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Maidan makes merry
Anti-graft fight brings out shades of secularism
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People hail debate on bill
Jan Lokpal not sacrosanct: Dikshit
Aamir sings Anna’s praises
Anna is a tough man, say docs
Wear Anna cap to fight graft, says Bedi
Hooda backs Rahul on lokpal
Vande Mataram translator joins Anna
Face painters make quick buck
3 Metro stations near Parliament shut
Sonu Nigam sings
CM justifies tariff hike
Brainwave of CBSE to boost reading habits
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Maidan makes merry
New Delhi, August 27 The jubilation was palpable after Kiran Bedi hinted at the passing of the Jan Lokpal Bill, and then addressed the audience about the message--"Annagiri"--that they would take home. A few hours later after the address by Kiran Bedi, the public movement spearheaded by Anna Hazare did become successful when the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha accepted his three demands: the lower level bureaucracy to come within the ambit of the Lokpal Bill, constitution of Lokayuktas in states and strict punishment for officials who violate the citizen's charter. Parliament will, thereby, recommend forwarding Hazare's three demands on the Lokpal Bill to the Standing Committee. While addressing the audience, Bedi said that Hazare's cap will be an identification of the people who support him. "Anna's cap should always stay with you as it is an identification card. If someone asks you for a bribe, take out your Anna cap and wear it. And instead of a bribe, give the person the cap. Give it to someone who does a good deed, and therefore deserves it. This is called Annagiri, which will help you oppose corruption. Main bhi Anna tu bhi Anna," she said, while addressing the jubilant crowd. However, Bedi said that Anna's cap must not be used for vandalism. "Anna ki topi dadagiri nahi hai, aap durupyog nahi karoge," she added. The locals living at Turkman Gate and Bazar Sitaram heaved a sigh of relief as the demonstrations at the Ramlila Maidan will come to an end. The residents consist mainly of a Muslim population, who had trouble while going to their houses as the police had barricaded the road in front of the Delhi Stock Exchange building. Owing to rowdy elements, the people faced problems when they went to pray at the mosque adjacent to the
Maidan. |
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Anti-graft fight brings out shades of secularism
New Delhi, August 27 The slogan "Anna ke char sipahi, Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Isayi" (Anna's four soldiers-Hindu, Muslim, Sikh and Christian) seemed to have caught the attention of many at the ground, which remained packed with enthused supporters irrespective of caste and communities. "People should understand the real essence of nationalism and if one misses this opportunity, he or she is not living. All should participate in this anti-corruption movement," said Shiv Mohan, who has been supporting this historic struggle since April when Anna declared the civil society's demand for a stringent and comprehensive Lokpal legislation. Today as Anna, who has attained a larger-than-life figure, has managed to mobilise people under a civil movement, supporters from across the country are asserting the need to route out corruption. They maintain that a change can be possible only if all stand firm against the corrupt elements. According to one Tanha Qureshi, a resident of Turkman Gate, corruption is a national issue and has managed to unite people of all religions. "This is a national movement and all even Muslims should participate in it. The issue has affected everybody and all now want a law against it. Anna's movement has managed to do it. This may not wipe corruption entirely but a start has been made," said Qureshi, a businessman, who comes to the Maidan every evening. Throughout the day, there were pro-nationalist slogans and the national song, "Vande Mataram" kept the area reverberating with supporters' hands rising high in solidarity to the cause that has seen a new resurgence in the nation. In this context, some Muslim supporters maintained that clerics may denounce uttering Vande Mataram as anti-Muslim, but as a matter of fact love for motherland is a compulsion in Islam. Giving out a strong message as a secular Indian, Qureshi said, "If corruption is controlled, communalism can be controlled to some extent, if not fully. The biggest misconception is that Muslims are not a part of this revolution. Many do not come as it is the month of "Ramzaan" and people generally prefer to remain away from worldly affairs." |
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People hail debate on bill
New Delhi, August 27 With the agitation nearing a resolution, people relaxed and many praised Anna's stand through the fast. People's views were diverse but all of them expressed satisfaction on what they hoped would be a resolution to the 12-day-long agitation. Anish Mehta, a businessman from east Delhi, said, "I am keeping my fingers crossed for the vote in Parliament. The government has gone forward and backward on its word so often that it has become difficult to trust anything it says. However, still it is a big achievement for Anna that the Jan Lokpal Bill has been debated in Parliament. I am amazed at the amount of effort that Anna and thousands of his supporters have made to get this one debate in Parliament." Anahita Misra, a doctor, said, "Since this agitation started, I have been visiting the Ramlila Maidan and offering my support to Anna. This is one of the most pertinent struggles in the history of our nation and we are lucky to have a leader like Anna to take us through it. I am rather confused with the government's