2011 Indian anti-corruption movement
Encyclopedia
The 2011 Indian anti-corruption movement is a series of ongoing demonstrations
and protests across India
intended to establish strong legislation and enforcement against endemic political corruption
. The movement has gained momentum since April 5, 2011, when anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare
began his now-famous hunger strike
at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi
.
The chief aim of the movement is to alleviate corruption in the Indian government through a piece of legislation called the Jan Lokpal Bill
. Another important aim, led by protests under Swami Ramdev, is the repatriation of black money
from Swiss and other foreign banks.
The movement is primarily one of non-violent civil resistance
, featuring demonstrations, marches, acts of civil disobedience, hunger strikes, marches and rallies, as well as the use of social media
to organize, communicate, and raise awareness. The protests are unusual as they have no political affiliation
; most protesters have been hostile to attempts by political parties to use them to strengthen their own personal political agendas.
Grievances of Indian protesters were focused on legal and political issues including political corruption, kleptocracy, as well as other form of corruption.
The Vohra Report
of 1993, submitted by the former Indian Union Home Secretary N. N. Vohra
, studied the issue of the criminalization of politics
. The report contained several observations made by official agencies on the criminal network which was virtually running a parallel government. It also discussed criminal gangs who enjoyed the patronage of politicians and the protection of government functionaries. It revealed that political leaders had become leaders of street gangs and rogue elements in the military. Over the years, criminals had been elected to local bodies
, State Assemblies
, and the Parliament
.
The Right to Information Act
of 2005 helped civilians work effectively towards tackling corruption. It allows Indian citizens to request information, for a fixed fee of 10 (US$0.22), from a "public authority" (a body of Government or "instrumentality of State"). In turn, this public authority is required to reply to the request within thirty days. Activists have used this to uncover corruption cases against various politicians and bureaucrats - one consequence being that some of those activists have been attacked and even killed.
on 5 April 2011 at Jantar Mantar in Delhi
to press for the demand to form a joint committee of the representatives of the Government and the civil society to draft a stronger anti-corruption bill with stronger penal actions and more independence to the Lokpal and Lokayuktas (Ombudsmen in the states), after his demand was rejected by the Prime Minister of India
Manmohan Singh
. He stated, "I will fast until Jan Lokpal Bill is passed".
The movement attracted attention in the media, and thousands of supporters. Almost 150 people reportedly joined Hazare in his fast. Social activists, including Medha Patkar
, Arvind Kejriwal
, former Indian Police Service
officer Kiran Bedi
, Noted Hindi Poet Kumar Vishwas
and Jayaprakash Narayan
lent their support to Hazare's hunger strike and anti-corruption campaign. People have shown support in internet social media such as Twitter and Facebook. In addition to spiritual leaders Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
, Swami Ramdev, Swami Agnivesh
and former Indian cricketer Kapil Dev
, many celebrities showed their public support through Twitter. Hazare decided that he would not allow any politician to sit with him in this movement. Politicians like Uma Bharti
and Om Prakash Chautala
were shooed away by the protesters when they came to visit the site where the protest was taking place. On 6 April 2011 Sharad Pawar
resigned from the group of ministers formed for reviewing the draft Lokpal bill 2010.
Protests spread to Bangalore
, Mumbai
, Chennai
, Ahmedabad
, Guwahati
, Shillong
, Aizawl
and a number of other cities in India.
The Bhartiya Janata Party supported Hazare, with prominent member Arun Jaitley
urging the government to take Hazare's fast seriously.
Another prominent BJP figure, L.K. Advani, suggested that a meeting of political parties should be convened to discuss the issue "particularly in the context of black money and curbing money-power in elections".
BJP leader Narendra Modi
posted on his Facebook
account that he was praying for Hazare's health. He also published an open letter to Hazare thanking him for the latter's support for the development work in Gujarat. Modi also warned Hazare of possible vilification by a certain 'powerful-group' that wishes to defame Modi and Gujarat. He reiterated his support for the Jan Lokpal Bill.
Communist Party of India (Marxist)
The Communist Party of India (Marxist)
came out in support of Anna Hazare. Prakash Karat
pledged support to Hazare over the Jan Lokpal Bill.
's initial protest, a second major protest took place at the Ramlila Maidan, New Delhi
on June 4, 2011. The leader for these protests was Swami Ramdev; his aim was to highlight the need for strong legislation to repatriate black money
deposited abroad. Ramdev demanded that untaxed money invested abroad should be declared to be the wealth of the nation and, further, that the act of caching money alleged to have been obtained illegally in foreign banks should be declared a crime against the state. It is estimated that around $350 billion to $1.4 trillion worth of black money is stashed away in foreign banks.
Ramdev declared that a people's movement to liberate the country from rampant corruption and build a strong spiritual ‘Bharat' would be launched by him in June. The movement was called "Satyagraha against Corruption". He declared one of the main objectives of the movement was to bring about an end to corruption and bring back black money stashed away in various financial institutions in the country and abroad. Four senior Union Ministers Pranab Mukherjee
, Kapil Sibal
, Pawan Kumar Bansal
and Subodh Kant Sahay
met Ramdev to discuss his issues and demands at Delhi Airport on June 1, 2011. Back-channel talk between two sides were held in The Claridges, New Delhi
on June 2, 2011. The next day, talks were held for a third time between the ministers and Ramdev and both sides claimed consensus. The government gave a response to the demands but Ramdev planned to go ahead with his hunger strike.
Ramdev claimed that Bharat Swabhiman Yatra had evoked massive support from the masses and more than 10 crore people had been directly involved with the movement. His yatra ended on June 1 at Ujjain
in Madhya Pradesh
after traveling over 100000 kilometres (62,137.3 mi) across the country. Almost 3.2 million "netizens" joined the campaign.
About 5,000 supporters were still missing according to Ramdev. Jadeep Arya, a key advisor on Ramdev’s team, said that about 19 girls students from the Chotipur Gurukul who were seated near the dais were thought to be still missing. Behen Suman, women’s representative of the Trust, said many of these girls were roughed up when the police tried to reach Ramdev and were crying since police officials were pulling their hair, dragging them and their clothes were torn. Police, however, said no one was missing.
There is an allegation that CCTV footage of the raid is missing.
He maintained that second phase of Bharat Swabhiman Yatra would begin from October 2011 year and the Yatra would once again travel a distance of 100000 kilometres (62,137.3 mi).
The police said Ramdev was informed around 11 pm (IST) on Saturday that his permission to continue his agitation had been cancelled. By that time, over 5000 police officers, including 12 battalions of the Delhi Police, three battalions of Rapid Action Force
, two of Central Reserve Police Force
commandos and local police were briefed by senior police officers to get ready for action. The Ramlila Ground was then surrounded by several buses and tempos, heading towards the ground from Haryana
, Rajasthan
, Uttar Pradesh
and Punjab but were sent back from the borders.
issued notices to the Union Home Secretary, Delhi Chief Secretary and the Delhi City Commissioner of Police seeking reports within two weeks regarding the midnight crackdown at the Ramlila Ground.
In a response to the crackdown on Ramdev, Hazare said that he would hold a one-day hunger strike at Jantar Mantar on 8 June. The venue was changed to Rajghat when he could not get police permission to do so.
, Bangalore
, Mumbai
, Hyderabad, Jammu
, and Lucknow
. Protests against the action also spread to Nepal.
government will be responsible for any threat to his life and alleged that he was nearly strangled by the police. After being evicted from Delhi, Ramdev wanted to continue his fast from Noida
but was denied permission to do so by the Uttar Pradesh
government. He decided to continue his hunger strike and satyagraha
from Haridwar
only until June 12, 2011.
Hazare said there might have been some faults with Ramdev's agitation but that the beating up of people at night rather than in the day-time was a "blot on democracy" and that "there was no firing otherwise the eviction was similar to Jallianwala Bagh incident
." He said that the "strangulation of democracy" would cause civil society to launch protests throughout the country to "teach government a lesson". Other civil society leaders, such as Arvind Kejriwal
, also termed the use of police force on non-violent sleeping protesters as undemocratic. Shanti Bhushan and Swami Agnivesh also criticised the police action to end the hunger strike.
Nationalist Congress Party
General Secretary Tariq Anwar said that "Both Hazare and Ramdev are blackmailing the government and they should first peep into their own hearts." Pawan Bansal
commented on the midnight police action and said that "It was not a crackdown, we [the government] had to do it to maintain law and order".
issued notices to the Union Home Secretary, Chief Secretary of Delhi, Delhi administration, and Delhi Police Commissioner asking them to respond within two weeks, after taking suo motu cognizance of forceful eviction of Ramdev and his followers from the Ramlila ground.
However, the court declined to entertain a petition filed by advocate Ajay Aggarwal, who said that no First Information Report
had been registered against the police officials. The bench expressed its displeasure that before the matter came up for hearing, the entire contents of the petition had been leaked to the media.
The Supreme Court on August 29, 2011, blamed the Delhi Police for the forcible eviction of Ramdev Baba and public who had gathered at Ramlila ground on June 5, 2011. The Delhi Police had earlier refused to file suo moto cognizance of the brutality on innocent protesters, as advised by Supreme Court of India.
Hazare's crusade for a strong Lokpal Bill found support in Mumbai as the Mumbai Taximen's Union, comprising over 30,000 taxis, agreed to extend their support to Hazare's cause on 16 August. The union's decision came after a meeting with Hazare's team in Mumbai. The union's proposal was to keep all taxis off the roads or ply less taxis on August 16. The Mumbai chapter of India Against Corruption claimed that till 26 July, nearly 44,000 people had shown interest in joining the protest from August 16.
In Allahabad
, the legal community expressed their support of Hazare's campaign against corruption. Lawyers of Allahabad High Court
held protests in support of Anna Hazare at Allahabad by burning copies of the Lokpal Bill, blocking roads and shouting slogans against the callousness of the government. They also pledged to go on a hunger strike at Allahabad from August 16 in support of Anna Hazare.
