Anna Hazare was a catalyst for what needed to be done.

Minister of state for communications and information techno-logy and twice-elected MP from Rajasthan, Sachin Pilot is amongst the Congress's Young Turks. Analysing the Jan Lokpal movement, the nation's mood and the path to reforms, Pilot spoke with Monobina Gupta on challenges the Congress faces: 

How has the Anna Hazare-led Jan Lokpal movement affected the Congress? 

This government has committed itself to implementing the Lokpal Bill and ensuring the institution of a strong Lokpal. As a nation and a democracy, we have been able to reach an understanding. Thousands of victorious people left the Ram-lila Ground, convinced that our Parliament would work towards ending corruption. 

Anna's taking up the issue and getting mass support resonated with the government, the party and Parliament. Rarely does a country with a democracy the size and scale of India take up an issue highlighted by an individual and his team. Rarely does it become a national issue, addressed in such forceful fashion within Constitutional and legislative propriety. Anna, no doubt, was a catalyst for what needed to be done. 

But could the Congress have handled events better? 

From early this year, we were in touch with Anna's team mem- bers and Anna himself. I think a lot of issues were not understood - particularly the timeline Team Anna had in mind. In a democracy, you cannot circumvent certain issues. Anna's team understood this later. Importantly, red tapism and corruption are two different issues. A single Lokpal Bill cannot eliminate all ills. Accountability and transparency are as necessary as e-governance and digitalisation of government services in making a paradigm shift in governance. 

What should the government's relationship with civil society and movements be? 

India is a country where protests, peaceful movements, divergent views have been the norm, rather than the exception. You need multiple voices - which is why our demo-cracy, riding out many problems, has flourished. It is the bureaucrats' job to draft Bills. But this time, we had civil society members as part of the drafting committee which included five ministers as well. Extraordinary circumstances demanded extraordinary measures. 

Government and civil society have always engaged with each other. They should do so more in the future. We welcome suggestions, particularly from grassroots people on improving governance. But the consultative process must also protect the sanctity of Parliament and its legislative prerogative. 

Has Indian democracy emerged stronger ? 

I certainly think so. The process of discussions, negotiations and talks made us more resilient. What could be better than a jubilant people conveying their sentiments to Parliament? It's a great lesson learnt. 

Alongside politics, there are perceptions the Congress is going slow on economic reforms. Your view? 

We require a guarded approach on how quickly and what areas to reform. A lot has been gained from the last two decades of reforms. At the same time, our cautious policies shielded us against global economic meltdown. Reforms are important - but we also must be mindful of tens of millions of people who need the government to reach out to them. Reforms do not mean giving up your constitutional obligation towards the poor. Social welfare and reforms should go hand in hand. 

Those on the socio-economic fringes need support. The Congress needs to focus on them. At the same time, we have to also look after aspiring India - which wants more liberalisation.

Advani's yatra 'gimmick', says Anna Hazare

Anna Hazare today called L K Advani's proposed yatra against corruption as a "gimmick" and said he would not support the BJP unless it backs the Jan Lokpal Bill in Parliament and its governments enact a legislation for appointing Lokayuktas in states. 

Hazare, who was on a 12-day fast demanding strong Lokpal in New Delhi last month, tore into the Congress and UPA Government saying many people "inside the Congress think they are the Prime Minister". "If Advani is serious on the issue of corruption, then instead of yatra, he should ask all BJP-ruled states to enact legislation for appointing Lokayuktas...it is a gimmick," he told. 

"Absolutely not. If BJP says that they support Anna then they should bring Lokayukta bill in their states. First bring Lokayukta and then (ask for) support," he said in a response to a question whether he would join any political yatra, especially the one to be undertaken by Advani soon. Hazare said he and his team would support BJP only if states ruled by the party Lokayuktas and back "Jan Lokpal in total" in Parliament. 

Criticising Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Home Minister P Chidambaram and HRD Minister Kapil Sibal, Hazare, who was part of the Joint Drafting Committee along with the three, said they "behaved like prime ministers". To a specific question about the three ministers, he said: "Everyone knows that they behave like Prime Ministers. Why do you want me to spell it out?" 

