Anguished Anna goes on a day’s fast against PM
Social activist Anna Hazare on Monday went on a day’s fast in the national capital, expressing his anguish at Prime Minister Narendra Modi not fulfilling promise of a corruption-free India and sitting tight for three years on implementation of the Lokpal and Lokayukta Act that could have mounted a war against the corrupt.
In a 4-page letter sent to the PM before praying at Rajghat and observing the fast on Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary, Hazare comes down heavily on the PM for his false promises of “Achchhe Din” and noting that nothing improved in the past three years.
“Neither Lokpal was appointed, nor common civil code implemented, nor black money brought back from abroad, nor people given account of black money unearthed in demonetisation, nor farmers’ suicide decreased but rather increased, nor acted upon Swaminathan Committee report on agriculture nor farmers given price based on production cost, nor security and respect of women increased but rather no day goes without atrocities on women and corruption increasing every day so much so that Forbes report puts India at No 1 in Asia in terms of corruption,” Hazare wrote in his lengthy letter in Hindi.
Pointing out that it was a people’s movement he mounted to pressurise then UPA government to get the Lokpal and Lokayukta Act passed by Parliament, he reminded Modi that he came to power selling dreams of a corruption-free India and “Achchhe din” (good days) and the people troubled by corruption trusted his big words and voted him to power.
“You will agree that people voted you on the issues of corruption and vikas (development), but corruption has rather increased in the past three years because your government did nothing to stop corruption except for the big talks. How do we expect a corruptionfree Bharat. It pains my heart.”
Hazare said he has been writing letters to the PM every year, but Modi did nothing, nor did he reply to his letters. Doing nothing to banish corruption but showing earnest hurry to do what should not be done, he said.