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad also came out in support of Hazare's movement, saying that for a strong Lokpal Bill, people from across the country should support his campaign.
In a poll conducted by India Against Corruption in Karnataka, about 94.3% of Chikkaballapur constituency
and 79.7% of Bangalore South
wanted to bring the prime minister under the ambit of the Jan Lokpal Bill. The results showed that a majority of the population wanted the Jan Lokpal Bill to be passed by the Parliament and not the "watered down, toothless" bill drafted by the government. The 6,000 participants at the referendum also said that being representatives of the people, members of parliament should vote for the Lokpal, not as directed by their parties, but as by the voice of the majority in his/her constituency. The participants also voted to bring judges under the Lokpal, give adequate powers to the Lokpal to dismiss officers guilty of corruption, monitor corruption at the central as well as state level through Lokayuktas, and to bring all levels of officers under the bill. The questionnaire had a set of eight questions that brought out crucial differences between the Jan Lokpal Bill and the Lokpal Bill put forth by the government, and asked for the people's vote on the same. Around ten parliamentary constituencies across the nation conducted a similar exercise and the results from the nation-wide campaign will be consolidated and presented to the members of Parliament in time for the monsoon session.
As protests built up in several cities and towns over the arrest, Prashant Bhushan, one of Hazare's key associates, announced a march from India Gate to Parliament House on Wednesday to protest against the police action, which he said was taken at the behest of some cabinet ministers. Delhi police commissioner BK Gupta said that the police were not keen for Hazare be sent to judicial custody. He said police were prepared to release him on a personal bond if he would have given an undertaking that he would not defy Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code which prohibits the gathering of five or more people and ask his supporters not to do so also. Hazare was taken to the Tihar jail where he will spend the time in judicial custody. Kiran Bedi
, Arvind Kejriwal
, Kumar Vishwas
and Manish Sisodia, three other leading activists of Team Anna, have also been sent to judicial custody on similar grounds. In a message released after his detention, Hazare said this was the beginning of the "second freedom struggle" and he called on people to participate in a "jail bharo" agitation.
Opposition parties, peeved over the attitude of the Congress in parliament, said they would meet later today to decide on the course of action. Communist Party of India
leader Gurudas Dasgupta
said he had proposed a boycott of parliament for three days. Communist Party of India (Marxist)
leader Brinda Karat
described the arrest as "a strong attack on democratic rights". Hours after arrest of Hazare, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha and BJP leader Sushma Swaraj
strongly condemned the action and demanded and explanation from Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh
saying that the government is hell-bent on crushing the civil rights of the citizens. Senior Bhartiya Janata Party leader L K Advani said he was not surprised at the detention of Mr Hazare and he charged the government with looking for scapegoats and stopping peaceful protests instead of fighting corruption. Arun Jaitley
, leader of the opposition in the Rajya Sabha
, said, that it was a very sad day for Indian democracy, where the ruling government took away the right to protest and the right to dissent.
In Patna, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar
described the detention of Hazare and his associates as a "rehearsal of emergency" which people will never tolerate, and "a murder of democracy." Punjab chief minister Prakash Singh Badal also condemned the arrests saying that the Congress has panicked over the movement of Anna Hazare and accused Congress leaders of stashing money abroad. In Chandigarh and Ludhiana, people from all walks of life took to the streets - despite inclement weather - to join the protest for a strong Lokpal. Among them were activists of the NGOs 'India Against Corruption' and 'Awaaz' who launched a relay hunger strike. Traffic was also blocked at several intersections. Slamming the Centre for detaining Anna Hazare and his aides, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister SK Modi today called upon the people to come to the streets to hold demonstration in support of Hazare's movement against corruption "peacefully and democratically."
In Hyderabad, Telugu Desam Party
president N. Chandrababu Naidu
asked the Prime minister Manmohan Singh to apologize to the nation for having sent Hazare and other social activists, who are fighting against corruption, to Tihar jail. In Maharashtra, crowds gathered in many cities and towns in response to Mr Hazare's call to court arrest. Thousands poured into south Mumbai's Azad Maidan since early in the morning, in preparation for the 'Jail Bharo
' programme. A large number of people courted arrest in support of the demand for an effective Lokpal. Many people wearing 'Gandhi' caps with slogans 'I am Anna' gathered at the Reserve Bank of India Square, on the busy Nagpur-Jabalpur national highway that runs through the Civil Lines area.
In a broad day light murder at Bhopal, capital of Madhya Pradesh
, an RTI activist and a strong supporter of Anna Hazare's anti-corruption movement, Shehla Masood
was shot dead around 11.30 am on August 16. An unidentified assailant shot her dead from point blank range while she was leaving in her car to attend a demonstration in support of Anna Hazare.
In Delhi, in protest against the arrest of Anna Hazare and his close aides by the Delhi Police, the members of All India Students Association
showed black flags and shouted anti-government slogan against Kapil Sibal
, who was to address a seminar at Malvankar Hall in city.
Hazare on August 16 asked government employees across the country to go on mass leave to show solidarity with the movement. Union Home minister P. Chidambaram
hoped they would not respond, describing the call as "completely wrong." Hazare's close associate and lawyer Prashant Bhushan
urged government servants to join their cause and take a mass leave for a day and join the protests in their city.
.
Anna Hazare agreed to leave jail after Delhi Police
granted him permission to fast for 15 days against corruption at Ramlila Maidan, a larger venue than JP Park
. However, he had to spend another night in jail as the venue was not ready. On 19 August, at around 12noon IST
, Anna left Tihar jail after 3 days. Supporters welcomed him with spontaneous roar as he headed towards Delhi's Ramlila Maidan to launch his hunger protest.
on 27 August 2011. With Hazare demanding three pinciples, (i) citizen charter, (ii) lower bureaucracy to be under Lokpal through an appropriate mechanism and (iii) establishment of Lok Ayuktas in the states, both houses of Parliament
agreed to the principles. It was then that Hazare agreed to break his fast after 12 days starting from 16 August 2011. However, Anna finally decided to break his fast on 28 August instead as he did not wish to break his fast after sunset. At the time of breaking his fast, he said he was suspending his fast for the time being and will end it only after the strong Lokpal bill is passed by the Indian Parliament.
Demonstration (people)
A demonstration or street protest is action by a mass group or collection of groups of people in favor of a political or other cause; it normally consists of walking in a mass march formation and either beginning with or meeting at a designated endpoint, or rally, to hear speakers.Actions such as...
and protests across India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
intended to establish strong legislation and enforcement against endemic political corruption
Political corruption
Political corruption is the use of legislated powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain. Misuse of government power for other purposes, such as repression of political opponents and general police brutality, is not considered political corruption. Neither are illegal acts by...
. The movement has gained momentum since April 5, 2011, when anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare
Anna Hazare
Kisan Baburao Hazare , popularly known as Anna Hazare is an Indian social activist and a prominent leader in the 2011 Indian anti-corruption movement, using nonviolent methods following the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi...
began his now-famous hunger strike
Hunger strike
A hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance or pressure in which participants fast as an act of political protest, or to provoke feelings of guilt in others, usually with the objective to achieve a specific goal, such as a policy change. Most hunger strikers will take liquids but not...
at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
.
The chief aim of the movement is to alleviate corruption in the Indian government through a piece of legislation called the Jan Lokpal Bill
Jan Lokpal Bill
The Jan Lokpal Bill, also referred to as the citizens' ombudsman bill, is a proposed independent anti-corruption law in India. Anti-corruption social activists proposed it as a more effective improvement to the original Lokpal bill, which is currently being proposed by the Government of India.The...
. Another important aim, led by protests under Swami Ramdev, is the repatriation of black money
Black Money
Black Money is a novel by US American mystery writer Ross Macdonald. Published in 1966, it is, according to Matthew Bruccoli and other critics, among the most powerful of all Ross Macdonald's novels...
from Swiss and other foreign banks.
The movement is primarily one of non-violent civil resistance
Civil resistance
The term civil resistance, alongside the term nonviolent resistance, is used to describe political action that relies on the use of non-violent methods by civil groups to challenge a particular power, force, policy or regime. Civil resistance operates through appeals to the adversary, pressure and...
, featuring demonstrations, marches, acts of civil disobedience, hunger strikes, marches and rallies, as well as the use of social media
Social media
The term Social Media refers to the use of web-based and mobile technologies to turn communication into an interactive dialogue. Andreas Kaplan and Michael Haenlein define social media as "a group of Internet-based applications that build on the ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0,...
to organize, communicate, and raise awareness. The protests are unusual as they have no political affiliation
Nonpartisan
In political science, nonpartisan denotes an election, event, organization or person in which there is no formally declared association with a political party affiliation....
; most protesters have been hostile to attempts by political parties to use them to strengthen their own personal political agendas.
Grievances of Indian protesters were focused on legal and political issues including political corruption, kleptocracy, as well as other form of corruption.
Historical background
Issues regarding corruption in India have become increasingly prominent in recent years. The country was subject to socialist-inspired economic policies dating from independence in 1947 until the 1980s. Over-regulation, protectionism, and government ownership of industry led to slow economic growth, high unemployment, and wide-spread poverty. This system of bureaucratic control by government is called the License Raj and lies at the core of endemic corruption.The Vohra Report
Vohra Report
The Vohra Report was submitted by the former Indian Union Home Secretary, N.N. Vohra, in October 1993. It studied the problem of the criminalisation of politics and of the nexus among criminals, politicians and bureaucrats in India....
of 1993, submitted by the former Indian Union Home Secretary N. N. Vohra
Narinder Nath Vohra
Narinder Nath Vohra is the current governor of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. He took over from S K Sinha on June 25, 2008. He is the first civilian governor of Jammu and Kashmir in 18 years after Jagmohan....