stand changing every few hours and we really do not know what to believe. But I am confident that a vote will be held in Parliament and the position of the different political parties on the bill will become clear. The debate is a milestone in Anna's fight against corruption and I am expecting more developments in the evening." Karan Gill, a student from JNU said, "It is something to be a part of a non-violent movement and see it happening around you. I have been supporting Anna's andolan from the day one. It is a big day for Anna, with the politicians and the government finally bowing to the will of the nation and hoping that a vote is held in Parliament followed by the issuance of a resolution. The government is elected by the people and it owes this to the people." "I have also been extremely worried about Anna's health. I hope he breaks his fast tomorrow. The agitation is going to be a long-term affair and we need Anna. The government is not going to pass the bill very easily, it will need a well-executed agitation that runs out over a longer period of time to push the government to act. We have found a leader in Anna who reflects the voice and heart of the people and we need him in good health to manage this. There are many other issues that needed to be taken up," he added. |
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Jan Lokpal not sacrosanct: Dikshit
New Delhi, August 27 The notes have been distributed to defend the government as the BJP has decided to gherao the government on the issue of corruption. The BJP has been demanding resignation of the Chief Minister on the basis of CAG and Shunglu Committee report that pointed out financial irregularities in the Games projects constructed by the Delhi government. Talking to media after the CLP meeting, the Chief Minister said that the Jan Lokpal Bill is "not sacrosanct" as the civil society members themselves have amended it "10-12 times" and argued that the government's views on Lokpal can also be incorporated in the law to be passed. The CAG report, which was tabled in Parliament, has pointed out several "irregularities" in various projects, including streetlight and streetscaping, undertaken by the government in the run-up to the Commonwealth Games held in October last year. The Delhi government had rejected all the allegations made against her in the report. Dikshit has already said that her name was not mentioned in the CAG report. She said today that the CAG report would not be discussed in the Assembly as it is before the Public Accounts Committee that will take the final decision. She said, "The Speaker will have to take a decision on the issue." When asked about the BJP's planning during the session, the Chief Minister said that the opposition was never serious about any solution to the problem. The House will sit for only five days for the monsoon session. On the Shunglu Committee report, Dikshit said that a group of ministers appointed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was examining the findings of the report and the Delhi government has already sent a paragraph-wise response to the home ministry. The CLP also passed a resolution appreciating Rahul Gandhi's speech on Lokpal Bill in the Lok Sabha yesterday. The Chief Minister said, "We passed a resolution congratulating Rahul Gandhi on the statement he made in Parliament yesterday, reiterating the supremacy of parliamentary institutions in the country." |
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Aamir sings Anna’s praises
New Delhi, August 27 The actor said he favoured the Jan Lokpal Bill and would lend his support to the activist's fight for a stronger anti-corruption law. "I request Anna to end his fast as the process of getting a bill passed in Parliament is long," said Aamir, expressing concern his over Anna's health. He said the corruption was a serious problem in our society and only the adoption of a bill will not remove it. "Even if the bill is passed today, we still have to be aware of our actions and take a moral responsibility towards it," he said. "Every citizen of India wants to get rid of corruption. The bill proposed by team Anna is a powerful instrument to check corruption. All eyes are on Parliament. The country needs a stronger Lokpal Bill," said Aamir. Hirani said it was incredible to see so many people fighting for the same cause. Aamir hoped that the MPs would have a constructive debate in Parliament for making a powerful bill. He entertained the protestors at the venue by singing a song from his movie "Lagaan". He appealed to Anna to call off his fast by saying that the country needs a leader like him for taking forward various other struggles. "The struggle against corruption has just begun. We are still away from the pinnacle that would be reached only when we get a stronger Lokpal Bill," he said. |
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Anna stable but weak, loses 7.5 kg
New Delhi, August 27 Asked about the reason for Hazare being stable even after so many days of fast, Trehan said: "He regulates his fluid balance on his own and says that he knows how to regulate his internal system. He is habituated to it." Trehan further said Anna's energy is coming from his "reservoir". "His vital signs and today's blood test are stable," he said. "Blood pressure, that was earlier steady, has come down and his heart rate has increased. The cause of worry is the falling blood pressure," Trehan told reporters here at Ramlila Maidan. Anna's blood pressure is around 120-130 mmHG (millimetres of mercury). "With 12 days of fast, he is bound to get weaker. We can only advise him to get hospitalised. He will take time to recuperate," said Trehan. Hazare, 74, has been surviving only on water since Aug 16, when he started his fast against corruption.
