Anna Hazare plans fast unto death for strong Lokpal bil

Veteran social activist Anna Hazare Monday said he is starting a ‘fast unto death’ to press for the demand to involve civil society in formulation of the anti-graft Lokpal (ombudsman) Bill.
‘I will fast unto death, as announced earlier, as the prime minister has refused to form a joint committee with civil society members in it for the formulation of the Lokpal Bill. Even if I lose my life, I will have no regret, my life is dedicated to the nation,’ Hazare said at a press meet here.
The Magsaysay Award winner activist, along with others, will go to Mahatma Gandhi’s memorial at Rajghat at 9.00 a.m. Tuesday morning, after which the activists will stage a march from India Gate to the Jantar Mantar, a stone’s throw from Parliament House, where Hazare will begin his fast.
Activists also called upon the nation to join the fast.
‘I appeal to the nation to join the hunger strike, and support this anti-corruption movement,’ said activist Arvind Kejriwal, who with former Supreme Court judge Santosh Hegde and Supreme Court lawyer Prashant Bhushan has drafted the Jan Lokpal Bill, the civil society’s alternate to the government drafted bill.

Anna Hazare calls for nation-wide fast

After discussions between activists and government representatives on the anti-graft Lokpal bill failed to reach a discussion, veteran activist Anna Hazare has called upon the nation to observe a fast April 5.
‘We are appealing to the whole nation to observe a day of fast on 5th April and pray to whoever God one believes in, for a corruption free India. Let the whole nation pray against corruption,’ Hazare said in a letter to leaders of all political parties.
‘I shall be sitting on an indefinite fast from April 5 at Jantar Mantar in Delhi to persuade the government to enact the Jan Lokpal Bill, which is a strong anti-corruption law drafted by some of the best brains in the country including Justice Santosh Hegde, Arvind Kejriwal, Prashant Bhushan, Shanti Bhushan and many others,’ he said.
Hazare had announced Feb 26 that he would go on an indefinite fast if the government did not include the civil society in the formulation of the anti-graft Lokpal Bill by April 4.
Even as representatives from the activists met the members of a recently formed sub-committee on the Lokpal Bill led by Defence Minister A. K. Antony, no conclusion could be reached.

Lokpal Bill: Anna Hazare to go on fast unto death

Veteran social activist Anna Hazare Monday said he is starting a fast unto death to press for the demand to involve civil society in formulation of the anti-graft Lokpal (ombudsman) Bill.
‘I will fast unto death, as announced earlier as the prime minister has refused to form a joint committee with civil society members in it for the formulation of the Lokpal Bill. Even if I lose my life, I will have no regret, my life is dedicated to the nation,’ Hazare said at a press meet here.
The Magsaysay Award winner activist, along with others, will go to Mahatma Gandhi’s memorial at Rajghat at 9.00 a.m. Tuesday morning, after which the activists will stage a march from India Gate to the Jantar Mantar, where Hazare will begin his fast.
Activists also called upon the nation to join the fast.
‘I appeal to the nation to join the hunger strike, and support this anti-corruption movement,’ said activist Arvind Kejriwal, who along with former Supreme Court judge Santosh Hegde, and Supreme Court lawyer Prashant Bhushan drafted the Jan Lokpal Bill, the civil society’s alternate to the government drafted bill.

Anna Hazare calls off fast

Veteran reformer Anna Hazare, 72, broke off his 96-hour fast Saturday with a few sips from a glass given to him by a little girl to loud cheers and the strains of Mahatma Gandhi’s favourite hymn ‘Raghupati Raghava Raja Ram’ at Jantar Mantar here. Hazare called off the protest after the government promised to bring in the Lokpal (ombudsman) bill in the monsoon session of parliament.

Anna Hazare's fast unto death for Jan Lokpal Bill begins

Gandhian Anna Hazare on Saturday called off his hunger strike bringing to an end his 98-hour protest after government issued a gazette notification constituting a 10-member Joint Committee of ministers and civil society activists, including him, to draft an effective Lok Pal Bill.

Curtains were drawn on the anti-corruption campaign that drew instant nationwide support with a little girl giving the 73-year-old activist a glass of water at 10.45 am at Jantar Mantar, the nerve-centre of the agitation for a strong legislation to combat political and administrative graft.

Earlier, Mr. Hazare offered water to some women, among the over 300 activists who had joined the fast.