, studied the issue of the criminalization of politics
Criminalization of politics
"Criminalization of politics" is a political buzzword in the United States used in the media, by commentators, bloggers as well as by defenders of high-ranking government officials who have been indicted or face criminal or ethical investigations....
. The report contained several observations made by official agencies on the criminal network which was virtually running a parallel government. It also discussed criminal gangs who enjoyed the patronage of politicians and the protection of government functionaries. It revealed that political leaders had become leaders of street gangs and rogue elements in the military. Over the years, criminals had been elected to local bodies
Panchayati Raj
The panchayat raj is a South Asian political system mainly in India, Pakistan, and Nepal. "Panchayat" literally means assembly of five wise and respected elders chosen and accepted by the local community. Traditionally, these assemblies settled disputes between individuals and villages...
, State Assemblies
Vidhan Sabha
The Vidhan Sabha or the Legislative Assembly is the lower house or the sole house of the provincial legislature in the different states of India. The same name is also used for the lower house of the legislatures for two of the union territories, Delhi and Pondicherry...
, and the Parliament
Parliament of India
The Parliament of India is the supreme legislative body in India. Founded in 1919, the Parliament alone possesses legislative supremacy and thereby ultimate power over all political bodies in India. The Parliament of India comprises the President and the two Houses, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha...
.
The Right to Information Act
Right to Information Act
The Right to Information Act 2005 is an Act of the Parliament of India "to provide for setting out the practical regime of right to information for citizens." The Act applies to all States and Union Territories of India except the State of Jammu and Kashmir. Jammu and Kashmir has its own act...
of 2005 helped civilians work effectively towards tackling corruption. It allows Indian citizens to request information, for a fixed fee of 10 (US$0.22), from a "public authority" (a body of Government or "instrumentality of State"). In turn, this public authority is required to reply to the request within thirty days. Activists have used this to uncover corruption cases against various politicians and bureaucrats - one consequence being that some of those activists have been attacked and even killed.
Pre-launch of the movement
Although Anna Hazare and Swami Ramdev now stand in the public limelight, the movement was pre-launched by several anti-corruption campaigns occurring from late October 2010 through late March 2011. The following table summarizes the first Indian anti-corruption campaigns that built the foundation under the global movement:| Date | Anti-corruption Campaign |
|---|---|
| Oct 29, 2010 |
An anti-corruption press conference organized by NGO India Against Corruption India Against Corruption India Against Corruption is a people's movement to demand comprehensive reforms of anti-corruption systems in India. Several eminent citizens have come together to force the Government of India to enact the Jan Lokpal Bill .- Strategy :... was held at the Press Club of India to highlight the fact that the government-appointed Shunglu Committee had inadequate powers to investigate the Commonwealth Games scam |
| Nov 1, 2010 |
By order of Defence Minister of India Defence Minister of India The Ministry of Defence is India's federal department allocated the largest level of budgetary resources and charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government relating directly to national security and the Indian armed forces.The Indian Armed Forces ; the... A.K. Antony, the Indian Army Indian Army The Indian Army is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. With about 1,100,000 soldiers in active service and about 1,150,000 reserve troops, the Indian Army is the world's largest standing volunteer army... establishes a court of inquiry into the Adarsh Housing Society Scam Adarsh Housing Society Scam The Adarsh Housing Society is a cooperative society in the city of Mumbai in India. It was reserved for the war widows and veterans of the Kargil War.-Corruption allegations:... |
| Nov 14, 2010 |
After India Against Corruption India Against Corruption India Against Corruption is a people's movement to demand comprehensive reforms of anti-corruption systems in India. Several eminent citizens have come together to force the Government of India to enact the Jan Lokpal Bill .- Strategy :... registers a complaint regarding corruption in the Commonwealth Games scam, nearly 10,000 people assembled at the Parliament Street Police Station |
| Nov 24, 2010 |
The Central Bureau of Investigation Central Bureau of Investigation The Central Bureau of Investigation is a government agency of India that serves as a criminal investigation body, national security agency and intelligence agency. It was established on 1 April 1963 and evolved from the Special Police Establishment founded in 1941... 's arrests of several senior bankers under allegations of receiving bribes to issue corporate loans in the 2010 housing loan scam 2010 housing loan scam in India The 2010 fake housing loan in India was uncovered by the Central Bureau of Investigation in India. CBI arrested eight top-ranking officials of public sector banks and financial institutions, including the LIC Housing Finance CEO Ramchandran Nair, in connection with the scam.- CBI investigations... |
| Dec 10, 2010 |
The Central Government of India Government of India The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India... and the Directorate General of Income Tax (Investigation) Directorate General of Income Tax Investigation The Directorate General of Income Tax Investigation is the law enforcement agency under the Ministry of Finance responsible for investigating violations of India's tax laws, including fraud, evasion and money laundering.... file a delayed joint affidavit to the Supreme Court of India Supreme Court of India The Supreme Court of India is the highest judicial forum and final court of appeal as established by Part V, Chapter IV of the Constitution of India... declaring the Nov 2007 wiretapping of corporate lobbyist Nira Radia in the Radia tapes controversy Radia tapes controversy The Radia tapes controversy relates to the telephonic conversations between Nira Radia, a political lobbyist and an acquaintance of the Indian telecom minister A. Raja, and with senior journalists, politicians, and corporate houses, taped by the Indian Income Tax Department in 2008-09. The tapes... |
| Dec 22, 2010 |
A 20,000-person anti-corruption protest in response to the 2G spectrum scam 2G spectrum scam The 2G spectrum scandal involved officials in the government of India illegally undercharging mobile telephony companies for frequency allocation licenses, which they would use to create 2G subscriptions for cell phones... held at New Delhi's Ramlila ground |
| Jan 17, 2011 |
The Supreme Court of India Supreme Court of India The Supreme Court of India is the highest judicial forum and final court of appeal as established by Part V, Chapter IV of the Constitution of India... criticizes the administration for not publicly disclosing Indian nationals named on Rudolf Elmer Rudolf Elmer Rudolf Elmer is a former employee of Swiss bank Julius Bär. He worked for the bank for close to two decades, the last position being overseeing the Caribbean operations of the bank for eight years until his dismissal in 2002... 's "black money" list disclosed by Julian Assange Julian Assange Julian Paul Assange is an Australian publisher, journalist, writer, computer programmer and Internet activist. He is the editor in chief of WikiLeaks, a whistleblower website and conduit for worldwide news leaks with the stated purpose of creating open governments.WikiLeaks has published material... 's Wikileaks Wikileaks WikiLeaks is an international self-described not-for-profit organisation that publishes submissions of private, secret, and classified media from anonymous news sources, news leaks, and whistleblowers. Its website, launched in 2006 under The Sunshine Press organisation, claimed a database of more... |
| Jan 18, 2011 |
The public release of an anti-corruption open letter from Azim Premji Azim Premji Azim Hashim Premji is an Indian business tycoon and philanthropist who is the chairman of Wipro Limited, guiding the company through four decades of diversification and growth to emerge as one of the Indian leader in the software industry... , Keshub Mahindra Keshub Mahindra Keshub Mahindra is the Chairman of the Mahindra Group, including Mahindra & Mahindra Limited. As per Forbes Mar 2011 rankings, Keshub Mahindra has networth of $615 Million and is ranked #82nd richest person in India. Keshub Mahindra is uncle of Anand Mahindra... , and other leading Indian industrialists demanding reform of "the widespread governance deficit in almost every sphere of national activity, covering government, business and institutions" |
| Jan 29, 2011 |
Former Chief Minister Chandra Babu Naidu announces launch of his "war on corruption" through his NTR Memorial Trust and Jana Chaitanya Vedika |
| Jan 30, 2011 |
Thousands of people marched against corruption in more than 52 cities in India and abroad. Copies of the CVC Act, the CBI Act and the Government’s Lokpal Bill were torn up by the thousands, sending a strong message that the people lack faith in the ineffective anti-corruption measures |
| Feb-Mar, 2011 |
The Central Bureau of Investigation Central Bureau of Investigation The Central Bureau of Investigation is a government agency of India that serves as a criminal investigation body, national security agency and intelligence agency. It was established on 1 April 1963 and evolved from the Special Police Establishment founded in 1941... 's arrests of co-conspirators implicated in the 2G spectrum scam 2G spectrum scam The 2G spectrum scandal involved officials in the government of India illegally undercharging mobile telephony companies for frequency allocation licenses, which they would use to create 2G subscriptions for cell phones... |
| Feb 8, 2011 |
Indian-born American executive Anjan Dutta-Gupta charged for bribing United States Navy United States Navy The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S... officials in seeking software contracts worth approximately $10M |
| Feb 10, 2011 |
The Supreme Court of India Supreme Court of India The Supreme Court of India is the highest judicial forum and final court of appeal as established by Part V, Chapter IV of the Constitution of India... orders all trial courts in the country to expedite handling of corruption cases; also, all High Courts of India ordered to seek quarterly reports from lower trial courts on the progress of corruption cases |
| Feb 21, 2011 |
In a public address to the Parliament of India Parliament of India The Parliament of India is the supreme legislative body in India. Founded in 1919, the Parliament alone possesses legislative supremacy and thereby ultimate power over all political bodies in India. The Parliament of India comprises the President and the two Houses, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha... , the President of India President of India The President of India is the head of state and first citizen of India, as well as the Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces. President of India is also the formal head of all the three branches of Indian Democracy - Legislature, Executive and Judiciary... Pratibha Patil Pratibha Patil Pratibha Devisingh Patil is the 12th President of the Republic of India and first woman to hold the office. She was sworn in as President of India on 25 July 2007, succeeding Dr. A.P.J... stated that measures to ratify the United Nations Convention Against Corruption United Nations Convention against Corruption The United Nations Convention against Corruption is the first legally binding international anti-corruption instrument. In its 8 Chapters and 71 Articles, the UNCAC obliges its States Parties to implement a wide and detailed range of anti-corruption measures affecting their laws, institutions and... and other legislative and administrative measures necessary to improve transparency will be taken |