Hazare said he would support a front consisting of non-corrupt people from non-BJP, non-Congress parties but not lead them. "I will support them but not lead them. Because that is the only solution to make a strong nation. The good people of all parties can come together and I will tell the people of the country to support them," the Gandhian said. 

However, Anna was evasive to a pointed question why he had not raised his voice against the absence of a Lokayukta in Gujarat for the last seven years. "Why just Narendra Modi? We should think about the entire country. There should be Lokayukta in every state," he said. In a climb down, Hazare said he would not insist on death sentence for corrupt as it goes against Gandhian principles. 

They should be put in prison for their life, he said, admitting that he changed his views after people told him that his demand would not be in accordance with Ganhdian ethos. Accusing Chidambaram of "masterminding" his arrest on August 16, Hazare said: "The government wanted to do a Ramdev on me. It had kept a plane ready to take me from Tihar jail to Mula Dam in Maharashtra. But Chidambaram's strategy boomeranged on the government," he said. 

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is a nice person, but is "ineffective" because he was "remote-controlled" by senior ministers, Hazare alleged. Asked would he begin his protest again if the Standing Committee does not agree to his demands, Hazare said: "Yes. We will protest but not against Parliament...We will see those who oppose it in the standing committee and we will start singing bhajans in front of the houses of those parliament members." 

"No, not at all...there is no question of politics in this," he said when asked whether it wasn't politics. Hazare lavished praise on Indira Gandhi saying she worked for the poor in the country. "She was elected as the Prime Minister. They should look at that," he said. "Absolutely," was all he said when asked whether Singh should learn from Indira Gandhi. 

Asked whether his movement is being politicised, Hazare said: "That will happen...this happened many times in my life...When I protested during Congress government, BJP and Shiv Sena leaders were roaming around me...that govt went and BJP-Shiv Sena came to power. Congress did graduation and the latter got a doctorate." 

He said if he comes to know black money is used in his movement he will not lead it. "Till the time I will be associated with this movement, I want it to be clean. It should be spotless. People who write and say, are they honest? How can we believe they are honest? The colour of spectacles we wear, we see the world in that colour," he said.

Will support political party that fights graft: Anna Hazare

Very few social activists have captured the attention of Indians across the globe as Anna Hazare did during his "fast unto death" over the issue of the Lokpal Bill in New Delhi in April 2011. Hazare, a Gandhian by belief, outlook and practice, has become the face of India's fight against corruption. During his fast over the Lokpal Bill, Hazare, a quintessential traditional Indian by looks and mannerism, managed to inspire and mobilize the support of even the ultra-modern Indians - Indians for whom the word "social" only means having a profile on social networking sites. The "Anna Hazare fast" can be described as the first real "social networking movement" in India. Hazare, a former Army man, began his social activism from Ralegan Siddhi, a village in Ahmednagar district in Maharashtra, where he successfully led a movement against alcoholism and made Ralegan Siddhi a "model village". Hazare's campaign was instrumental in the implementation of the Right to Information Act in Maharashtra, which is considered one of the best RTI Acts in India. A Ramon Magsaysay award winner, Anna Hazare, like his idol, Mahatma Gandhi, has triggered a debate over the use of fast as a means of protest in India. By sheer commitment and simplicity, he has demonstrated that Gandhian principles are relevant even in the 21st-century India.
Anna Hazareon Tuesday said he is ready to campaign for and support a like-minded non-Congress, non-BJP political outfit that is corruption-free but won't join politics. 


