive way to help us make Noida special," added Kumar.
In order to curb the rising menace of corruption and to bring transparency in the working pattern of the Authority, a former CEO of the Noida Authority had introduced the citizen charter in 2007. The aim was to ensure better standards of service and to respond and reciprocate in a positive way to the issues concerning the common man. "The objective is to make the administration simple, transparent, accountable and responsive," Kumar said.
Setting deadlines by revamping the earlier Charter, Kumar has set the maximum time for completion of a task in any department of the Authority at one week. Only permission for amalgamation of industrial plots would be allowed to be completed in 15 days, while the conversion of land and change in land use could take up to 30 days. The Charter makes it a right of every citizen to obtain time-bound delivery of services from the Authority.
"The idea is to make the lower bureaucracy accountable to the citizenry. Moreover, most works should not take more than 1-3 days to complete," said the CCEO. "If a civic official does not fulfill the stipulated timeframe, he will be held guilty and punished as per rules. The amendment was done to bring effectiveness and efficiency in the administration," he added.
The Citizens' Charter is now displayed outside every department of the Noida Authority. As per the charter, no important file will be kept pending with any officer or employee in any department of the Noida Authority for more than seven working days. The charter includes a list of services to be provided to the common man and the timeframe within which they need to be completed. All applications need to be addressed to the concerned heads of various departments who will comply by the Charter within the fixed number of working days. "People are requested to contact the concerned authorities in case of any non-compliance of the Charter," said Kumar.

Anna Hazare to bless Bundelkhand Congress

2011-10-03T22:31:00.000-07:00

LUCKNOW: The battle for Budelkhand is all set to hot up with anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare throwing his weight behind the Bundelkhand Congress, an outfit launched by actor-turned-political activist Raja Bundela. On Bundela's invitation, Anna is expected to address three public meetings in the region in December, apart from scanning and choosing suitable candidates for the two-month-old party.
With migration rate of 63% and 590 reported cases of suicides, Bundlekhand has witnessed a fierce turf war between the ruling Bahujan Samaj Party and the Congress over the past four years. Thing have peaked last month after Samajwadi Party also threw its hat in the ring with party's state chief Akhilesh Yadav touring the region extensively. Bundela's fledgling party hopes to highlight the graft, affecting various packages and projects including the MNREGS and make a dent in the divided and confused vote bank.
Three districts - Jhansi, Chitrakoot and Banda - have been shortlisted so far, Bundela told TOI. "However the final decision will be taken during the core team's visit next month," he said. Bundela had parted ways with the Congress party a year ago. Having spearheaded a campaign for separate Bundelkhand, he now adds separate Purvanchal, Vidarbha and Telengana to his wishlist.
The strategy would differ in each, he pointed out. Unlike the Budelkhand, where his outfit hopes to contest all 37 seats, in Purvanchal, it will confine itself to select constituencies to make a debut, he said. Though corruption would be the running theme in both the areas, in Purvanchal, health concern would top the agenda. "The focus would mainly be on Japanese encephalitis and the havoc it has caused over the past decades," he said. "JE menace affects at least 17 districts in the eastern belt and has claimed 10,000 lives over the past decade, but could never become a serious issue for any of the major political parties in UP .
Apart from paying lip sympathy to the cause and fooling the gullible masses by false promises during the poll time, none has bothered to demand or frame a blueprint to fight it off, he said.
"We have decided to go region-specific and to micro levels," he said. "We don't have muscle or money power but we do have sincerity of purpose which counts after Anna's advent on the scene," he added.

Bribe For Pension

2011-08-28T02:32:00.001-07:00

This 86 yr old Freedom Fighter is not getting his pension because of some people who wants bribe to do their duty.
And Why Is Govt Sitting On LokPal Bill?

Support Anna Hazare
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Cycling To Support Anna Hazare

2011-08-28T02:31:00.003-07:00

Inspired by Anna's agitation, few college students from Pink City are cycling to Delhi to 'enlighten' the people about the 'Jan Lokpal Bill'.

Chinmay Sharma (20), Mohit Singh (19) and John Dessa (21) are on way on their bicycle to join Anna Hazare's anti-corruption stir at Ramleela Maidan when TOI spoke to them at Statue circle on Thursday evening. On way they were to be joined by Tusshar at Transport Nagar.

To a query if it is too difficult to cover a distance of nearly 265 km on a bicycle, is it not too harsh, Chinmay, smiled and said, "An old man on fast for the past 10 days is facing more difficulties than that. I think every Indian youth should fight against corruption."

"Though I am not promising to change the system or society but through this bicycle ride I plan to make the people aware of the Anna Hazare's Jan Lokpal Bill," Chinmay said.

Mohit said, "It is the right time to tell the world that youth of this country are not ignorant of the crisis we are facing."

Asked when they planned the venture, Mohit, said, "We have been doing things like going to Puskhar on a bicycle and had participated in a few rallies here. But, we thought of making our hobby more meaningful."

"Raaste mein logon ko Jan Lokpal batayenge (We will make people aware of Jan Lokpal on the road)," Mohit asserted.

"We will be reaching Delhi on Saturday noon. It has been planned that on the way to Delhi, at the halt stations we will interact with people varying from villagers to schoolchildren," John Dessa another member of the group said.

The four had never cycled such a long distance but were confident. "There are some people who have organised our accommodation, food and other necessities. Hopefully we will reach Delhi and meet Anna," John said.

Chain Reaction For Anna Hazare

2011-08-28T02:31:00.001-07:00

Bangalore Techies Make The Longest Human Chain From Sarjapur-Bellandur,Outer Ring Road to ITPL, Whitefield To Support Anna Hazare & Jan LokPal Bill

CHAKDE! Babudom Looks On Techies As The New-Age Milch Cows. On Wednesday, They Hit Back In Their Own Way

CHAIN REACTION

7,000 Techies. 17 Km. United Colours Of Bangalore.