— IANS |
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Anna is a tough man, say docs
New Delhi, August 27 "For anybody else his age, it would have been very difficult. He is a tough man," a senior doctor in the team examining Anna said. "When you talk to him, you feel there is a strong sense of responsibility driving him," the doctor told IANS on condition of anonymity. According to doctors, the situation would have gone worse for anybody within 48 hours of fasting in that manner. "It is rare for someone to survive on plain water for so many days. Water alone can help in maintaining blood pressure, but it can't keep you going for so many days," Anoop Misra, director of Fortis Hospital and HoD of Diabetes and Metabolic diseases, said. Anna has been fasting since August 16 - over 270 hours so far - demanding a more inclusive Lokpal Bill. "I am not aware of Anna's medical history, but his system seems well adapted to a low calorie diet. His body composition is enabling him to withstand the weakness, and yet address the crowds at intervals," Misra added. However, in the long run such fasting can cause damage to vital organs such as kidneys, brain, and heart, they said. "The vital parameters may remain fine. But if the fasting continues, the body condition tends to deteriorate. It affects the liver and the kidneys," Randeep Guleria, professor and HoD of pulmonary medicine at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), told IANS. "Temporary changes reverse after proper diet. Water during fasting helps maintain the electrolyte level," Guleria added. Health experts explained that the body starts using stored proteins, leading to production of ketones. This causes further weakness, cramps, and dizziness. "There could be a genetic strength also. But the immunity might weaken in later stages, or the bones can become thinner because of age," Misra added.
— IANS |
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Wear Anna cap to fight graft, says Bedi
New Delhi, August 27 "All of you who are wearing the Anna cap, I suggest that you should carry this with you to uproot corruption from your lives. Every time an official asks you for bribe, just wear the Anna cap to put across your message," Bedi said to loud applause from the huge crowd. "In fact, I suggest that all of us should always carry the Anna cap with us. Whenever and whoever asks us for bribe - whether to make a passport or driver's license, or lodge a police complaint - just wear the cap and maybe gift one to the person too! Let the person be ashamed for his act," she added. "Remember, this is not just the Ramlila Maidan where the effigy of Ravana is burned during Dasehra, but it is also the Annabhoomi where corruption was brought to an end," Bedi further said. Some enterprising businessmen decided to make a quick buck out of
the Anna mania to mass produce the thin cloth caps and merchandise it. — IANS |
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Hooda backs Rahul on lokpal
New Delhi, August 27 In a statement, Hooda also appreciated the suggestion to make Lokpal a statutory body on the pattern of the Election Commission. He appealed to the people to cooperate in this fight against corruption and added that corruption could not be eliminated only through Lokpal. He said that it required the firm commitment of every individual that he or she would not indulge in any corrupt practice directly or indirectly. He said that Mr Rahul Gandhi has rightly pointed out that apart from implementing an effective Lokpal law, a set of effective laws that address critical issues are also necessary. These issues include government funding of elections and political parties, transparency in public procurement, continued tax reforms to end tax evasion. While describing evasion of tax as the mother of all kind of corruption, he said that he fully agreed that Lokpal was only a part of the system to eliminate corruption. He said that any individual could not eliminate corruption and it could be controlled with the cooperation of the people. |
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Vande Mataram translator joins Anna
New Delhi, August 27 Solanki, whose flair for languages has also been recognised by British Queen Elizabeth, then filed a PIL in the Supreme Court in 2010, but the matter was quashed, leaving him dismayed. His talent also gave him a place in the Limca Book of Records in which he holds a record for translating the National Anthem-"Vande Mataram" into 34 languages (12 Indian and 22 foreign). While his hopes remain on the national honour, he sat at the Ramlila Maidan to support the fight against corruption with a crisp message-"Meeting-eating-cheating-beating". "Our MPs are busy in meetings, thrive on bribes, play tactics with the public and lathicharge to crush people's voice. The common man of this country is getting poorer and many go hungry. 'Jiski lathi, uski ki bhains', but there has to be an end to this corrupt system. This fight will go on," said Solanki. Thus, the public voice against corruption is getting shriller with each passing day as more and more victims of corruption lending their voice to the larger cause. |
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Face painters make quick buck
Armed with a tray of small bottles of saffron, white and green, the colours constituting the Indian flag, and a paint brush, the 28-year-old who works in an import-export firm paints the faces of hundreds of supporters thronging the ground. "I work here everyday for around 12 hours and the business is roaring," Singh told IANS while painting the Tricolour on a supporter's forehead. "I've told my boss that I am down with viral, so he gave me a week off," he chuckled. Singh earns Rs 4,500 every month but that is peanuts compared to what he is earning at the Ramlila Maidan. "I make an average of Rs 600 daily. Till now I've already earned Rs 3,000 which is amazing," he said. But he said: "I know this is not forever, but I pray that it stretches as long as possible as the money is good. However, Anna should end his fast immediately." There were many others like Singh who too were making hay while the sun shone. "I work in a binding factory in Ghaziabad with my father and he has sent me here as the money is good and the work is not very tiring," said 15-year-old Sanjeev Rana who earned around Rs 1,000 per day. "I use better quality paints than others so I have more customers," added Rana whose family's monthly income is around Rs 10,000. "Initially, only school and college kids visited us, but now our customers are from all age groups. A septuagenarian lady visited me with her grandson," Rana said. When asked whether they wanted the agitation to end as it will also bring the curtains down on their business, the painters said the anti-corruption campaigner should end his fast but desired that the agitation continue.
