By Girish Kumar Dubey
Three days prior to veteran Indian social activist Anna Hazare's proposed indefinite hunger strike demanding a strong law to fight the prevailing mushrooming graft in the country, the run up to the protest seemed to be warming up across India.A group of theatre artistes staged an anti-corruption rally at Varanasi in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh on Friday (August 12).Marching through the streets and lanes of the temple city, these theatre artistes raised anti corruption slogans other than enacting a play in which the commoners were characterised as slaves and federal government as a dictator.Ajay Roshan, an artiste and protestor said the federal government must give a serious thought to the proposals of Hazare and his associates vis-à-vis the Lokpal (ombudsman) Bill."The government's version of the Lokpal (ombudsman) Bill, is complete fraud and we want that the adaptation of Mr. Anna Hazare's (veteran social activist) suggestions should be passed in the Indian Parliament. And ahead of the Independence Day we have gathered here as we want an end for the corruption mushrooming in the country and thus help the progress of the nation," Ajay Roshan, theatre artiste.The participants in this unique rally raised slogans in support of Hazare and the Jan Lokpal Bill mooted by him and like-minded social activists.The much-debated Lokpal Bill, which aims to set up an anti-corruption watchdog in the country, was tabled in the Lok Sabha (lower house of the Indian parliament) on August 4.Hazare and his supporters, however, burnt copies of the bill in various cities, claiming that the Bill tabled in its present form in the parliament lacked teeth to counter corruption.The opposition parties too termed the government's draft Bill introduced in the Lok Sabha as toothless.While the civil society activists including Anna Hazare and his team are garnering public support against the government's draft Bill, the government is in a rush to get it passed in the Parliament.Meanwhile at Bangalore in India's southern state of Karnataka, supporters and activists of the Lokpal (ombudsman) Bill, addressed the mediapersons to highlight their plan of action in crusading for the enactment of an effective Lokpal Bill.Under the banner of 'India Against Corruption' these activists of Bangalore said that they would be conducting a symbolic cleanliness drive in the city to motivate people to join the movement."We have a slew of programmes that we have coming up, starting from tomorrow towards the 16th (August) where Anna Hazare will start his fast. So tomorrow since it is clean up of India, clean it from corruption we are saying we are not just protesting we are also doing work on the ground. So tomorrow we will clean up one of our major markets which is the Yashwantpur market in Bangalore; we will pass the message of cleanliness, we will pass the message of India without corruption," said Meenakshi Bharat, member Loksatta Party and Lokpal Bill activist, Bangalore.Corruption and a series of graft cases have proven to be the key issue plaguing the ruling federal government led by the Congress Party.The final meeting between the government and the civil society representatives on the drafting of the Lokpal Bill had ended on June 22, with differences on six key issues which included the Prime Minister, the higher judiciary, and lawmakers, being brought under the purview of the Lokpal.The civil society members also differed with the government over the mode of selection of the Lokpal panel and removal of its members.Graft has long been a part of daily life in India, but a series of recent scandals - which include violations in granting telecom licences that cost the country $39 billion in lost revenue - are unprecedented.
Three days ahead of veteran Indian social activist Anna Hazare's indefinite hunger strike demanding a strong law to fight spiralling graft in the country, a group of theatre artistes stage an anti-corruption rally in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh.
PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT CONTAINS CONVERTED 4:3 MATERIAL
VARANASI, UTTAR PRADESH, INDIA (AUGUST 12, 2011) (ANI-NO ACCESS BBC)
1. THEATRE ARTISTES SINGING PATRIOTIC SONGS DURING THE PROTEST RALLY
2. AN ARTISTE HOLDING A BANNER AND PLEADING BEFORE A PAAN (BETEL) SHOPOWNER
3. RALLY IN PROGRESS
4. PROTESTING STAGE ARTISTES WEARING MASKS AND HOLDING BANNERS
5. PROTESTORS RAISING SLOGANS
6. STATUE OF MAHATMA GANDHI, FATHER OF THE NATION
7. PROTESTORS SINGING SONGS
8. (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) AJAY ROSHAN, A THEATRE ARTISTE, SAYING:
"The government's version of the Lokpal (ombudsman) Bill, is complete fraud and we want that the adaptation of Mr. Anna Hazare's (veteran social activist) suggestions should be passed in the Indian Parliament. And ahead of the Independence Day we have gathered here as we want an end for the corruption mushrooming in the country and thus help the progress of the nation."
BANGALORE, KARNATAKA, INDIA (AUGUST 12, 2011) (ANI-NO ACCESS BBC)
9. OMBUDSMAN BILL SUPPORTERS ADDRESSING A NEWS CONFERENCE AT THE PRESS CLUB
10. MEENASKHI BHARAT, MEMBER LOKSATTA PARTY, SEATED DURING THE PRESS MEET
11. AN ACTIVIST ADDRESSING MEDIAPERSONS
12. AN ACTIVIST READING 'INDIA AGAINST CORRUPTION'
13. NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS
14. MEDIA PERSONS SEATED
15. MASK BEARING THE FACE OF ANNA HAZARE, VETERAN SOCIAL ACTIVIST AND NATIONAL CRUSADER ON OMBUDSMAN BILL
16. (SOUNDBITE) (English) MEENASKHI BHARAT, MEMBER LOKSATTA PARTY, SAYING:
"We have a slew of programmes that we have coming up, starting from tomorrow towards the 16th (August) where Anna Hazare will start his fast. So tomorrow since it is clean up of India, clean it from corruption we are saying we are not just protesting we are also doing work on the ground. So tomorrow we will clean up one of our major markets which is the Yashwantpur market in Bangalore; we will pass the message of cleanliness, we will pass the message of India without corruption."
17. ACTIVISTS LISTENING
18. A WOMAN ADDRESSING DURING THE PRESS MEET
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