On any other day, they would be developing software programs. On Wednesday, they decided to come on to the streets and support Anna Hazare’s anti-corruption movement.

Shouting slogans which reflected their anger against corruption, the 7,000-odd techies stood hand in hand on the stretch from Sarjapur junction to Information Technology Park Bangalore (ITPB), Whitefield, the software hub of the city. Their message to the Centre was loud and clear: Don’t drag your feet in introducing the Jan Lokpal bill. The human chain spanned several tech parks and prominent IT companies, residential apartments and a college. The companies included biggies located in IT parks, like Eco Space, Intel, Cisco, Salarpuria Tech Park, Global Tech Park, Nokia,Symphony, Oracle, JP Morgan, International Tech Park, Accenture and many smaller start-ups too. If you thought these were the young and fiery lot of employees, there was a small surprise in store as senior executives came out in equal numbers to raise this serious issue. The chain started from ITPB, crossing Vaidehi Hospital, Sap Labs, CMR, Kundanahalli, Innovative Multiplex, JP Morgan, Cisco, Eco Space, and ending at Sarjapur junction. Around 11.30am, the employees started walking out of their offices and lining up right beside Outer Ring Road. Most had pamphlets, placards and the tricolour in their hands. The activity gained momentum around 12.30pm, when many young ones started sloganeering and moving on bikes with huge flags. Many others were on open trucks, tractors, buses and cars. They waved at the people forming the chain and cheered them. By 1pm, the chain was fully formed but intersected due to various construction works along the route. The volunteers took ample care that the protest did not hamper traffic. However, traffic movement was slow. They began returning to their workstations post lunch.

ANGER FEEDS ANGER
Namita, a techie with Accenture, was reminded of the angst that freedom fighters had expressed. “After the freedom struggle, this is a huge movement. We want to show the nation that the youth of India will not tolerate corruption anymore.”
Her colleague Chhavi said: “We needed just one leader. The leadership was missing. Now that we have Anna, we don’t want to miss this opportunity to fight the government.”
    Rajpal Fogawat, a quality assurance engineer with Synergise, stood with a huge portrait of Anna Hazare. Fogawat, who had taken leave for a week to support the cause at Freedom Park, said the anger in the common man was obvious. “Even a layperson like me understands the difference between the Lokpal bill and the Jan Lokpal bill. The bill should be passed in the same format as given by us. Almost 100 employees from our small company have come out to express their anger,” he said.
    Raja Venugopal Rao, a software engineer with Honeywell, said corruption is a common problem. If politicians are really concerned about the problems of our country, why are they so hesitant in implementing the Jan Lokpal bill? “Politicians have thousands of crores and here we have people struggling to earn Rs 1,000. Hope they aren’t interested in creating a Libya-like situation here,” he said.
    The techies filled the air with slogans like ‘Vande Mataram, Sarkar Besharam’, ‘Bhrashtachar Bhagayenge, Garibi Hatayenge’.Chain mail, FB alert did the trick
    It didn’t take any effort to bring these 7,000-plus techies onto Outer Ring Road from their offices. All it took was a chain email in the IT fraternity and an alert on Facebook, and  techies poured out for the cause on Wednesday.
    Technical head of an IT company and a volunteer for India Against Corruption, Raghuvir Desai said it took hardly any effort by the organizers to get the techies to join the human chain. “On Saturday at Freedom Park we decided we would organize this human chain. It was followed by chain mails and updates on a social networking site. A profile was created called ‘Anti-Corruption Outer Ring Road Movement’. We didn’t follow up with any companies. Everyone just came,” he said.

Sujata, a technical writer and supporter of the movement, said: “I inspired all my young colleagues and also those of my age to come out and protest against corruption.” She also fasted on Wednesday to support Anna Hazare.

“If a 74-year-old man can take up the task of implementing this law, then why can’t we come out in support? I think our employees came in large numbers because of him,” said Aruna Kambatla, referring to Hazare. Pradeep Kaimal and Nishi P from Cadence got mails and alerted all their colleagues. Most techies enjoyed being together and said their companies don’t mind them taking a few hours’ break from work for this cause

Times Campaign - Act Against Corruption

2011-08-28T02:30:00.002-07:00

In last 3 days, Times Campaign 'Act against corruption', has witnessed
unprecedented support. Overall (since the campaign was started last month) more than 8.40 Lac people have already casted their vote, 30,000 plus readers have commented (highest ever on any article) and 21000 plus people have shared it on their respective FB pages from TOI.com. The statistics mentioned above do not include few more thousand comments & 'Likes' that we have received on TOI - FB page.

Join campaign for a strong Lokpal law to make India corruption-free

The people of India are sick of corruption. Anna Hazare's Jantar Mantar fast, which got overwhleming public support, has not gone in vain. The latest government version of the proposed Lokpal Bill is certainly an improvement over the anemic bill drafted by the law ministry in December 2010, but the governemt is still not ready to go the whole hog. It wants to retain certain controls. This, unfortunately, may provide escape routes to the corrupt.

It's not too late to tell the government that we, the people of India, do not want any compromises on the anti-corruption law. Join the campaign by clicking the "JOIN CAMPAIGN" button below. You can also join the campaign by giving a missed call to the toll-free number 08030050051 or by sending lok as anSMS to 58888.You can also verbally record your support for the campaign on Hibuddy by dialing 58888199.(Only on Airtel, Reliance, Tata)

Parliament Clears Anna Hazare's Demands

2011-08-28T02:30:00.000-07:00

Lok Sabha and Raja Sabhawere adjourned today after adopting a 'sense of house' on three key issues raised by Hazare by a thumping of desks.