| Mar 1, 2011 |
The United States Securities and Exchange Commission United States Securities and Exchange Commission The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is a federal agency which holds primary responsibility for enforcing the federal securities laws and regulating the securities industry, the nation's stock and options exchanges, and other electronic securities markets in the United States... action against Indian School of Business Indian School of Business The Indian School of Business is a business school in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India and is widely recognized as one of the top business schools in the world. It offers a Post Graduate Programme in Management , a Fellow Program in Management, and a Post Graduate Programme in Management for Senior... Chairman Rajat Gupta Rajat Gupta Rajat Kumar Gupta was the managing director of management consultancy McKinsey & Company from 1994 to 2003 and a business leader in India and the United States... in the Galleon insider trading scandal; Gupta had also violated McKinsey & Co.'s firm policy by corruptly backdealing through his own consulting firm, MindSpirit LLC |
| Mar 3, 2011 |
The forced resignation of Chief Vigilance Commissioner P.J. Thomas P. J. Thomas (Indian administrative officer) Polayil Joseph Thomas is an 1973 batch Indian Administrative Service officer from Kerala cadre. He was appointed as the 14th Chief Vigilance Commissioner of India, in an appointment that came under Supreme Court's review and later to be annulled by court as "non-est" in law... on charges of corruption by the Supreme Court of India Supreme Court of India The Supreme Court of India is the highest judicial forum and final court of appeal as established by Part V, Chapter IV of the Constitution of India... |
| Mar 12, 2011 |
The worldwide 50-city Dandi March II organized by People for Lok Satta and India Against Corruption India Against Corruption India Against Corruption is a people's movement to demand comprehensive reforms of anti-corruption systems in India. Several eminent citizens have come together to force the Government of India to enact the Jan Lokpal Bill .- Strategy :... |
| Mar 13, 2011 |
The "Drive around Delhi" protest organized by India Against Corruption India Against Corruption India Against Corruption is a people's movement to demand comprehensive reforms of anti-corruption systems in India. Several eminent citizens have come together to force the Government of India to enact the Jan Lokpal Bill .- Strategy :... |
| Mar 17, 2011 |
The Wikileaks Wikileaks WikiLeaks is an international self-described not-for-profit organisation that publishes submissions of private, secret, and classified media from anonymous news sources, news leaks, and whistleblowers. Its website, launched in 2006 under The Sunshine Press organisation, claimed a database of more... ' Cash-for-votes scandal Cash-for-votes scandal The cash-for-votes scandal is a scandal in which the United Progressive Alliance, the majority-holding parliamentary-party alliance of India led by Sonia Gandhi, allegedly bribed Indian MPs in order to survive a confidence vote on 22 July 2008... involving the delayed leak of a diplomatic cable describing an Indian legislative aide showing a US embassy official "chests of cash" used to bribe Indian lawmakers over a vote on an Indo-U.S. nuclear deal back in July 2008 |
| Mar 30, 2011 |
Famous cricketer Kapil Dev Kapil Dev Kapil Dev Ramlal Nikhanj , better known as Kapil Dev, is a former Indian cricketer. He captained the Indian cricket team which won the 1983 Cricket World Cup... 's letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Manmohan Singh Manmohan Singh is the 13th and current Prime Minister of India. He is the only Prime Minister since Jawaharlal Nehru to return to power after completing a full five-year term. A Sikh, he is the first non-Hindu to occupy the office. Singh is also the 7th Prime Minister belonging to the Indian... , complaining of the inadequacy of Commonwealth Games Commonwealth Games The Commonwealth Games is an international, multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930 and takes place every four years.... corruption investigations and petitioning for the Jan Lokpal Bill Jan Lokpal Bill The Jan Lokpal Bill, also referred to as the citizens' ombudsman bill, is a proposed independent anti-corruption law in India. Anti-corruption social activists proposed it as a more effective improvement to the original Lokpal bill, which is currently being proposed by the Government of India.The... |
Hazare's hunger strike at Jantar Mantar
Hazare began his Indefinite FastHunger strike
A hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance or pressure in which participants fast as an act of political protest, or to provoke feelings of guilt in others, usually with the objective to achieve a specific goal, such as a policy change. Most hunger strikers will take liquids but not...
on 5 April 2011 at Jantar Mantar in Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
to press for the demand to form a joint committee of the representatives of the Government and the civil society to draft a stronger anti-corruption bill with stronger penal actions and more independence to the Lokpal and Lokayuktas (Ombudsmen in the states), after his demand was rejected by the Prime Minister of India
Prime Minister of India
The Prime Minister of India , as addressed to in the Constitution of India — Prime Minister for the Union, is the chief of government, head of the Council of Ministers and the leader of the majority party in parliament...
Manmohan Singh
Manmohan Singh
Manmohan Singh is the 13th and current Prime Minister of India. He is the only Prime Minister since Jawaharlal Nehru to return to power after completing a full five-year term. A Sikh, he is the first non-Hindu to occupy the office. Singh is also the 7th Prime Minister belonging to the Indian...
. He stated, "I will fast until Jan Lokpal Bill is passed".
The movement attracted attention in the media, and thousands of supporters. Almost 150 people reportedly joined Hazare in his fast. Social activists, including Medha Patkar
Medha Patkar
Medha Patkar is an Indian social activist. She is known for her role in Narmada Bachao Andolan. She has also filed a public interest petition in the Bombay high court against Lavasa along with other members of National Alliance of People's Movements , including Anna Hazare.-Personal life:Medha...
, Arvind Kejriwal
Arvind Kejriwal
Arvind Kumar Kejriwal is an Indian social activist fighting for greater transparency in Government. He was awarded Ramon Magsaysay Award for Emergent Leadership in 2006, for activating India's Right to Information movement at grassroots and social activities to empower the poorest citizens to...
, former Indian Police Service
Indian Police Service
The Indian Police Service , simply known as Indian Police or IPS, is one of the three All India Services of the Government of India...
officer Kiran Bedi
Kiran Bedi
Kiran Bedi is an Indian social activist and a retired Indian Police Service officer. Bedi joined the police service in 1972 and became the first woman officer in the IPS. Bedi held the post of Director General at the Bureau of Police Research and Development before she voluntarily retired from...
, Noted Hindi Poet Kumar Vishwas
Kumar Vishwas
Kumar Vishwas is a renowned Hindi Poet and a professor of Hindi Literature from Pilkhuwa, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh.-Early life and education:...
and Jayaprakash Narayan
Jayaprakash Narayan (Lok Satta)
Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan , widely known as JP, is a noted Indian politician, social reformer, TV commentator and columnist. He is the President of Lok Satta Party and currently a Member of the Legislative Assembly from Kukatpally constituency in Andhra Pradesh.http://www.loksatta.org/cms/index.php?...
lent their support to Hazare's hunger strike and anti-corruption campaign. People have shown support in internet social media such as Twitter and Facebook. In addition to spiritual leaders Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Ravi Shankar usually known as Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, born Ravi Shankar Ratnam, born 13 May 1956) is a spiritual leader and founder of the Art of Living Foundation , which aims at relieving individual stress, societal problems and violence. It is an NGO with UNESCO consultative status...
, Swami Ramdev, Swami Agnivesh
Swami Agnivesh
Agnivesh is an Indian social worker, self-proclaimed Arya Samaj scholar, and a Hindu social activist. He is best known for his work against bonded labour through the Bonded Labour Liberation Front, which he founded in 1981...
and former Indian cricketer Kapil Dev
Kapil Dev
Kapil Dev Ramlal Nikhanj , better known as Kapil Dev, is a former Indian cricketer. He captained the Indian cricket team which won the 1983 Cricket World Cup...
, many celebrities showed their public support through Twitter. Hazare decided that he would not allow any politician to sit with him in this movement. Politicians like Uma Bharti
Uma Bharti
Uma Ragini Bharti , is an Indian politician. She was born in Tikamgarh District, Madhya Pradesh to a religious Lodhi Rajput family and from a very young age, started holding discourses on Indian Epics.Her father was an atheist...
and Om Prakash Chautala
Om Prakash Chautala
Om Prakash Chautala is an Indian politician from the state of Haryana and the leader of the Indian National Lok Dal political party. He is a former Chief Minister of Haryana. Presently, he is the Leader of Opposition in the Haryana Vidhan Sabha.Chautala is the son of Chaudhari Devi Lal, a former...
were shooed away by the protesters when they came to visit the site where the protest was taking place. On 6 April 2011 Sharad Pawar
Sharad Pawar
Sharadchandra Govindrao Pawar , popularly known as SAHEB , is the president of the Nationalist Congress Party which he founded in 1999, after separating from the Indian National Congress...
resigned from the group of ministers formed for reviewing the draft Lokpal bill 2010.
Protests spread to Bangalore
Bangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
, Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
, Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
, Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad also known as Karnavati is the largest city in Gujarat, India. It is the former capital of Gujarat and is also the judicial capital of Gujarat as the Gujarat High Court has its seat in Ahmedabad...
, Guwahati
Guwahati
Guwahati, Pragjyotishpura in ancient Assam formerly known as Gauhati is a metropolis,the largest city of Assam in India and ancient urban area in North East India, with a population of 963,429. It is also the largest metropolitan area in north-eastern India...
, Shillong
Shillong
-Connectivity:Although well connected by road, Shillong has no rail connection and a proper air connection. Umroi Airport exists but has only limited flights.-Roadways:Shillong is well connected by roads with all major north eastern states...
, Aizawl
Aizawl
Aizawl is the capital of the state of Mizoram in India. With a resident population 228,280 , it is the largest city within the state. It is also the center of all important government offices, state assembly house and civil secretariat...
and a number of other cities in India.