— IANS |
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3 Metro stations near Parliament shut
New Delhi, August 27 Following the suggestion of the Delhi Police, the DMRC closed three Metro stations - Udyog Bhawan, Central Secretariat and Patel Chowk - on the Huda City Centre-Jahangirpuri corridor from 4 pm to 7pm. This decision of the police and the DMRC created problems for the commuters but the people cooperated with them and avoided criticising the agencies. |
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Sonu Nigam sings
New Delhi, August 27 He posted on micro-blogging site Twitter after meeting Hazare: "It was like meeting a true child saint. Touched his cheeks just instinctively. He said 'Mujhey Oorja mila hai aapkey aaney aur gaaney
se.” — IANS |
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CM justifies tariff hike
New Delhi, August 27 The hike was even opposed by the Congress MLAs. At a meeting of the Congress Legislature Party, senior MLAs, including Mukesh Sharma and Subhash Chopra, demanded an immediate rollback of the hike. They said that hike of 22 per cent will be too much burden on the citizens as they are already bearing the brunt of high inflation. However, defending the power tariff, the Chief Minister said that the cost of power has increased manifold in the last few years with the increase in the cost of power. Private power distribution companies are finding it difficult to cope with the situation. The hike has come after six years, she said and added that the government will be able to give its full reaction when the entire report is studied. Asked whether the government will continue with the subsidy to those who limit their consumption to 200 unit per month, power minister Haroon Yusuf said a decision will be taken after going through the order of DERC which fixed the rates. Meanwhile, CPI (M) Delhi State Committee demanded an immediate withdrawal of the
hiked prices. The committee said if its demand is not met, activists of the Left parties will stage a dharna and protest at various places in the Capital. It is totally anti-people. |
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Brainwave of CBSE to boost reading habits
The list has been prepared by a panel of writers and experts in consultation with the Association of Writers and Illustrators for Children (AWIC). The books are written by prominent Indian authors whose works have not been included in the CBSE syllabus so far. It is said that it would be easy for the students to understand books of Indian authors. Break fast, pray students
Student activists involved in Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU) elections are praying for an early end to Anna Hazare's fast. The reason: Anna's fast has pushed the news relating to DUSU elections to the background in the print media. Newspapers which normally carry detailed reports of students' activities are now full of news relating to the fast. The fervour that grips the north campus at this time of the year is also missing. Further, candidates and their supporters are struggling to come up with concrete strategies. Everyone is now watching with fingers crossed the impasse between the government and Anna and waiting for the day when newspapers start covering the DUSU polls in a big way. Time for Anna aides to follow suit
As no end was in sight to the indefinite fast undertaken by Anna Hazare over the Jan Lokpal Bill, people's attention has turned to the members of Team Anna. Supporters thronging the Ramlila Maidan, the venue of the fast, have started debating why the team members of the septuagenarian Gandhian are not going on fast at least now. The other members of the team are having their meals and snacks regularly even as their leader has been fasting for the past 12 days risking his life, the visitors ask. Merrymakers galore
Ramlila Maidan has become a place of enjoyment for local people who visit there just to see the film actors and singers like Om Puri, Amir Khan, Malini Awasthi and others. They do not have any feeling for the movement against corruption launched by Hazare. A large number of people in stylish clothes, speaking in local dialects of Old Delhi, are seen there during the day. They leave the Maidan just after the sunset. (Contributed by Charu Singh, Jyoti Rai, Himani Chandel, Syed Ali Ahmed ) |
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As the whole nation came united under Anna's fight against corruption, the fading shades of secularism also came alive at the Ramlila Maidan where the crowd today swayed with the wave of nationalism.
New Delhi, August 27
The CBSE has recently introduced an exhaustive reading list of English books for students between classes V and XII. The idea behind the list is to inculcate reading habits in students.