New Delhi, March 23 (IANS): Social activist Anna Hazare launched a fresh anti-corruption agitation with an indefinite fast here on Friday and vowed it to continue it till the Modi government comes up with an action plan on Lokpal appointment, remunerative crop prices and election reforms.
The activist, who held a major agitation in 2011 against corruption catching the imagination of Indians, said Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh and some ministers from Maharashtra met him on Thursday and gave certain assurances.
The anti-corruption activist said the agitation had begun on March 23 -- the day Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev were hanged during British rule.
“They laid down their lives not just for independence from British but for democratic rule as well. But what happened? Democracy has not been established in our country yet,” he said.
Hazare has been pressing for setting up a Lokpal at the Centre and Lokayuktas in the states to probe corruption cases, bring in new electoral reforms and implementation of the M.S. Swaminathan Committee report to address the agrarian crisis in the country.
According to police, the agitation witnessed participation of about 5,000-6,000 people, mainly from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Assam.
Hazare took a dig at the Modi government for creating hurdles for farmers wanting to join him. “They have stopped trains and buses so that people who want to join us don’t reach here. But it will not deter us.”
A Maharashtra farmer from Ahmednagar, Popatrao Sathe, said people from his area were not allowed to board the train by police at Bhusawal on Thursday night. Some farmers said they dodged the police and made it to Delhi.
Rakesh Pegu from Assam’s Madhuli said he was compelled to participate in the agitation as the livelihood of farmers was at risk due to consistent incidences of price fall.
Hazare said the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP), which decides prices for 23 crops, should be made autonomous for fair price fixation.
Currently, the Central government controls the CACP and cuts the fair price rates suggested by states by 30-35 per cent, he said.
While thanking former Karnataka Lokayukta Santosh Hegde for being with him since 2011, Hazare said “I am thankful to him for being with us today. There was a team in 2011. Later many became ministers, Chief Ministers and Governors. But Hegde remained with us.”