Government response to Hazare
On 7 April, Hazare's strike led to the resignation of Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar from the Group of Ministers on corruption. On 8 April, the government started seriously considering the demands of the protesters. The government stated that it would table the bill in Parliament in the upcoming Monsoon session. On 9 April, the government finally agreed to have a 50:50 distribution of the Government appointed officials and the members of the civil society. On 13 May, PM Manmohan Singh stated that the Indian government had completed the ratification of the UN Convention against Corruption.Political party response to Hazare
Bhartiya Janata PartyThe Bhartiya Janata Party supported Hazare, with prominent member Arun Jaitley
Arun Jaitley
Arun Jaitley is a prominent Indian politician and a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party , which is currently the largest Opposition party in India...
urging the government to take Hazare's fast seriously.
Another prominent BJP figure, L.K. Advani, suggested that a meeting of political parties should be convened to discuss the issue "particularly in the context of black money and curbing money-power in elections".
BJP leader Narendra Modi
Narendra Modi
Narendra Damodardas Modi is the current Chief Minister of the Indian state of Gujarat.He was born in a middle class family in Vadnagar; and is a member of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh since childhood, as also an active politician since early in life. He holds a masters degree in political...
posted on his Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
account that he was praying for Hazare's health. He also published an open letter to Hazare thanking him for the latter's support for the development work in Gujarat. Modi also warned Hazare of possible vilification by a certain 'powerful-group' that wishes to defame Modi and Gujarat. He reiterated his support for the Jan Lokpal Bill.
Communist Party of India (Marxist)
The Communist Party of India (Marxist)
Communist Party of India (Marxist)
The Communist Party of India is a political party in India. It has a strong presence in the states of Kerala, West Bengal and Tripura. As of 2011, CPI is leading the state government in Tripura. It leads the Left Front coalition of leftist parties in various states and the national parliament of...
came out in support of Anna Hazare. Prakash Karat
Prakash Karat
Prakash Karat , born on February 7, 1948 in Letpadan, Burma is a communist politician in India and the current General Secretary of the Communist Party of India since 2005.-Education and early career:...
pledged support to Hazare over the Jan Lokpal Bill.
Background
Following Anna HazareAnna Hazare
Kisan Baburao Hazare , popularly known as Anna Hazare is an Indian social activist and a prominent leader in the 2011 Indian anti-corruption movement, using nonviolent methods following the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi...
's initial protest, a second major protest took place at the Ramlila Maidan, New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
on June 4, 2011. The leader for these protests was Swami Ramdev; his aim was to highlight the need for strong legislation to repatriate black money
Indian black money
Black money refers to funds earned on the black market, on which income and other taxes has not been paid. The total amount of black money deposited in foreign banks by Indians is unknown, but one estimate by R Vaidyanathan, a Professor of Finance, estimated the total at over ₹ 7,280,000...
deposited abroad. Ramdev demanded that untaxed money invested abroad should be declared to be the wealth of the nation and, further, that the act of caching money alleged to have been obtained illegally in foreign banks should be declared a crime against the state. It is estimated that around $350 billion to $1.4 trillion worth of black money is stashed away in foreign banks.
Ramdev declared that a people's movement to liberate the country from rampant corruption and build a strong spiritual ‘Bharat' would be launched by him in June. The movement was called "Satyagraha against Corruption". He declared one of the main objectives of the movement was to bring about an end to corruption and bring back black money stashed away in various financial institutions in the country and abroad. Four senior Union Ministers Pranab Mukherjee
Pranab Mukherjee
Pranab Kumar Mukherjee is the current Finance Minister of India and leader of the current Lok Sabha.Mukherjee is a senior member of the Cabinet Committees on Economic Affairs, Infrastructure, Parliamentary Affairs, Political Affairs, Prices, Security, Unique Identification Authority of India,...
, Kapil Sibal
Kapil Sibal
Kapil Sibal is an Indian politician and lawyer. He is currently the Minister of Communications and Information Technology. He also held the two ministries Ministry of Science and Technology and Ministry of Earth Sciences in the First Manmohan Singh Cabinet...
, Pawan Kumar Bansal
Pawan Kumar Bansal
Pawan Kumar Bansal is a member of the 15th Lok Sabha of India.He is currently the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs. He was also Minister of State, Ministry of Finance and Minister of state for Parliamentary Affairs in the First Manmohan Singh Cabinet...
and Subodh Kant Sahay
Subodh Kant Sahay
Subodh Kant Sahay is a member of the 14th Lok Sabha of India. He represents the Ranchi constituency of Jharkhand, and is a member of the Indian National Congress political party. He is the Cabinet Minister for Tourism. He was the Minister of State for Home in V P Singh government when Mufti Mohd...
met Ramdev to discuss his issues and demands at Delhi Airport on June 1, 2011. Back-channel talk between two sides were held in The Claridges, New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
on June 2, 2011. The next day, talks were held for a third time between the ministers and Ramdev and both sides claimed consensus. The government gave a response to the demands but Ramdev planned to go ahead with his hunger strike.
The ground protests
A volunteer centre at the extreme end of Ramlila Maidan was set up and the ground was booked for 40 days for the protest. 250000 square metres (2,690,977.6 sq ft) of overhead waterproof tenting and 650 toilets were stationed inside the maidan, out of which 40 percent were designated for women. A drinking water facility, medical facility and a media centre with three communication towers.Ramdev claimed that Bharat Swabhiman Yatra had evoked massive support from the masses and more than 10 crore people had been directly involved with the movement. His yatra ended on June 1 at Ujjain
Ujjain
Ujjain , is an ancient city of Malwa region in central India, on the eastern bank of the Kshipra River , today part of the state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the administrative centre of Ujjain District and Ujjain Division.In ancient times the city was called Ujjayini...
in Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and Indore is the largest city....
after traveling over 100000 kilometres (62,137.3 mi) across the country. Almost 3.2 million "netizens" joined the campaign.
Police action
On the midnight of 5 June, police raided the site where Ramdev was fasting and forcefully detained him and removed his supporters from the site after firing tear gas shells and resorting to lathicharge to end his day-old indefinite hunger strike. Seventy-one people were injured and moved to hospital, four of whom were reported to be in critical condition. Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee called the police action "unfortunate", but added that the government had to do that as Ramdev had no permission to hold a protest at the Ramlila Ground.About 5,000 supporters were still missing according to Ramdev. Jadeep Arya, a key advisor on Ramdev’s team, said that about 19 girls students from the Chotipur Gurukul who were seated near the dais were thought to be still missing. Behen Suman, women’s representative of the Trust, said many of these girls were roughed up when the police tried to reach Ramdev and were crying since police officials were pulling their hair, dragging them and their clothes were torn. Police, however, said no one was missing.
There is an allegation that CCTV footage of the raid is missing.
He maintained that second phase of Bharat Swabhiman Yatra would begin from October 2011 year and the Yatra would once again travel a distance of 100000 kilometres (62,137.3 mi).
Police clarification
A senior police officer commented on the police action saying, "there were talks in the police headquarters since June 2 that Baba Ramdev would be detained as we knew he is definitely not going to hold a yoga camp." Allegedly, Ramdev's detention was not a spontaneous decision but had been planned for several days.The police said Ramdev was informed around 11 pm (IST) on Saturday that his permission to continue his agitation had been cancelled. By that time, over 5000 police officers, including 12 battalions of the Delhi Police, three battalions of Rapid Action Force
Rapid Action Force
The Rapid Action Force is a specialised wing of the Indian CRPF . It was established on 11 December 1991 and became fully operational in October 1992, to deal with riots & related unrest...
, two of Central Reserve Police Force
Central Reserve Police Force
The Central Reserve Police Force also known as CRPF is the largest of India's Central Armed Police Forces. It functions under the aegis of Ministry of Home Affairs of the Government of India. The CRPF's primary role lies in assisting the State/Union Territories in police operations to maintain...
commandos and local police were briefed by senior police officers to get ready for action. The Ramlila Ground was then surrounded by several buses and tempos, heading towards the ground from Haryana
Haryana
Haryana is a state in India. Historically, it has been a part of the Kuru region in North India. The name Haryana is found mentioned in the 12th century AD by the apabhramsha writer Vibudh Shridhar . It is bordered by Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and by Rajasthan to the west and south...
, Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
, Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
and Punjab but were sent back from the borders.
Protest against police action
On 6 June, the National Human Rights Commission of IndiaNational Human Rights Commission of India
The National Human Rights Commission of India is an autonomous statutory body established on 12 October 1993, under the provisions of The Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993 .-Functions:...
issued notices to the Union Home Secretary, Delhi Chief Secretary and the Delhi City Commissioner of Police seeking reports within two weeks regarding the midnight crackdown at the Ramlila Ground.
In a response to the crackdown on Ramdev, Hazare said that he would hold a one-day hunger strike at Jantar Mantar on 8 June. The venue was changed to Rajghat when he could not get police permission to do so.
Aftermath
Protests were held in many different parts of country, including the cities of ChennaiChennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
, Bangalore
Bangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
, Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
, Hyderabad, Jammu
Jammu
Jammu , also known as Duggar, is one of the three administrative divisions within Jammu and Kashmir, the northernmost state in India.Jammu city is the largest city in Jammu and the winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir...
, and Lucknow
Lucknow
Lucknow is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh in India. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of Lucknow District and Lucknow Division....
. Protests against the action also spread to Nepal.
Civil society response
Ramdev accused the government of not being serious about discussing issues of corruption and black money, alleging that government negotiator Kapil Sibal had cheated him through a "scheming and cunning" attitude. He alleged that there was a conspiracy to kill him and a "threat" was given to him during a meeting with senior ministers. He also claimed that the ruling government chairperson Sonia Gandhi and the United Progressive AllianceUnited Progressive Alliance
The United Progressive Alliance is a ruling coalition of center-left political parties heading the government of India. The coalition is led by the Indian National Congress , which is currently the single largest political party in the Lok Sabha...
government will be responsible for any threat to his life and alleged that he was nearly strangled by the police. After being evicted from Delhi, Ramdev wanted to continue his fast from Noida
Noida
Noida , short for the New Okhla Industrial Development Area, is an area in India under the management of the New Okhla Industrial Development Authority . Noida came into administrative existence on 17 April 1976 and celebrates 17 April as "Noida Day". It was set up as part of an urbanization...
but was denied permission to do so by the Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
government. He decided to continue his hunger strike and satyagraha
Satyagraha
Satyagraha , loosely translated as "insistence on truth satya agraha soul force" or "truth force" is a particular philosophy and practice within the broader overall category generally known as nonviolent resistance or civil resistance. The term "satyagraha" was conceived and developed by Mahatma...
from Haridwar
Haridwar
Haridwar is an important pilgrimage city and municipality in the Haridwar district of Uttarakhand, India...
only until June 12, 2011.
