Anna crusades for right to information

Hazare is keeping his fingers crossed as he hopes that the Central Government presents the Right to Information Bill in Parliament this week. “The Government has been talking about it since V P Singh was the prime minister and even I K Gujral talked about it. But nobody has taken any initiative so far.” “If the government here agrees then other states will also follow,” Hazare believes.

The workshop conducted on Sunday had a pot pourri of ideas with some participants gathering like generals preparing for a long campaign. With the aim to take on the establishment for their long-standing demand of more transparency the volunteers came up with numerousideas, some passionate and some with concrete solutions. “The internet,” said one as Hazare sitting amidst the gathering kept taking notes which came pouring in. One retired honorary captain was all for putting up the services of ex-servicemen while another recounted his experiences in dealing with the government.

An indignant gentleman even came up with a protest letter addressed to the chief minister against what he claimed to be the state government’s move to issue licences for liquor shops to freedom fighters.

Amidst the clamour, Hazare kept his mind on the issue at hand. “When we started our crusade against corruption in 1989 we realised that most of it came from a lack of transparency,” Hazare said. To ensure that they breathe life into the much postponed Rights to Information bill, Hazare and his men planned the new movement. They intend to tour all over the state to increase awareness among people on accountability.

With the citizens completely in the dark, the country had ceased to be ademocracy, Hazare felt. “Today we are at the mercy of the Government and we are not even aware of what welfare measures are being taken.” According to him, the voter has been reduced to a mere formality in the present set up.“We need to go into the villages,” he said, reflecting the grass root approach that has been his forte. “We will go from district to district talking to people who will then be sent into the villages.” They, Hazare feels, will be the ambassadors of change as they help create an opinion on the issue and bring about change.