The 'sense of the house' resolution moved by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee reads:
"This house agrees 'in principle' on following issues -

(i) citizen charter,
(ii) lower bureaucracy under Lokpal through an appropriate mechanism
(iii) establishment of Lok Ayukta in the states;
And further resolves to forward the proceedings of the house to the Standing Committee on Law and Justice while finalising its report."

The 'sense of the house' is to be conveyed to Hazare shortly through Lok Sabha speaker Meira Kumar, sources said.

Mukherjee said that for 40 years, the government could not pass a Lokpal Bill.

I accept it as a lapse of our governments, Mukherjee said.

One piece of legislation, however strong and empowered it may be, cannot completely eradicate corruption, Mukherjee said in Lok Sabha.

There is need for change in system and we are doing so, Mukherjee said.

Anna Hazare To End Fast On 28th Aug

2011-08-28T02:29:00.001-07:00

Anna Hazare will break his fast at 10am on Sunday, according to his close associate Kiran Bedi.

Bedi tweeted that the 74-year-old activist does not break his fast after sunset.

"Anna is known to have never broken his fast after sunset. Recall, he did so even in April fast. This is his decision again. He decides," she tweeted.

Later, Bedi said he will break the fast at 10am on Sunday.

If he breaks his fast on Sunday at 10am, he will complete 288 hours of his hunger strike which began on August 16.

Anna Hazare wins, Parliament passes resolution on Lokpal Bill

2011-08-27T08:55:00.000-07:00

NEW DELHI: Both Houses of Parliament on Saturday passed a resolution conveying the sense of the House on the Lokpal Bill, paving the way for Anna Hazare to break his fast.

On a motion moved by Pranab Mukherjee, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha passed a resolution conveying the sense of the House on the Lokpal Bill.

After the passage of the resolution, Speaker Meira Kumar adjourned the Lok Sabha till Monday.

There was some confusion over whether the resolution was passed by a voice vote or not. Apparently, no voice vote took place.

"Thumping of the desk is akin to passing a motion by voice vote," Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar told Times Now.

After the passage of the Lokpal resolution in Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha also passed the resolution.

Team Anna welcomes the passage of the Lokpal resolution, Kiran Bedi said.

Some of the important points of the Lokpal resolution passed by Parliament are:

*An effective Lokpal at the Centre and Lokayuktas in states be set up.

*Employees of centre and state governments to be brought under purview of Lokpal and Lokayuktas respectively.

*All government departments to have citizen's charter with timeline.

With a copy of Lokpal resolution and a letter from PM Manmohan Singh, Union minister Vilasrao Deshmukh would now go to Ramlila Maidan to meet Anna Hazare.

Earlier, the team Anna said they have received a communication from the government that a resolution carrying their demands on Lokpal Bill will be put to a voice vote, a move which they termed as a "very happy" development.

Fresh trouble emerged this afternoon after government decided only to convey sense of House to Team Anna and not put the resolution for voting, the activists hardened their position saying it was "betrayal" and only a resolution which will be put to vote will be acceptable.

This forced the government to change its stand. The activist's camp said they have received the communication from the government about its decision to put the resolution to voice vote.

The 74-year-old Gandhian has been on fast for the last 12 days, demanding the passage of the Jan Lokpal Bill by Parliament.

Appeal from Anna Hazare-Go to MPs homes for peace protest

2011-08-25T09:46:00.000-07:00

Dear Indians,

For the first time we are requesting you directly to take some immediate action in the fight against corruption in our country. As by now everyone of you know that the government has rejected "Jan Lokpal Bill". This is a 'U' turn after "All party Meet" at Prime Minister's residence. Why? What has been discussed in this meeting which led the government to boldly change its decision and concern about Shri Anna Hazare? Government says that "let him (Anna) do whatever he does. If Anna wants to continue with his fast, it is his wish".(source Hindustan Times, click here for details)The government which was saying that Anna's health is our first priority suddenly left Anna on his own?

This all happened after all party meet. This means NO PARTY OR POLITICIAN WANTS TO BRING STRICT LOKPAL BILL. Why will they bring this? If a strict Lokpal bill comes in action, "POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT JOBS WILL BE NO MORE LUCRATIVE PROFESSION". We always felt somewhere in our heart that atleast there are few politicians left who want to do good for our country, but we differ on this today.

These ministers and MPs are no special creature but a common person, whom we have elected to serve country. But, they are behaving like dictators. We sincerely request below things:

1st request : Take a leave from your offices, business or any work you are doing.

2nd request : Go to the homes or offices of the MPs of your areas.

3rd request : Do not leave the place untill and unless the JAN LOKPAL BILL is passed.

4th request : In any case do not allow violence to erupt in this movement and abide by law.

A SELFLESS OLD MAN OF 74 YEARS HAS NOT EATEN FOR PAST 10 DAYS FOR US. GIVE YOUR 10 DAY FOR YOUR COUNTRY, COMING 100 YEARS WILL BE BETTER FOR US.

Pray for Anna Hazare's health, tweets Kiran Bedi

2011-08-23T07:54:00.000-07:00

NEW DELHI: Anna Hazare's health was "reaching a difficult stage", his associate Kiran Bedi tweeted on Tuesday evening.

"Pray for Anna's health. He is reaching a difficult stage. Dr Trehan is on his way," Bedi tweeted.

Tuesday was day eight of nna Hazare's fast against the government's Lokpal Bill.

"While talks will be on we are very concerned of Anna's health. Pray pl(ease)," Bedi said.

The government on Tuesday invited the protesting activists for talks.

Hazare's health condition was said to be fine by doctors Tuesday morning. He has lost 5.5 kg. Ketone particles (created by the body during starvation) have been found in his blood but were said to be in the safe limit.

PM reaches out to Anna: End fast

2011-08-23T07:53:00.002-07:00

NEW DELHI: Directly reaching out to Anna Hazare on the eighth day of his fast, a concerned Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday appealed to the Gandhian to end his hunger strike with a promise that his version of Lokpal Bill could be referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee if rules permit.