Hazare said there might have been some faults with Ramdev's agitation but that the beating up of people at night rather than in the day-time was a "blot on democracy" and that "there was no firing otherwise the eviction was similar to Jallianwala Bagh incident
Jallianwala Bagh massacre
The Jallianwala Bagh massacre , also known as the Amritsar massacre, took place in the Jallianwala Bagh public garden in the northern Indian city of Amritsar, and was ordered by Brigadier-General Reginald E.H. Dyer...
." He said that the "strangulation of democracy" would cause civil society to launch protests throughout the country to "teach government a lesson". Other civil society leaders, such as Arvind Kejriwal
Arvind Kejriwal
Arvind Kumar Kejriwal is an Indian social activist fighting for greater transparency in Government. He was awarded Ramon Magsaysay Award for Emergent Leadership in 2006, for activating India's Right to Information movement at grassroots and social activities to empower the poorest citizens to...
, also termed the use of police force on non-violent sleeping protesters as undemocratic. Shanti Bhushan and Swami Agnivesh also criticised the police action to end the hunger strike.
Government response
Congress General Secretary Digvijay Singh called Ramdev a "cheat" and "fraud". According to him the government had reached an agreement before the protests were held. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh wrote to Ramdev, asking to cease-and-desist from holding the protests.Nationalist Congress Party
Nationalist Congress Party
The Nationalist Congress Party is a centre to centre left political party primarily based in the state of Maharashtra, India.-Background:...
General Secretary Tariq Anwar said that "Both Hazare and Ramdev are blackmailing the government and they should first peep into their own hearts." Pawan Bansal
Pawan Kumar Bansal
Pawan Kumar Bansal is a member of the 15th Lok Sabha of India.He is currently the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs. He was also Minister of State, Ministry of Finance and Minister of state for Parliamentary Affairs in the First Manmohan Singh Cabinet...
commented on the midnight police action and said that "It was not a crackdown, we [the government] had to do it to maintain law and order".
Political party response
- Bharatiya Janata PartyBharatiya Janata PartyThe Bharatiya Janata Party ,; translation: Indian People's Party) is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Indian National Congress. Established in 1980, it is India's second largest political party in terms of representation in the parliament...
: The party called the police action to break up the hunger strike "undemocratic". BJP President Nitin GadkariNitin GadkariNitin Gadkari ;is a senior Indian politician and the current President of the Bharatiya Janata Party. He is best known for the works during his tenure as a Public Works Department Minister in the state of Maharashta when he constructed a series of roads, highways and flyovers across the state...
said they will organize a 24-hour long Satyagraha at Rajghat independent of government's permission. Nitin Gadkari further added; "Women and children were attacked. They were lathi charged and teargas was used. This reminds us of the Emergency days in 1975. We strongly condemn it," and "The Prime Minister and Sonia Gandhi used force on democratic ways of protest against corruption and black money. I condemn the action of Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi. They should apologize for the act," Gujarat Chief MinisterChief MinisterA Chief Minister is the elected head of government of a sub-national state, provinces of Sri Lanka, Pakistan, notably a state of India, a territory of Australia or a British Overseas Territory that has attained self-government...
Narendra ModiNarendra ModiNarendra Damodardas Modi is the current Chief Minister of the Indian state of Gujarat.He was born in a middle class family in Vadnagar; and is a member of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh since childhood, as also an active politician since early in life. He holds a masters degree in political...
strongly condemned the incident comparing atrocities on Ramlila ground by comparing the government with RavanaRavana' is the primary antagonist character of the Hindu legend, the Ramayana; who is the great king of Lanka. In the classic text, he is mainly depicted negatively, kidnapping Rama's wife Sita, to claim vengeance on Rama and his brother Lakshmana for having cut off the nose of his sister...
-LilaLilaLila , or Leela is a concept within Hinduism literally meaning "pastime", "sport" or "play". It is common to both non-dualistic and dualistic philosophical schools, but has a markedly different significance in each. Within non-dualism, Lila is a way of describing all reality, including the cosmos,...
further adding that “It is one of the worst days of Indian history. The Prime Minister had said during the elections that he would bring back black money stashed in Swiss banks within 100 days of coming into power. But today, it is two years and nothing has happened.” Senior BJP leader Lal Krishna AdvaniLal Krishna AdvaniLal Kishanchand Advani known as Lal Krishna Advani is a Veteran Indian politician. A former president of the Bharatiya Janata Party , which is currently the major opposition party in the Indian Parliament. He also served as a Deputy Prime Minister of India from 2002 to 2004...
said that the police action reminded him of the Jallianwala Bagh massacreJallianwala Bagh massacreThe Jallianwala Bagh massacre , also known as the Amritsar massacre, took place in the Jallianwala Bagh public garden in the northern Indian city of Amritsar, and was ordered by Brigadier-General Reginald E.H. Dyer...
and added that the police crackdown on Ramdev is a "naked fascism". Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma SwarajSushma SwarajSushma Swaraj is an Indian politician of the Bharatiya Janata Party and Member of Parliament. She is currently the Leader of the Opposition in the 15th Lok Sabha. She is a former union cabinet minister of India and a former Chief Minister of Delhi. Also she served as the Chairperson of the BJP's...
said: "This is not democracy... the police cannot alone had taken such a step. It had the approval of the Prime Minister and full approval of the Congress President.
- Bahujan Samaj PartyBahujan Samaj PartyThe Bahujan Samaj Party is a centrist national political party in India with socialist leanings. It was formed to chiefly represent Bahujans , referring to people from the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Castes as well as Buddhists. The party claims to be inspired by the...
: BSP leader and Uttar PradeshUttar PradeshUttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
Chief Minister, MayawatiMayawatiMayawati is the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, India. She heads the Bahujan Samaj Party, which represents the Bahujans or Dalits, the weakest strata of Indian society. This is her fourth term as Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh...
, condemned the government's midnight crackdown on Ramdev and demanded that Supreme Court of IndiaSupreme Court of IndiaThe Supreme Court of India is the highest judicial forum and final court of appeal as established by Part V, Chapter IV of the Constitution of India...
order an investigation into the incident stating that justice cannot be expected from the Central Government.
- Samajwadi PartySamajwadi PartySamajwadi Party is a political party in India. It is based in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It describes itself as a democratic socialist party...
: Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh YadavMulayam Singh YadavMulayam Singh Yadav in Hindi मुलायम सिंह यादव is an Indian politician and has influence mainly in Uttar Pradesh state of India...
condemned the incident saying that the action shows Centre has lost its mental balance. Charging the ruling Congress PartyIndian National CongressThe Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
, Yadav further said: "A Congress leader said that Baba is a thug. I want to say that Congress is the biggest thug and it should introspect its deeds. "The government swooped down on Ramdev and his supporters as if it were carrying an attack on a foreign enemy," Yadav told reporters at a press conference.
- Rashtriya Janata DalRashtriya Janata DalThe Rashtriya Janata Dal is a political party in India, based in the state of Bihar. The party was founded in 1997 by Laloo Prasad Yadav. The party came about as a result of Lalu Prasad Yadav, ex-president of Janata Dal, being evicted by Sharad Yadav, the then president, on corruption charges ...
: RJD leader Lalu Prasad YadavLalu Prasad YadavLalu Prasad Yadav is an Indian politician from Bihar. He was the Minister of Railways from 2004 to 2009 in the ruling United Progressive Alliance government, and the President of the Rashtriya Janata Dal political party...
accused Ramdev of being a front for the Rashtriya Swayamsevak SanghRashtriya Swayamsevak SanghRashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh or National Patriotic Organization), also known the Sangh, is a right-wing Hindu nationalist, paramilitary, volunteer, and allegedly militant organization for Hindu males in India...
.
- Communist Party of India (Marxist)Communist Party of India (Marxist)The Communist Party of India is a political party in India. It has a strong presence in the states of Kerala, West Bengal and Tripura. As of 2011, CPI is leading the state government in Tripura. It leads the Left Front coalition of leftist parties in various states and the national parliament of...
: CPI(M) termed the police action at the protest site of Ramdev as "deplorable and shortsighted". However, they found fault with the yoga guru for making the issue of black money "farcical" by entering into a secret agreement with government. "The manner in which Ramdev's demands were drafted and the way in which he has conducted his interactions with the government, coming to a secret agreement to withdraw the hunger strike on the basis of assurances, then reneging and announcing its extension trivialised the seriousness of the issue of black money and made it farcical," the party said.
- Shiv SenaShiv SenaShiv Sena , is a political party in India founded on 19 June 1966 by Balasaheb Thackeray. It is currently headed by Thackeray's son, Uddhav Thackeray...
: The Shiv Sena strongly condemned the police action against Ramdev.
- Janata Dal (United)Janata Dal (United)Janata Dal is a political party in India with political presence mainly in Bihar and Jharkhand. Janta Dal party mentor and patron is "Veteran Socialist leader" George Fernandes; George Fernandes broke away from the erstwhile Janata Dal and formed the Samata Party in 1994. Presently it is led...
: Nitish KumarNitish KumarNitish Kumār is an Indian politician currently serving as Chief Minister of Bihar, an eastern state of India. He leads the Janata Dal party...
