Democracy on the March in India

Dear friends across India,

Wow - with over 7,00,000 of us now joined together by Avaaz in India, our brand-new movement is already racking up victories almost every week! Scroll down to see highlights of the last month...

Avaaz India is also part of an amazing 82 lakh-strong global community, which is winning battles everywhere for a better world -- one free from corruption, oppression, and extreme poverty.

You can feel it and see it -- democracy is on the march in India. The Jan Lokpal bill must enter the parliament for a vote in this monsoon season. Until then, we'll meet every challenge and block every dirty tactic to ensure we get the strong and effective anti-corruption law that all Indians want.

Here's a quick summary of the last few weeks in our amazing people-powered community in India:

"I would like to thank the people of India for their immense support" -- Anna Hazare

For a strong Lokpal: In just 36 hours 6,50,000 of us stood with Anna Hazare in calling for a strong Lokpal bill. By delivering our message directly to the Prime Minister and the media we helped built enough pressure to force the Government to agree to Hazare’s demands -- and turned this into the most viral campaign in online campaigning history.

Rapid-response action against the smear: We immediately reacted and fought the Government’s smear campaign of civil society calling on PM Singh to stop the slander. We were a lone voice holding the Government accountable for their dirty tricks and attempts to derail the anti-corruption movement, but days later the smear campaign vanished from the front pages of media -- and we’ll be ready if it returns.

Solidarity at India Gate: We joined a powerful citizen’s march on May Day culminating at India gate in Delhi where candles were lit in the formation of 6,57,371 -- symbolizing the hope of thousands of Indian Avaaz members for a strong Lokpal.

Direct high-level delivery of our message: Our call for a strong Lokpal was delivered directly to Lokpal drafting committee members, in front of the media, as they began their second meeting to work on the anti-corruption bill. Civil society and media called the second meeting cooperative and commented that finally the government was beginning to show its commitment to a strong anti-corruption bill.

6 ft Lokpal-cake: In a potent symbolic gesture of starting good deeds, we offered sweets to the Lokpal committee members. Avaaz members and children from the Salaam Balak Trust wearing khadi kurtas and Gandhi caps delivered a giant 6-foot cake with our numbers, that was then cut by Anna Hazare and other members of the drafting committee.

Our message resonates at the heart of Delhi's political life: We further intensified the people-powered pressure against corruption by posting a large billboard near parliament to hold the committee members accountable -- it reads ’Either way, history will remember you’. And we will continue to post hard-hitting messages on the billboard all through next month.


Many say India is a place that will only ever change slowly. This past month we’ve just scratched the surface of our true potential to bring about an even greater India -- but already we’ve proven that great changes can happen in days. If our vision stays broad, our determination solid and our hope strong, there’s no telling what we can do in India, and in the world.

With hope and gratitude for this amazing community,

Ricken, Saloni, Shibayan, Luis, Ben, Pascal, David and the entire Avaaz team.

Media Highlights:

Business community pledges support, The Hindu - Businessline
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/features/article1628396.ece

Support to Haraze's fast swelling in region, Times of India
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-04-07/varanasi/29391906_1_anna-hazare-end-corruption-bhu

How Web 2.0 responded to Hazare, The Hindu
http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/karnataka/article1685157.ece

Indian govt grapples with hunger-striker, AFP
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gMkMWCDZplyd4VPdiSFHSHe3T2Cg?docId=CNG.cd99c4a336c0b0cca52f7a33775a7f7e.491

India: popular movement against corruption (in French only), France24
http://www.france24.com/fr/20110411-2011-04-11-1510-wb-fr-le-net#

Avaaz – the online activist network in The Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/apr/24/avaaz-activist-network-rupert-murdoch

Avaaz feature article, Times of London
http://avaaz.org/times_of_london_feature


Support the Avaaz community! We're entirely funded by donations and receive no money from governments or corporations. Our dedicated team ensures even the smallest contributions go a long way -- donate here.

Lokpal Bill drafting on fast track

NEW DELHI: The Joint Drafting Committee on Lokpal Bill on Monday decided to fast track the process of preparing the anti-corruption legislation as civil society representatives submitted two documents to the government outlining "principles and objects" for the proposed law. "The civil society members on the joint drafting committee presented a document with respect to the objects of the bill as well as a document which enunciated the general principles underlying the bill," HRD Minister and government representative in the committee Kapil Sibal told reporters after the second meeting of the committee.In a bid to fast track the drafting of the bill ahead of June 30 deadline, the committee agreed to meet again on May 7, 23 and 30 to discuss the Bill. The committee may even meet on daily basis in June to keep with the deadline to help government introduce the bill in the Monsoon session, a member said."The talks were very good. The civil society members and we will think about the proposals given by both sides and discuss again in our next meeting to be held on May 7.But the meeting was very good, very cooperative. There was no difference of opinion," Sibal said.Civil society member and lawyer Prashant Bhushan said the main focus of today''s meeting was the basic principles behind the Jan Lokpal Bill. "The discussion was on essential features, objects and reasons of the Bill which has been prepared according to the main provisions of the UN Convention against Corruption," Bhushan said.The documents also highlight the need to set up an effective anti-corruption mechanism so that the faith of the people in the system remains intact, sources said. Both sides agreed to reflect on the documents as well as other suggestions made in the meeting before the next sitting of the group on May 7.Before the introduction in Parliament, the bill has to be cleared by the Union Cabinet. Replying to a question, Sibal said there was no difference of opinion during the meeting.The civil society members explained the principles and objects they had in mind for the Lokpal Bill and "broadly discussed" the issue. "The meeting was extremely conducive to the dialogue that we have decided to initiate.We hope that by June 30 we would have decided on the broad contours and drafted a Lokpal Bill to be introduced in Parliament," Sibal said. He insisted that everything was going according to the plan and the objective is to have a strong Lokpal Bill to "fight the malaise of corruption".The first meeting of the joint committee, formed after Gandhian Anna Hazare led an agitation to press the demand, was held on April 16.