Singh wrote to Hazare, saying that he was concerned about his health and that he should end his fast, PMO sources said.

The Prime Minister told Hazare that he shared his concern over corruption and that there was no difference between the government and the activist over the issue.

The government will ask Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar and if rules permit, the Jan Lokpal Bill would be referred to the Standing Committee, Singh told Hazare.

The Prime Minister's letter comes at a time when an informal channel of communication has been opened between the government and the Hazare team to end the impasse caused by the civil activist's hunger strike for a strong Lokpal Bill.

Jan Lokpal Bill: PM appeals to Anna Hazare to end fast, Pranab to talk with Team Anna

2011-08-23T07:53:00.000-07:00

NEW DELHI: In the first major breakthrough in the week-long standoff, the government on Tuesday appointed finance minister Pranab Mukherjee as its negotiator for talks with Team Anna Hazare over their demand for a strong Lokpal.

The Prime Minister, who held discussions with Mukherjee and senior ministers A K Antony and P Chidambaram, also wrote a letter to Hazare informing him of the initiative and appealed to him to end his fast, which entered the second week today.

He also told him that the government was concerned about his health.

The Prime Minister also wrote to Anna Hazare that the government will ask Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar if his version of the Lokpal Bill can be sent to the Standing Committee, which is already examining the government's bill.

Hazare's close aide Arvind Kejriwal announced the government's initiative. Kejriwal along with Prashant Bhushan will meet with Pranab Mukherjee.

The ice-breaking development came during the first direct contact between the two sides at the residence of Congress MP Sandeep Dikshit when law minister Salman Khurshid met Kejriwal and discussed how to go about the issue.

"Just now Salman Khurshid has invited us for discussions. He has said that Pranab Mukherjee has been appointed by the government to talk to us.

"Anna is sleeping now. Once he gets up, he will decide as to who all will represent our team," Kejriwal told Hazare's supporters at Ramlila Maidan, where Hazare is fasting.

He also asked the crowd whether "we should go ahead with talks" and it responded with cheers.

Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi had a meeting with Manmohan Singh at his residence and discussed the strategy.

Akhil Gogoi, rights activist who attended the meeting with Khurshid along with Kejriwal, said the minister told them that the Prime Minister wants to find a solution through talks and they talked about the process for the discussion with Mukherjee.

After their meeting, both Kejriwal and Khurshid declined to go into the specifics of the discussions they had. Both said just a beginning has been made.

The minister said that there was no discussion on issues, but only an attempt was made to understand what was happening and why they were so much agitated.

Khurshid said that all efforts and contacts should be made at every level as "time is running out."

Earlier, addressing his supporters after a gap of 40 hours, Hazare today stuck to his August 30 deadline for passage of Jan Lokpal Bill and asked his supporters to intensify the protest by gheraoing the houses of parliamentarians if government failed to do so.

Hazare accused government of betraying all along the civil society on the issue of a strong Lokpal Bill.

He said protesters in thousands should protest outside the residences of MPs if the government fails to get Jan Lokpal Bill passed by August 30.

"Now, 25-30 people are sitting on dharnas in front of MPs' residences. If the government does not pass the bill by August 30, we have to intensify the protest. Protesters in thousands should gherao the residences of MPs then," he said.

Alleging that a few people in the government were "betraying" them, he said, "They betrayed us during the meetings of Joint Committee (on Lokpal Bill).

"I feel there are only 5-6 people in the government who are running the country and if such people, who do not have a social or national perspective, run the nation, then what will happen to this country...This is something to worry about," Hazare said.

"Even if Lokpal comes and if such traitors run the country, what will happen. This is the question which is bothering me," the 73-year-old Gandhian said.

He said he was watching for the past four months after the government set up the Joint Committee for drafting Lokpal Bill. "Even there some people in the government were traitors, they tried to betray us," he said. NEW DELHI: In the first major breakthrough in the week-long standoff, the government on Tuesday appointed finance minister Pranab Mukherjee as its negotiator for talks with Team Anna Hazare over their demand for a strong Lokpal.

The Prime Minister, who held discussions with Mukherjee and senior ministers A K Antony and P Chidambaram, also wrote a letter to Hazare informing him of the initiative and appealed to him to end his fast, which entered the second week today.

He also told him that the government was concerned about his health.

The Prime Minister also wrote to Anna Hazare that the government will ask Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar if his version of the Lokpal Bill can be sent to the Standing Committee, which is already examining the government's bill.

Hazare's close aide Arvind Kejriwal announced the government's initiative. Kejriwal along with Prashant Bhushan will meet with Pranab Mukherjee.

The ice-breaking development came during the first direct contact between the two sides at the residence of Congress MP Sandeep Dikshit when law minister Salman Khurshid met Kejriwal and discussed how to go about the issue.

"Just now Salman Khurshid has invited us for discussions. He has said that Pranab Mukherjee has been appointed by the government to talk to us.

"Anna is sleeping now. Once he gets up, he will decide as to who all will represent our team," Kejriwal told Hazare's supporters at Ramlila Maidan, where Hazare is fasting.

He also asked the crowd whether "we should go ahead with talks" and it responded with cheers.

Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi had a meeting with Manmohan Singh at his residence and discussed the strategy.

Akhil Gogoi, rights activist who attended the meeting with Khurshid along with Kejriwal, said the minister told them that the Prime Minister wants to find a solution through talks and they talked about the process for the discussion with Mukherjee.

After their meeting, both Kejriwal and Khurshid declined to go into the specifics of the discussions they had. Both said just a beginning has been made.

The minister said that there was no discussion on issues, but only an attempt was made to understand what was happening and why they were so much agitated.

Khurshid said that all efforts and contacts should be made at every level as "time is running out."