, leader of JD(U) and the Chief Minister of BiharBiharBihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
, condemned the attack saying "It is a major blow to democracy and an attack on the democractic rights of the people ... It is also an attack on the fundamental rights of the citizens.”
Suo Moto cognizance by the Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of IndiaSupreme Court of India
The Supreme Court of India is the highest judicial forum and final court of appeal as established by Part V, Chapter IV of the Constitution of India...
issued notices to the Union Home Secretary, Chief Secretary of Delhi, Delhi administration, and Delhi Police Commissioner asking them to respond within two weeks, after taking suo motu cognizance of forceful eviction of Ramdev and his followers from the Ramlila ground.
However, the court declined to entertain a petition filed by advocate Ajay Aggarwal, who said that no First Information Report
First Information Report
A First Information Report or FIR is a written document prepared by the police in India, Pakistan and Japan when they receive information about the commission of a cognizable offence. It is a report of information that reaches the police first in point of time and that is why it is called the First...
had been registered against the police officials. The bench expressed its displeasure that before the matter came up for hearing, the entire contents of the petition had been leaked to the media.
The Supreme Court on August 29, 2011, blamed the Delhi Police for the forcible eviction of Ramdev Baba and public who had gathered at Ramlila ground on June 5, 2011. The Delhi Police had earlier refused to file suo moto cognizance of the brutality on innocent protesters, as advised by Supreme Court of India.
Background
On July 18, 2011, Hazare declared that he had written a letter to the Prime Minister about his decision to go on an indefinite fast from 16 August at Jantar Mantar. Hazare said that it was the right of Indian citizens to protest and the government could not crush their movement, unlike the Ramlila ground protests. Hazare declared that he was ready to get arrested and beaten up and informed the Delhi Police about his protest.Hazare's crusade for a strong Lokpal Bill found support in Mumbai as the Mumbai Taximen's Union, comprising over 30,000 taxis, agreed to extend their support to Hazare's cause on 16 August. The union's decision came after a meeting with Hazare's team in Mumbai. The union's proposal was to keep all taxis off the roads or ply less taxis on August 16. The Mumbai chapter of India Against Corruption claimed that till 26 July, nearly 44,000 people had shown interest in joining the protest from August 16.
In Allahabad
Allahabad
Allahabad , or Settled by God in Persian, is a major city of India and is one of the main holy cities of Hinduism. It was renamed by the Mughals from the ancient name of Prayaga , and is by some accounts the second-oldest city in India. It is located in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh,...
, the legal community expressed their support of Hazare's campaign against corruption. Lawyers of Allahabad High Court
Allahabad High Court
The Allahabad High Court or the High Court of Judicature at Allahabad is a high court having jurisdiction over the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh since 1950...
held protests in support of Anna Hazare at Allahabad by burning copies of the Lokpal Bill, blocking roads and shouting slogans against the callousness of the government. They also pledged to go on a hunger strike at Allahabad from August 16 in support of Anna Hazare.
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad also came out in support of Hazare's movement, saying that for a strong Lokpal Bill, people from across the country should support his campaign.
In a poll conducted by India Against Corruption in Karnataka, about 94.3% of Chikkaballapur constituency
Chikballapur (Lok Sabha constituency)
Chikballapur Lok Sabha constituency is one of the 28 Lok Sabha constituencies in Karnataka state in southern India. This constituency came in to existence in 1977 after the reorganization of Indian states...
and 79.7% of Bangalore South
Bangalore South (Lok Sabha constituency)
Bangalore South Lok Sabha constituency is one of the 28 Lok Sabha constituencies in Karnataka state in southern India.-Assembly segments:...
wanted to bring the prime minister under the ambit of the Jan Lokpal Bill. The results showed that a majority of the population wanted the Jan Lokpal Bill to be passed by the Parliament and not the "watered down, toothless" bill drafted by the government. The 6,000 participants at the referendum also said that being representatives of the people, members of parliament should vote for the Lokpal, not as directed by their parties, but as by the voice of the majority in his/her constituency. The participants also voted to bring judges under the Lokpal, give adequate powers to the Lokpal to dismiss officers guilty of corruption, monitor corruption at the central as well as state level through Lokayuktas, and to bring all levels of officers under the bill. The questionnaire had a set of eight questions that brought out crucial differences between the Jan Lokpal Bill and the Lokpal Bill put forth by the government, and asked for the people's vote on the same. Around ten parliamentary constituencies across the nation conducted a similar exercise and the results from the nation-wide campaign will be consolidated and presented to the members of Parliament in time for the monsoon session.
Hazare's arrest
On the morning of 16 August 2011, Hazare, along with close associates, was remanded to judicial custody for seven days. Hazare was picked up by police at about 7.30 am from a residence in east Delhi for "intending to defy prohibitory orders". Late afternoon, he was produced before a special executive magistrate. After he refused to sign a personal bond to be allowed to get out on bail he was remanded in judicial custody for seven days. Within hours of his detention, a spokesperson for Team Anna said that he had begun his hunger protest while in police custody and that he was not accepting even water to drink. The arrest of Hazare and some of his close associates, set off a groundswell of protests across the country and this appeared to be spreading quickly. The arrest was condemned by political parties, the chief ministers of some non-Congress ruled states, non-government organizations and even parliament did not transact any business after an uproar on the issue forced an adjournment for the day.As protests built up in several cities and towns over the arrest, Prashant Bhushan, one of Hazare's key associates, announced a march from India Gate to Parliament House on Wednesday to protest against the police action, which he said was taken at the behest of some cabinet ministers. Delhi police commissioner BK Gupta said that the police were not keen for Hazare be sent to judicial custody. He said police were prepared to release him on a personal bond if he would have given an undertaking that he would not defy Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code which prohibits the gathering of five or more people and ask his supporters not to do so also. Hazare was taken to the Tihar jail where he will spend the time in judicial custody. Kiran Bedi
Kiran Bedi
Kiran Bedi is an Indian social activist and a retired Indian Police Service officer. Bedi joined the police service in 1972 and became the first woman officer in the IPS. Bedi held the post of Director General at the Bureau of Police Research and Development before she voluntarily retired from...
, Arvind Kejriwal
Arvind Kejriwal
Arvind Kumar Kejriwal is an Indian social activist fighting for greater transparency in Government. He was awarded Ramon Magsaysay Award for Emergent Leadership in 2006, for activating India's Right to Information movement at grassroots and social activities to empower the poorest citizens to...
, Kumar Vishwas
Kumar Vishwas
Kumar Vishwas is a renowned Hindi Poet and a professor of Hindi Literature from Pilkhuwa, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh.-Early life and education:...
and Manish Sisodia, three other leading activists of Team Anna, have also been sent to judicial custody on similar grounds. In a message released after his detention, Hazare said this was the beginning of the "second freedom struggle" and he called on people to participate in a "jail bharo" agitation.
Opposition parties, peeved over the attitude of the Congress in parliament, said they would meet later today to decide on the course of action. Communist Party of India
Communist Party of India
The Communist Party of India is a national political party in India. In the Indian communist movement, there are different views on exactly when the Indian communist party was founded. The date maintained as the foundation day by CPI is 26 December 1925...
leader Gurudas Dasgupta
Gurudas Dasgupta
Gurudas Dasgupta is an Indian politician and a leader of the Communist Party of India. He became a member of the Rajya Sabha in 1985. He was elected the General Secretary of the All India Trade Union Congress in 2001. In 2004, He was elected to the 14th Lok Sabha from Panskura in West Bengal...
said he had proposed a boycott of parliament for three days. Communist Party of India (Marxist)
Communist Party of India (Marxist)
The Communist Party of India is a political party in India. It has a strong presence in the states of Kerala, West Bengal and Tripura. As of 2011, CPI is leading the state government in Tripura. It leads the Left Front coalition of leftist parties in various states and the national parliament of...
leader Brinda Karat
Brinda Karat
Brinda Karat is a communist politician from India, elected to the Rajya Sabha as a Communist Party of India CPI member, on 11 April 2005 for West Bengal.In 2005, she became the first woman member of the CPI Politburo...
described the arrest as "a strong attack on democratic rights". Hours after arrest of Hazare, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha and BJP leader Sushma Swaraj
Sushma Swaraj
Sushma Swaraj is an Indian politician of the Bharatiya Janata Party and Member of Parliament. She is currently the Leader of the Opposition in the 15th Lok Sabha. She is a former union cabinet minister of India and a former Chief Minister of Delhi. Also she served as the Chairperson of the BJP's...
strongly condemned the action and demanded and explanation from Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh
Manmohan Singh
Manmohan Singh is the 13th and current Prime Minister of India. He is the only Prime Minister since Jawaharlal Nehru to return to power after completing a full five-year term. A Sikh, he is the first non-Hindu to occupy the office. Singh is also the 7th Prime Minister belonging to the Indian...
saying that the government is hell-bent on crushing the civil rights of the citizens. Senior Bhartiya Janata Party leader L K Advani said he was not surprised at the detention of Mr Hazare and he charged the government with looking for scapegoats and stopping peaceful protests instead of fighting corruption. Arun Jaitley
Arun Jaitley
Arun Jaitley is a prominent Indian politician and a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party , which is currently the largest Opposition party in India...
, leader of the opposition in the Rajya Sabha
Rajya Sabha
The Rajya Sabha or Council of States is the upper house of the Parliament of India. Rajya means "state," and Sabha means "assembly hall" in Sanskrit. Membership is limited to 250 members, 12 of whom are chosen by the President of India for their expertise in specific fields of art, literature,...
, said, that it was a very sad day for Indian democracy, where the ruling government took away the right to protest and the right to dissent.
