Team Anna breaks fast, announces fromation of political party

Zeenews Bureau

New Delhi: Anna Hazare and his team broke their fast at Jantar Mantar on Friday evening. Former Army chief General VK Singh offered coconut water to the Gandhian. Gen Singh also offered the same to his other fasting members, Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and Gopal Rai.

Announcing the formation of a political party, Anna Hazare and his team said that they were forced to go the political way as the government had become unresponsive.

A huge crowd of Anna supporters and others were present to witness Anna Hazare, Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and Gopal Rai break their fast. The last three had begun their fast July 25 and were joined by Anna on July 29.

Former Army chief Gen (Retd) VK Singh was on the dais with other Team Members. Gen Singh was among 23 eminent personalities who had written a joint letter to Team Anna appealing them to end their fast and instead work towards providing a political alternative to the country.

Throwing light on the way forward, Anna Hazare said, “I did not break fast because we got scared of the government. I am breaking fast by the hands of the people whose hands are clean.”

Anna Hazare said that he and his team were forced to course of politics as the government had become unresponsive.

Referring to the 2014 General Elections, Anna said that he will roam the whole country and will awaken the people of the country.

Anna also said something which he has said before, “I have no bank balance, live in the village. I did not marry but I have a big family.” “People who live only for themselves die. Those who live for the nation, actually live,” he said

Anna reiterated that he will continue his fight till his last breath.

The announcement of the formation of the political party was made by Arvind Kejriwal who said that they will form their ‘own party’. “Public will suggest the name of our political party and what the manifesto will be,” he said. “We will tour the country to select for clean candidates. This is the time for total revolution,” he added. “Many ministers in the cabinet are scared of the Lokpal Bill."

Also speaking on the occasion General VK Singh said, “We appeal to team Anna that the fast is fine but if they want to bring a change they have to enter the political arena.” “It seems that the nation has become directionless. We have to join Anna and give a political alternative to the country.”

“If the youth want, they can change the fate of the nation. Attempt will be made to dissuade good people but you have to carry on,” Singh added.


Source: Zeenews 

Who is Anna Hazare?

He once contemplated suicide and even wrote a two-page essay on why he wanted to end his life. Anna Hazare was not driven to such a pass by circumstances. He wanted to live no more because he was frustrated with life and wanted an answer to the purpose of human existence.

The story goes that one day at the New Delhi Railway Station, he chanced upon a book on Swami Vivekananda. Drawn by Vivekananda's photograph, he is quoted as saying that he read the book and found his answer - that the motive of his life lay in service to his fellow humans.

Today, Anna Hazare is the face of India's fight against corruption. He has taken that fight to the corridors of power and challenged the government at the highest level. People, the common man and well-known personalities alike, are supporting him in the hundreds swelling to the thousands.

For Anna Hazare, it is another battle. And he has fought quite a few. Including some as a soldier for 15 years in Indian Army. He enlisted after the 1962 Indo-China war when the government exhorted young men to join the Army.

In 1978, he took voluntary retirement from the 9th Maratha Battalion and returned home to Ralegaon Siddhi, a village in Maharashtra's drought-prone Ahmadnagar. He was 39 years old.

He found farmers back home struggling for survival and their suffering would prompt him to pioneer rainwater conservation that put his little hamlet on the international map as a model village.

The villagers revere him. Thakaram Raut, a school teacher in Ralegaon Siddhi says, "Thanks to Anna's agitations, we got a school, we got electricity, we got development schemes for farmers.''

Anna Hazare's fight against corruption began here. He fought first against corruption that was blocking growth in rural India. His organization - the Bhrashtachar Virodhi Jan Andolan (People's movement against Corruption). His tool of protest - hunger strikes. And his prime target - politicians.

His weapon is potent. In 1995-96, he forced the Sena-BJP government in Maharashtra to drop two corrupt Cabinet Ministers. In 2003, he forced the Congress-Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) state government to set up an investigation against four ministers. 

Maharashtra stalwarts like Sharad Pawar and Bal Thackeray have often called his style of agitation nothing short of "blackmail".

But Anna Hazare has soldiered on relentless. From one battle to another in his war against corruption. He fought from the front to have Right to Information (RTI) implemented. He is now fighting for the implementation of the Jan Lokpal Bill, an anti-corruption bill drafted by leading members of civil society that envisages speedy action in corruption cases against everyone, including ministers and senior bureaucrats.

More than 30 years after Anna Hazare started his crusade, as the 72-year-old observes a hunger strike in Delhi against large-scale corruption at the national level, nothing really has changed except the scale of his battle.

Source: ndtv

Read more at: http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/who-is-anna-hazare-96883&cp