Earlier, addressing his supporters after a gap of 40 hours, Hazare today stuck to his August 30 deadline for passage of Jan Lokpal Bill and asked his supporters to intensify the protest by gheraoing the houses of parliamentarians if government failed to do so.

Hazare accused government of betraying all along the civil society on the issue of a strong Lokpal Bill.

He said protesters in thousands should protest outside the residences of MPs if the government fails to get Jan Lokpal Bill passed by August 30.

"Now, 25-30 people are sitting on dharnas in front of MPs' residences. If the government does not pass the bill by August 30, we have to intensify the protest. Protesters in thousands should gherao the residences of MPs then," he said.

Alleging that a few people in the government were "betraying" them, he said, "They betrayed us during the meetings of Joint Committee (on Lokpal Bill).

"I feel there are only 5-6 people in the government who are running the country and if such people, who do not have a social or national perspective, run the nation, then what will happen to this country...This is something to worry about," Hazare said.

"Even if Lokpal comes and if such traitors run the country, what will happen. This is the question which is bothering me," the 73-year-old Gandhian said.

He said he was watching for the past four months after the government set up the Joint Committee for drafting Lokpal Bill. "Even there some people in the government were traitors, they tried to betray us," he said.

Who is Anna Hazare

2011-08-22T02:36:00.000-07:00

He once contemplated suicide and even wrote a two-page essay on why he wanted to end his life. Anna Hazare was not driven to such a pass by circumstances. He wanted to live no more because he was frustrated with life and wanted an answer to the purpose of human existence.

The story goes that one day at the New Delhi Railway Station, he chanced upon a book on Swami Vivekananda. Drawn by Vivekananda's photograph, he is quoted as saying that he read the book and found his answer - that the motive of his life lay in service to his fellow humans.

Today, Anna Hazare is the face of India's fight against corruption. He has taken that fight to the corridors of power and challenged the government at the highest level. People, the common man and well-known personalities alike, are supporting him in the hundreds swelling to the thousands.

For Anna Hazare, it is another battle. And he has fought quite a few, Including some as a soldier for 15 years in Indian Army. He enlisted after the 1962 Indo-China war when the government exhorted young men to join the Army.

In 1978, he took voluntary retirement from the 9th Maratha Battalion and returned home to Ralegaon Siddhi, a village in Maharashtra's drought-prone Ahmadnagar. He was 39 years old.

He found farmers back home struggling for survival and their suffering would prompt him to pioneer rainwater conservation that put his little hamlet on the international map as a model village.

The villagers revere him. Thakaram Raut, a school teacher in Ralegaon Siddhi says, "Thanks to Anna's agitations, we got a school, we got electricity, we got development schemes for farmers.''

Anna Hazare's fight against corruption began here. He fought first against corruption that was blocking growth in rural India. His organization - the Bhrashtachar Virodhi Jan Andolan (People's movement against Corruption). His tool of protest - hunger strikes. And his prime target - politicians.

Maharashtra stalwarts like Sharad Pawar and Bal Thackeray have often called his style of agitation nothing short of "blackmail".

But his weapon is potent. In 1995-96, he forced the Sena-BJP government in Maharashtra to drop two corrupt Cabinet Ministers. In 2003, he forced the Congress-Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) state government to set up an investigation against four ministers. In April this year, four days of fasting brought thousands of people out in support of his crusade against corruption. They also made the government realise it could not be dismissive about Anna Hazare and his mass appeal.

His relationship with the UPA government continues to be uneasy. The truce of April was short-lived. An exercise to set up a joint committee made up of equal numbers of government representatives and civil society activists, including Anna Hazare came to naught when the two sides failed to agree and drafted two different Lok Pal Bills. The government has brought its version in Parliament and Team Anna is livid.

The Gandhian is soldiering on. From one battle to another in his war against corruption. He fought from the front to have Right to Information (RTI) implemented. He is now fighting for the implementation of the Jan Lokpal Bill, the anti-corruption bill drafted by his team of crusaders.

This year, more than 30 years after Anna Hazare started his crusade, as the 74-year-old plans a second hunger strike in Delhi against large-scale corruption at the national level. Nothing really has changed except the scale of his battle.

Freedom fighters in Assam hail Anna bid to clean India

2011-08-22T02:33:00.002-07:00

GUWAHATI: As Anna Hazare's anti-corruption crusade kept on drawing supporters from across the country, 88-year-old Hem Kakati could not keep herself away from the nationwide movement against graft. The octogenarian freedom fighter, who was imbibed by Mahatma Gandhi's ideology when she was barely nine and got herself actively involved in the Independence struggle, spent the sultry Sunday with supporters of the Anna's India Against Corruption (IAC) at the NCP office ground in Dighalipukhari here.

For Kakati, Anna's movement has evoked the memories of the heydays of freedom movement when she was young. "When I see Anna's fight against corruption, the memories of our freedom struggle keep coming back. I am convinced that there is still someone who has kept alive the ideology of Gandhiji. I am more attracted to Anna for the fact that he has managed to inspire such a huge number of youth in the Gandhian ways of protest." Kakati was among other freedom fighters who joined the movement here on Sunday with a conviction that Anna's Gandhian ways of struggle would go a long way in curbing corruption in country.

"Anna launched his crusade against corruption at the right time. Gandhiji did not want India to be a land of corruption. But it's an irony that India is neck deep in corruption. In such a situation, the emergence of Anna has helped millions of Indians to hope that the situation will change. Our only wish is that the country shows respect to Gandhiji's vision," Kakati said while addressing a large gathering of IAC supporters and students.

Like Kakali, 83-year old Anjali Baruah, who also accompanied her father during the Freedom struggle in Assam, is also inspired by Anna's movement against graft. Baruah, too, attended Sunday's protest programme at Dighalipukhri. "Gandhiji is my ideal. During the freedom struggle, we used to keep in touch with him. While studying in Kolkata, we used to meet Gandhiji whenever he was in the city. Today, when we see when someone like Anna carrying forward a movement on Gandhian values, we feel happy," Baruah recalled.