In Patna, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar
Nitish Kumar
Nitish Kumār is an Indian politician currently serving as Chief Minister of Bihar, an eastern state of India. He leads the Janata Dal party...
described the detention of Hazare and his associates as a "rehearsal of emergency" which people will never tolerate, and "a murder of democracy." Punjab chief minister Prakash Singh Badal also condemned the arrests saying that the Congress has panicked over the movement of Anna Hazare and accused Congress leaders of stashing money abroad. In Chandigarh and Ludhiana, people from all walks of life took to the streets - despite inclement weather - to join the protest for a strong Lokpal. Among them were activists of the NGOs 'India Against Corruption' and 'Awaaz' who launched a relay hunger strike. Traffic was also blocked at several intersections. Slamming the Centre for detaining Anna Hazare and his aides, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister SK Modi today called upon the people to come to the streets to hold demonstration in support of Hazare's movement against corruption "peacefully and democratically."
In Hyderabad, Telugu Desam Party
Telugu Desam Party
Telugu Desam Party or TDP is a regional political party in India's Andhra Pradesh state. It was founded by former Telugu film star N. T...
president N. Chandrababu Naidu
N. Chandrababu Naidu
Nara Chandrababu Naidu born 20 April 1950, Chittoor district, Andhra Pradesh was the President of Telugu Desam Party , a regional party in the southern India state of Andhra Pradesh from 1996 to until he resigned. He served as the Chief Minister of the State for a record holding of nine years...
asked the Prime minister Manmohan Singh to apologize to the nation for having sent Hazare and other social activists, who are fighting against corruption, to Tihar jail. In Maharashtra, crowds gathered in many cities and towns in response to Mr Hazare's call to court arrest. Thousands poured into south Mumbai's Azad Maidan since early in the morning, in preparation for the 'Jail Bharo
Jail Bharo Andolan
Jail Bharo Andolan is a method of protesting for a cause. In this the protesters voluntarily let themselves get arrested in order to fill the jails of the authority...
' programme. A large number of people courted arrest in support of the demand for an effective Lokpal. Many people wearing 'Gandhi' caps with slogans 'I am Anna' gathered at the Reserve Bank of India Square, on the busy Nagpur-Jabalpur national highway that runs through the Civil Lines area.
In a broad day light murder at Bhopal, capital of Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and Indore is the largest city....
, an RTI activist and a strong supporter of Anna Hazare's anti-corruption movement, Shehla Masood
Shehla Masood
Shehla Masood , was an environmentalist, wildlife and RTI activist. She was shot dead around 11 am on August 16, 2011 by unidentified person/person in front of her house in Bhopal while she was sitting in her car and was about to leave....
was shot dead around 11.30 am on August 16. An unidentified assailant shot her dead from point blank range while she was leaving in her car to attend a demonstration in support of Anna Hazare.
In Delhi, in protest against the arrest of Anna Hazare and his close aides by the Delhi Police, the members of All India Students Association
All India Students Association
AISA, All India Students' Association is a radical left students' organization, associated with the Communist Party of India Liberation...
showed black flags and shouted anti-government slogan against Kapil Sibal
Kapil Sibal
Kapil Sibal is an Indian politician and lawyer. He is currently the Minister of Communications and Information Technology. He also held the two ministries Ministry of Science and Technology and Ministry of Earth Sciences in the First Manmohan Singh Cabinet...
, who was to address a seminar at Malvankar Hall in city.
Hazare on August 16 asked government employees across the country to go on mass leave to show solidarity with the movement. Union Home minister P. Chidambaram
P. Chidambaram
P. Chidambaram or Chidambaram Palaniappan, sometimes written Palaniappan Chidambaram is an Indian politician with the Indian National Congress and present Union Minister of Home Affairs of the Republic of India. Previously he was the Finance Minister of India from May 2004 to November 2008...
hoped they would not respond, describing the call as "completely wrong." Hazare's close associate and lawyer Prashant Bhushan
Prashant Bhushan
Prashant Bhushan is an advocate practicing in Delhi and is a social activist. He is the son of lawyer and former Law Minister of India Shanti Bhushan.-Education:...
urged government servants to join their cause and take a mass leave for a day and join the protests in their city.
Hazare's release
After protests all over India, the Delhi Police decided to release Hazare after he had been sent to Tihar Jail for seven days. Hazare had even refused food and water intake in Tihar jail, indicating he would carry on his fast in jail. Hazare and his aides, including Kiran Bedi and Arvind Kejriwal, were first taken to the Delhi Police Officer's Mess in North Delhi and were shifted to another after Hazare's supporters gathered in large numbers at Civil Lines. The Delhi Police sent a warrant to the Tihar Jail for the release of Hazare and his supporters withdrawing bail bond conditions, which Hazare had earlier refused to sign. Over 1,500 people who have been detained for taking part in protests demanding Hazare's release were released. Congress sources said that the Government decided to release Hazare and his supporters after coming to the conclusion that keeping him in jail would disrupt law and order unnecessarily. The decision to release Hazare was made after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met party General Secretary Rahul Gandhi, who disapproved of the arrest, on the evening of August 16. Hazare supporters Kiran Bedi and Shanti Bhushan were released by the Delhi Police early on August 16. However, on release, Anna Hazare refused to leave Tihar jail until the government agreed to give unconditional permission to hold protests at JP ParkJai Prakash Narayan National Park
Jai Prakash Narayan National Park is a famous park in new Delhi named after Jai Prakash Narayan. CPWD looks after it....
.
Anna Hazare agreed to leave jail after Delhi Police
Department of Police, Delhi
The Department of Police , also known as Delhi Police , is the main law and order agency for the National Capital Territory of Delhi...
granted him permission to fast for 15 days against corruption at Ramlila Maidan, a larger venue than JP Park
Jai Prakash Narayan National Park
Jai Prakash Narayan National Park is a famous park in new Delhi named after Jai Prakash Narayan. CPWD looks after it....
. However, he had to spend another night in jail as the venue was not ready. On 19 August, at around 12noon IST
Indian Standard Time
Indian Standard Time is the time observed throughout India and Sri Lanka, with a time offset of UTC+05:30. India does not observe daylight saving time or other seasonal adjustments, although DST was used briefly during the Sino–Indian War of 1962 and the Indo–Pakistani Wars of 1965 and 1971...
, Anna left Tihar jail after 3 days. Supporters welcomed him with spontaneous roar as he headed towards Delhi's Ramlila Maidan to launch his hunger protest.
Parliamentary debate
A debate on the Jan Lokpal bill was held in ParliamentParliament of India
The Parliament of India is the supreme legislative body in India. Founded in 1919, the Parliament alone possesses legislative supremacy and thereby ultimate power over all political bodies in India. The Parliament of India comprises the President and the two Houses, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha...
on 27 August 2011. With Hazare demanding three pinciples, (i) citizen charter, (ii) lower bureaucracy to be under Lokpal through an appropriate mechanism and (iii) establishment of Lok Ayuktas in the states, both houses of Parliament
Parliament of India
The Parliament of India is the supreme legislative body in India. Founded in 1919, the Parliament alone possesses legislative supremacy and thereby ultimate power over all political bodies in India. The Parliament of India comprises the President and the two Houses, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha...
agreed to the principles. It was then that Hazare agreed to break his fast after 12 days starting from 16 August 2011. However, Anna finally decided to break his fast on 28 August instead as he did not wish to break his fast after sunset. At the time of breaking his fast, he said he was suspending his fast for the time being and will end it only after the strong Lokpal bill is passed by the Indian Parliament.
Detailed timeline
- Campaigners for India Against CorruptionIndia Against CorruptionIndia Against Corruption is a people's movement to demand comprehensive reforms of anti-corruption systems in India. Several eminent citizens have come together to force the Government of India to enact the Jan Lokpal Bill .- Strategy :...
(IAC) estimated that a petition circulated in the city of PunePunePune , is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula ...
which demanded that the government enact a bill had attracted between 5000 and 6000 signatures between 3 April and 5 April. Hazare has been involved with IAC, a group established by various prominent activists with the primary purpose of achieving the legal enactment and subsequent enforcement of a strong version of the Jan Lokpal bill.
See also
- Corruption Perceptions IndexCorruption Perceptions IndexSince 1995, Transparency International publishes the Corruption Perceptions Index annually ranking countries "by their perceived levels of corruption, as determined by expert assessments and opinion surveys." The CPI generally defines corruption as "the misuse of public power for private...
- Corruption in IndiaCorruption in IndiaPolitical, bureaucratic, corporate and individual corruption in India are major concerns. A 2005 study conducted by Transparency International in India found that more than 55% of Indians had first-hand experience of paying bribes or influence peddling to get jobs done in public offices...
- India Against CorruptionIndia Against CorruptionIndia Against Corruption is a people's movement to demand comprehensive reforms of anti-corruption systems in India. Several eminent citizens have come together to force the Government of India to enact the Jan Lokpal Bill .- Strategy :...
- International asset recoveryInternational asset recoveryInternational asset recovery is a term used to describe efforts by governments to repatriate the proceeds of corruption hidden in foreign jurisdictions. Such assets may include monies in bank accounts, real estate, vehicles, arts and artifacts, and precious metals...
- Occupy Wall StreetOccupy Wall StreetOccupy Wall Street is an ongoing series of demonstrations initiated by the Canadian activist group Adbusters which began September 17, 2011 in Zuccotti Park, located in New York City's Wall Street financial district...
- 2011 Spanish protests2011 Spanish protestsThe 2011 Spanish protests, also referred to as the 15-M Movement and the Indignants movement, are a series of ongoing demonstrations in Spain whose origin can be traced to social networks and Real Democracy NOW among other civilian digital platforms and 200 other small associations...
- 2010–2011 Greek protests2010–2011 Greek protestsThe 2010–2011 Greek protests are an ongoing series of demonstrations and general strikes taking place across Greece. The protests, which began on 5 May 2010, were sparked by plans to cut public spending and raise taxes as austerity measures in exchange for a bail-out, aimed at solving the...
External links
- * A documentary film about Anna Hazare and the Jan Lokpal movement.
- India Against Corruption — Official website
- IAC Public Community
- PM writes to Shri Anna Hazare — pmindia.nic.in