The 74-year-old civil society leader criticised Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, saying he is remote controlled by many people and is not allowed to do anything. "I feel Manmohan Singh is not the only PM, a lot of people inside the Congress think they are the PM. If they want to run the government, whether it is Sonia Gandhi or Manmohan Singh they will have to take people along with them," Hazare said in TV interview. He suggested that Manmohan Singh should learn from former prime minister Indira Gandhi. "There was one Indira Gandhi who worked for the poor in the country; she was elected as the PM. They should look at that," he said. Hazare, who sat on a 12-day fast last month for a stringent anti-corruption law, said he will again start the protest if the parliamentary standing committee that is examining the government's Lokpal bill, Hazare's Jan Lokpal bill and a draft submitted by activist Aruna Roy does not agree to their demands. "Yes, we will protest but not against the parliament...we will see those who oppose it in the standing committee and we will start singing bhajans in front of the houses of those parliament members who are opposing such a nice bill which can improve the country," he said of the Jan Lokpal bill. According to Hazare, he is ready to campaign for a political outfit that promises to fight against corruption. "I will support them but not lead them as I am an ordinary man. The good people of all parties can come together and I will tell the people of the country to support them." Replying to a question on allegations about source of funds for his India Against Corruptionmovement, Hazare said: "This is not a matter of worry for me. I will not allow black money in my movement against corruption." "If I get to know if black money is used, I will not stay in this movement I don't like it. Till the time I will be associated with this movement, I want it to be clean. It should be spotless," he added. 

Anna Hazare to campaign against MPs opposing Jan Lokpal Bill in 2014 general election.

 Hoping to carry his anti-graft campaign forward, Anna Hazare on Sunday announced that he would travel across the country to educate the people about the various provisions of the Jan Lokpal bill and also exhort them to vote against the MPs opposed to their version of the legislation during the next general election. 

"The government Lokpal draft was fraudulent.Corruption would increase if a legislation is passed on the basis of government's draft,'' the Gandhian, who had in August undertaken a 13-day-long fast at the Ramlila Grounds in the Capital to press for the acceptance of the Jan Lokpal bill, told newspersons in his village, Ralegaon Sidhi, in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra at the conclusion of two-day meeting of his core committee members. "We will also see which member of the Standing Committee opposes the Jan Lokpal bill," Hazare said, adding that houses of such members would be gheraoed. The standing committee on law and justice, which is headed by Congress Rajya Sabha member Abhishek Manu Singhvi, is presently studying the various versions of the Lokpal bill. "People should stage a sit-in in front of their houses and chant Raghupati Raghav Rajaram, he said, adding he would campaign against MPs opposing the Jan Lokpal bill in the 2014 Lok Sabha election. "I will tour constituencies where these MPs will seek re-election and urge people not to vote for them,'' Hazare said. Reiterating that that the second battle for Independence had begun, Hazare expressed confidence that, "eventually, victory will be ours." "It is not Hazare, but God who was behind the success of the anti-corruption agitation," he observed and urged his supporters not to let the torch of this anti-corruption agitation douse till the country is rid of corruption,'' he said. Hazare also announced that he will undertake a countrywide tour next month after his health improves. Talking about his fast at the Ramlila Maidan, he said, "There were five to six people in the UPA government to consider themselves as Prime Minister. During my 12-day fast, there was nobody to take decision. Sonia Gandhi had gone abroad. The government's position had become weird. Aiming at devising a strategy for passage of the Jan Lokpal Bill in Parliament, the two-day meeting of the core committee of Team Anna began in Ralegan Siddhi on Saturday.


Key members of Team Anna -- including Arvind Kejriwal, Kiran Bedi, Santosh Hegde, Shanti Bhushan, Prashant Bhushan and Manish Sisodia -- are present in the meeting, which is being described as the first formal engagement after Hazare's fast in New Delhi last month. The meeting commenced at 11:30 am. Before commencement of the meeting, Hazare told PTI that he core committee will discuss the outcome of the agitation and also decide on the future course of action.


"People must ask the parliamentarians about their role in the Jan Lokpal Bill movement. People must be careful while electing the MPs in future. Those MPs who are either against the Jan Lokpal Bill or passive about it must not be given a second chance. The fight against corruption would continue till India is freed from corruption," he said.


According to insiders, the meeting will also discuss ways to further mobilise public opinion in favour of the Jan Lokpal Bill to make it an instrument for achieving the goal of a corruption-free India.