Both Kakati and Baruah compared Anna's movement with freedom struggle on the ground that the anti-corruption crusade could united people across the country against corruption. "During our struggle for Independence, people from all parts of the country were involved to free India from the British rule. Similarly, we are now seeing that people are joining the movement against graft in overwhelming numbers," Baruah said,. All religion prayers were also held in Dighalipukhri for Hazare's health. Besides, about 100 NCC cadets from B Barooah College took part in the IAC protest programme.

Students give Sunday protest a miss

2011-08-22T02:33:00.000-07:00

MYSORE: The series of protests in the city in support of Anna Hazare continued on Sunday, but students gave it a miss. It was freedom fighters who stole the show staging the dharna to register their protest against corruption and called for a mechanism to fight it effectively.

Members of the Mysore City and District Freedom Fighters Association partook in the agitation and favoured the draft of Jan Lokpal bill. Reciting bhajans, the freedom fighters extended their moral support to Anna's fight.

As the agitation entered the sixth day in a row, members of Rock Vrunda, a local band made up of students from engineering colleges, belted out patriotic songs. Except for students of the Government Maharaja's Sanskrit college, there were not many students who joined the dharna. Later, in the evening, medicos from Mysore Medical College and Research Institute took out a candlelight procession from J K Grounds to the Gandhi Square. Earlier, some 50 doctors attached to the Indian Medical Association staged a protest.

Jan Lokpal Bill: Crowd misses Anna Hazare's morning address

2011-08-22T02:31:00.000-07:00

NEW DELHI: As his fast entered the seventh day, Anna Hazare today did not make his customary morning address as he came to the dais.

Hazare has been making an address in the morning for the last three days setting the agenda of his protest but today he did not make any statements as he took the centrestage at 9 am.

He was lying on a mattress on the dais. Usually, he start with slogans of 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' and 'Vande Matram'.

"I expected that he will speak and give some direction about the protest," said Krishna Sharma, a Hazare supporter who was at Ramlila Maidan.

Hazare has lost five kgs in the past seven days of his hunger strike with doctors today saying he is fine.

"He has lost five kilograms in the past seven days. His weight has come down to 67 from 72 kg. His blood pressure is 130/80 and pulse rate 90," close associate Manish Sisodia told reporters here.

"Doctors say his health is okay but we are worried," he said.

Another associate Arvind Kejriwal said the ketone level in Hazare's blood and urine has risen slightly.

Anna Hazare's anti-corruption campaign: Hazare's threat to fast stirs debate on protest tactics

2011-08-22T02:28:00.003-07:00

NEW DELHI: Activist Anna Hazare's threat to fast to death unless the government amends an anti-corruption bill has sparked debate about whether the traditional Indian form of protest has any place in a modern democracy.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday called Hazare's hunger strike ``misconceived,'' but frustrated demonstrators insisted the fast that began Tuesday was the only way to get the attention of an unresponsive government neck-deep in corruption scandals.
Hazare's repeated hunger strikes are part of a hallowed protest tradition made famous by independence leader Mohandas K. Gandhi, who coined the term ``Satyagraha'' or nonviolent resistance and fasted repeatedly against British rule.

Anna Hazare - Anti-Corruption Movement

2011-08-22T02:28:00.001-07:00

Power Situation during 1985-86 became extremely critical. The farmers were unable to lift water from the wells inspite of its availability due to insufficient voltage to run pumps. The motors were getting burnt due to fluctuations and the crops were getting affected. There was scant response from the govt. inspite of continuous follow-up. On 28th Nov. 1989 Mr. Hazare was forced to undertake fast for seeking redressal. After 8 days of his fast , his health deteriorated and was admitted in the civil hospital at Ahmednagar. As there was, no response inspite of action from his side, the farmers from three tehsils became furious and they started road block agitation. Fearing that if the agitation takes a wrong turn, something untoward may take place. He appealed to the agitators from the hospital bed that they should not resort to unfair means, damage the national property and inflict any harm to the passengers. The agitation should be peaceful. The police authorities did not expect huge participation and there was meager police force available.

However, they were proved wrong and more than 10000 men and 1200 women participated in the agitation. The agitators had offered police to take them to jail. However, since enough transport was not available with the police, the police tried to remove the road block. Due to improper treatment meted out to the agitators, there was scuffle between police and the agitators and the police resorted to lathi-charged on agitators. This action on the part of police irritated them and they pelted stones on the police force. Since the situation was going out of control, additional force was called and police opened fire on the agitators in which 4 farmers died on the spot and 7 farmers sustained severe injuries. He felt sad on hearing this news in the hospital. The agitation was meant for awakening the government and there is no harm in carrying out such agitations in democracy. He had decided to end his life during the fast itself, but Senior Officials of the government and even Ministers persuaded him to give up his fast as they feared that if agitation continues, lot many farmers may lose their life and in order to save the life of innocent farmers, he withdrew his fast.

