Anna Hazare wakes up to 2014: Fast ‘waste of time’

Unlike their earlier protests,the latest fast was marked by poor turnout.

“I do not think the government has the intention of taking strong steps against corruption. Many people are asking me to give an alternative. Now I think that they are right and it is time to give the country an alternative,” he said. “We want a political alternative. But I will not launch or join a party. People should decide who should be given tickets and how to achieve that alternative system.”

Team Anna member Prashant Bhushan sought responses from the people within the next 48 hours on a “political alternative”. Sources in the core committee said while Hazare is opposed to the idea of launching a political party,some like Bhushan and Arvind Kejriwal have been pushing for it since February.

“Do you think Team Anna should give the people a political alternative? Reply yes,no or can’t say,” tweeted India Against Corruption (IAC) from the team’s official Janlokpal handle.

However,differences within the members on the issue were apparent. Core committee member Santosh Hegde raised questions on the contours of the proposed “political alternative”. “If any decision was taken in the core committee on this,I am not aware of it,” he said.

While Kiran Bedi asked people to “vote with their brains”,Kumar Vishwas said the question of whether IAC should launch a political party is “an open debate”.

Within hours of Bhushan’s statement seeking feedback from the people,an e-mail from Chandramohan,representative of the Chennai India Against Corruption (IAC) chapter in the core committee,was circulated among a section of IAC members questioning the Delhi-centric decision-making process. “If going political is what we want,then why even go through this. I certainly don’t want Annaji or others to suffer in this fast but this is a protest without any clear strategy. It feels like we were just going through the motions and just given up,” said the e-mail.

While Chandramohan later denied having written the e-mail,he admited that it was sent from his e-mail account. “I do not understand what is happening,” he said.

Darshak Hathi,another core committee member,said the political alternative in question is unlikely to be a political party as Hazare is opposed to it. “He wants us to support good people as candidates. But if some others want a political party,let us see how things shape up,” he said.

Other core committee members said their views on going political had not been sought,although a meeting was held this morning to explore ways to call off the fast.

IAC sources said a “powerful section” within the group had been pushing for calling off the fast with the announcement of a new political outfit. In April,when former core committee member Mufti Shamoon Qasmi walked out of the core committee meeting,he had alleged that he was accused of recording discussions on whether they should fight elections in Himachal Pradesh. At that time,Team Anna had denied any such discussion.

Earlier in the day,a group of eminent personalities,including jurist V R Krishna Iyer,former Army Chief Gen V K Singh,former CEC J M Lyngdoh and Kuldeep Nayar,appealed to Team Anna to end the fast.

“We call upon Anna Hazare and all his associates who have been on an indefinite fast to give up on their expectations from this establishment. Instead we call upon them to focus their energies on creating an alternative political force that is democratic,accountable,ethical and non-violent and capable of leading an electoral revolution to democratise and decentralise power and make the power structures of the country more accountable to the people,” they said in their letter which was read out at the protest site.