Model Village as contemplated by Gandhiji was brought in reality by Shri Annaji at Ralegan Siddhi by his dedication. “Late Shri Achyutrao Patwardhan, the great freedom fighter, suggested to the government of Maharashtra that to commemorate the golden jubilee of Bharat Chhodo Andolan, it would be most befitting to create model villages like Ralegan Siddhi in every tehsil of the state. The government accepted this suggestion and declared to implement “Adarsh Gaon Yojana”. The Government entrusted this responsibility to him and Adarsha Gaon Yojana was started under his leadership . He travelled whole of Maharashtra and selected 300 villages to implement this scheme. While working in this scheme
he realised that development is getting hampered due to planned corruption in Govermnent machinery and he decided to fight against this corruption. He gave evidence against two ministers who had amassed wealth disproportionate to their income. However since the Govt was passive about this he started agitation and undertook fast for l0 days. Chief Minister intervened and he deleted these two ministers from ministry and appointed an Inquiry Commission. The Commission held both the ministers guilty but to save them the Govt appointed another commission who discharged them from the allegations. Though the ministers were discharged from the allegations, they had to loose their ministership which is the success of Mr.Hazare's agitation.
Mr.Hazare's gave evidence of corruption by Social Welfare Minister to the then Chief Minister. On 3lst July l999 the Chief Minister informed him that inquiry is being instituted about the charges leveled by him. He had given an interview to a local daily regarding this inquiry and based on this interview the concerned minister had filed a case in the court against Mr.Hazare for defamation. He was held guilty by the Court and the court had asked him to give an undertaking that he will not make such allegations in future.He refused to give such undertaking and preferred to go jail for 3 months as ordered by the court. He told the court that He was willing to give his life for truth. His punishment created commotion in public and scores of people started visiting Yerawada Jail.

He wanted to compelte his jail term but to give respect to the public feelings he accepted his release.In l992 Gandhji had told the court that if court feels that his actions for the freedom of the country are considered as anti government activities he was willing to undergo any punishment .Similarly he did not give bond to the court and accpeted punishment. He did not prefer any appeal against the court order immediately but due to public pressure he later made an appeal which was upheld by the Higher Court and rejected the suit of minister.Mr. Hazare asked the Govt. to conduct the inquiry against the minister which is still on.

In the regim of coaliation Government of Congress and National Congress Party, He had forwarded evidence of corruption about 4 ministers and had asked the Government to conduct inquiry. One of the ministers had made allegations about corruption in the institutions in which he was associated. Since there was no action from the Govt. he undertook fast for 9 dys in August 2003 at Azad Maidan. The minister concenred also started agitation at Azaj Maidan in Mumbai. At last the Government relented and Retired Suprement Court Judge Shri P.B. Sawant was appointed to conduct the inquiry. The commission conducted the inquiry and sent its report to Govt. on 22nd Februrary .
In the report the commission had observed ministers guilty and had held Mr.Hazare also guilty forirregularities but not a single charge of corruption was proved against him.Mr. Hazare has offered the Government that it should take action against him as well as the ministers based on the findings of the enquiry comissions.Though Govt has not taken any action on the Commission's report three ministers had to go and this is a big achievement of his agitation against corruption.

He felt that corruption will not stop merely by taking action against a few officers and ministers and it is necessary that a change should be brought about in the system, He believes that unless decentralisation of power takes place the system will not change.In order to bring change in the system he felt that information should be made available to people regarding Govt.'s actions which was not being provided to people on the ground of secracy. Here again he decided to follow Gandhiji's path and started Maun Vrat and later fast unto death. This brought pressure on the Govt. and both the Central as well as State Governments have enacted Right to Information Act. His whole life and work is based on Gandhian philosophy.

Prohibition
Alcohol has ruined many families in rural India. The existing laws did not have teeth to ban the sale of alcohol in villages. So he decided to press the government to make a law for prohibition if 50% women demanded for it. Ultimately, women are the most affected lot if their husbands are drunkards.
By the new Act, the women of any village can collectively demand for ban on sale of alcoholic drinks in the village. If a minimum of 50% of women complain to the District Collector about their sufferings and request for total prohibition in the village, the Collector can hold ballot paper election in the village. There will be two signs on the paper – one being a bottle in standing position and another being in a horizontal position. The women will cast their votes. In the evening, the votes will be counted. If more votes are in favour of ‘horizontal bottle’, then the Collector will ban the sale of alcoholic drinks in the village and cancel the license of the seller.
In many villages, the licenses have been cancelled and total prohibition came into reality after this Act. In some villages, the alcohol sellers have manipulated the election with money power.
Anyhow, this Act has supported and strengthened the women. Women have become empowered due to this act and became fearless to come in open against the alcoholism. This Act has helped in organizing the women and fight against evils for a common good. Women’s empowerment is the need of the day.

One arrest unites thousands

2011-08-22T02:27:00.001-07:00

From sporting rebellious T-shirts to shaven heads and organising poetry recitals, protesters of all hues took to the streets across urban India seeking the release of anti-graft activist Anna Hazare. Most governments chose to take a soft stand while some termed his arrest a throwback to the

Emergency era.Responding to Hazare's call to fill jails, some 1,100 people were detained in Mumbai. “There was no law and order problem as the protesters were courting arrest themselves,” said Mumbai police commissioner Arup Patnaik, adding they were released a few hours later. But NGO India Against Corruption said some 10,000 people had turned up for the rally and 2,500 of them had courted arrest.

Social activist Medha Patkar led the protests at Azad Maidan. Actor Shabana Azmi said, “We condemn the arrest and the ban on the proposed fast. Right to protest peacefully is a democratic right.”
Jammu tense
Lawyers abstained from judicial work to lead the protests in Jammu. The day, though, was marked by some animosity after police evicted students from a rally venue in the Satwari area.
Gujarat and Haryana
The protest began with two Hazare supporters shaving their heads. BJP-ruled Gujarat carried out a series of rallies and candle protests. In Surat, thousands of diamond workers took to the streets forcing the factories to shut down. Protesters in Ambala, Haryana, also resorted to blockade of railway tracks. In Punjab, protesters converged in strategic spots across urban areas.
Fast in Lucknow
Five persons undertook a fast unto death. Mohd Aslam from Deva in Barabanki, came all the way on his wheelchair carrying the tricolour.
Bangalore joins
Some 500 techies and students took a break from work and studies to rally behind Hazare. They sported T-shirts with the underlying theme ‘India Against Corruption’. One of the T-shirts read: Alt+Ctrl+Del Corruption.
Hyderabad protests
In Hyderabad, Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu joined protesters in a 10-km march to condemn the “arbitrary and unconstitutional” arrest of Hazare and his supporters.
Nitish nod in Patna
More than 7,000 pro-Hazare protesters in Bihar found an ally in chief minister Nitish Kumar. “It seems that people at Centre don’t value democracy. The Central government is afraid of the mass support the movement has,” he said.
Bhubaneswar shouts
Orissa chief minister Naveen Patnaik aired his support for the anti-corruption movement and condemned Hazare’s arrest. “These incidents remind one about what used to happen during Emergency,” he said.
Northeast pitches in
The eight-state Northeast pitched in with Assam leading the way. Some 200 advocates, students, peasants and senior citizens took part in a jail bharo programme in Guwahati.
Kolkata subdued
Used to michils (rallies), Kolkata was unusually subdued. Some 600 protesters gathered together on a sunny day seeking Hazare’s release. One of the organisers, Jago Swabhimani, even staged a kavi sammelan for a poetic twist to the protest.

Anna Hazare arrested by Delhi Police ahead of fast

2011-08-22T02:25:00.001-07:00

NEW DELHI: Anna Hazare courted arrest after being detained by Delhi Police at his residence in Mayur Vihar ahead of his indefinite fast on Tuesday.
Senior officers of Delhi Police reached Anna Hazare's flat early in the morning and informed him that he could not leave his home. However, Hazare turned down the request following which he was detained.
"We have detained him as he did not budge from his position of defying prohibitory orders," police official said.
Anna in his addresses to the nation before his arrest asked his supporters not to stop the agitation. He urged the protesters to remain peaceful.

Hazare says will speak to PMO, Rahul or Maha CM

2011-08-22T02:24:00.001-07:00

Anna Hazare on Monday told a TV channel that he is ready to be flexible about including judiciary in the Lokpal Bill and but will only negotiate with the Prime Minister's Office, Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi or the Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan.

According to the CNN-IBN, Hazare has refused to speak to non government mediators but expressed his willingness to keep the judiciary out of Lokpal's purview.

He also said that strong judicial acciountibility needed if judiciary is not included in the ambit of the Bill.
However, Team Anna wants the Bill to be passed by passed in Parliament by August 30, the deadline set by fasting Anna Hazare.
Reacting to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's proposal for a reasoned debate on Lokpal Bill, Team Anna said the government should ensure passage of the Jan Lokpal Bill by August 30.
"The Prime Minister should ensure passage of Jan Lokpal Bill and then only the intention of what he said could come true," activist Kiran Bedi said referring to Singh's remarks on corruption and its eradication.
"Your bill is very weak. Please understand that....You take five minutes to clear a bill if it is about your salary. Get the Jan Lokpal Bill passed. Still there are five-six days left," she said.
Earlier Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal said they had not received any proposal for talks from the government.
"No one has approached us," said Kejriwal, a close confidant of Hazare.
"The Prime Minister tells you (media) that they are ready for talks. We are asking them through you again and again, where should we come for talks and whom to meet," he said.
"Then the news comes from official sources that they are willing to talk, we cannot even react to that as long as we don't get a concrete proposal," he said at Ramlila ground.
Rejected allegations of promoting hooliganism, Kejriwal said that there was nothing wrong in urging people to protest in front of their MPs.
"What is wrong if Anna is asking people to go and ask their MPs to make their stand clear. Annaji is not saying you indulge in hooliganism, Annaji is not saying you indulge in violence...," Kejriwal said.
"Otherwise what is democracy, democracy is not only going and voting once in five years and then handing over your destiny for next five years in the hands of some other people," he said.
Kejriwal also accused MPs of not visiting their constituency. He, however, made it clear that Team Anna had no intention to topple the government.
"This promotion of corruption act which has been brought, either it should be changed and Jan Lokpal bill passed... Making the government fall is not our aim," he said.

Jan Lokpal Bill: Team Anna wants government to appoint negotiator, withdraw its bill

2011-08-21T09:08:00.002-07:00

NEW DELHI: Team Anna has said that the government should appoint a negotiator to hold talks with Anna Hazare on the Jan Lokpal Bill and withdraw its draft from Parliament to create "an atmosphere of trust".

Swami Agnivesh, one of the members of Team Anna's core committee, said they were open for talks but the government should create an atmosphere for it.

"If the government wants to talk to us it should appoint a negotiator," he said.

"We are open for talks. In order to open a door for dialogue, the government has to create an atmosphere. They have to create an atmosphere of trust by withdrawing the government bill from Parliament and introduce Jan Lokpal Bill. We will not budge from our stand. This is the least they should do to earn our trust," Agnivesh said.

To questions on "strong words" being used by both government and members of Team Anna, Agnivesh said it would be good if both sides desist from using "such phrases" which could lead to any kind of confrontation.

On the meeting between senior Maharashtra government official and Hazare, he said the official has known the Gandhian for a long time and he met him in his personal capacity.

Siddharth supports Anna Hazare

2011-08-21T09:08:00.000-07:00

Siddharth

Times of India

Siddharth, the young lover boy, last seen in the Tamil film Nootrenbadhu (180) has always been one to speak his mind. On his micro-blogging website the actor has been expressing free willed support for Gandhian Anna Hazare who is fasting demanding for a strong and effective Lokpal Bill."
(The) blunder has made even the few remaining pro-UPA news channels (take) a pro-Anna stance! Anything's possible now. Keep pushing," tweeted Sidhdharth who has been tweeting regularly in support of Anna.
Taking a leaf out of his book is Nagarjuna who has also expressed his support for Anna Hazare on his social networking website. "Hello my friends - support Anna Hazare today for a brighter India tomorrow. Help eradicate corruption. Jai Hind! Jai Jan Lokpal," Looks like Anna has gathered support from all quarters!