Courtesy: Expressbuzz 

Civil society members invoke U.N. Convention for independent body that covers PM, judiciary

Joint drafting panel on Lokpal Bill holds second meeting; public consultations after agreement on basic principles

Union Ministers and members of the joint committee to draft the Lokpal Bill Kapil Sibal, P. Chidambaram, Veerappa Moily and Salman Khurshid emerge from a meeting with civil society members in New Delhi on Monday. — PHOTO: RAJEEV BHATT

In the second round of discussions in the joint drafting committee on the Lokpal Bill here on Monday, members of civil society invoked the United Nations Convention on Corruption to stress that the underlying principle of the anti-corruption law should be to have an independent body that covers the highest executive and the judiciary.

The convention, to which India is a signatory but is yet to ratify it, defines ‘public official' as any person holding a legislative, executive, administrative or judicial office, whether appointed or elected, whether permanent or temporary, whether paid or unpaid, irrespective of that person's seniority.

The civil society members submitted two documents to the government members outlining ‘objects and reasons and the underlying principle' in the Jan Lokpal Bill drafted by them. They made several suggestions on the contents of the Bill and the powers and jurisdictions that should come under the legislation. They had tabled their version 2.2 of the draft Bill in the previous meeting.

To their suggestion for public consultations, the government representatives said that once there was agreement on the basic principles of the Bill, it would be put before the public.

Last week the government had sent three volumes of material on the Bill to the civil society members. Volume I comprised eight government Bills that have been drafted since 1998 when the Lokpal Bill was first introduced in Parliament. Volume II comprised the three reports of the Parliament Standing Committees on the subject. Volume III contained 14 suggestions on the draft Bill received by the government.

After the one-and-a-half-hour-long meeting on Monday, both sides expressed the desire to expedite the process of formulation of the Bill by holding quick meetings of the draft panel. The next meeting is scheduled for May 7, followed by other meetings on May 23 and 30 and, “if need be, on daily basis in June.''

“The civil society members presented a document with respect to the objects of the bill as well as a document which enunciated the general principles underlying the bill,'' Human Resource Development Minister and government representative on the panel Kapil Sibal told journalists. The panel is chaired by Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee.

Describing the meeting as “cordial,'' he said, “the civil society members and we will think about the proposals given by both sides and discuss again in our next meeting to be held on May 7.''

According to him, “the meeting was extremely conducive to the dialogue that we have decided to initiate. We hope that by June 30 we would have decided on the broad contours and drafted a Lokpal Bill to be introduced in Parliament.''

“The talks are on track,'' anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare told The Hindu.

Civil society members in the committee, Arvind Kejriwal and Prashant Bhushan also told journalists that the discussion was on essential features, objects and reasons of the Bill which had been prepared according to the main provisions of the UN Convention against Corruption.

Mr. Bhushan said as per the UN Convention Against Corruption, 2005, all signatories to it have to pass this kind of law.

 

Mass movement against graft

People from all walks of life join hunger strike against the malaise of graft

Following the Mahatma:Activists of the Anti-Corruption People's Movement holding a satyagraha against corruption in Kochi on Monday.

KOCHI: Representatives of NGOs fighting against corruption, Gandhian, consumer, RTI, environmental and religious organisations, residents associations' apex bodies, civil servants and people's representatives jointly staged a hunger strike here on Monday, demanding that the government clamp down on corruption with a heavy hand.

The stir was organised by the Anti-Corruption People's Movement at TDM Hall, demanding among other things, the making into law of the Lokpal Bill to fight corruption, as promised by the Centre before August. Prominent among the other demands is the appointment of people with credentials in the soon-to-be appointed Kerala Cabinet and at the helm in universities and PSUs. The movement has also demanded transparency in government functioning and in the handling of funds. It pledged its support to the national agitation against corruption led by Anna Hazare.

Addressing the gathering over the telephone, former Chief Election Commissioner T.N. Seshan pledged his support to the crusade against corruption.

An old problem

Former judge of the Supreme Court V.R. Krishna Iyer, who inaugurated the function, said India has been unable to check corruption and violence over 60 years since Independence. He exhorted people to have concern for their less-fortunate brethren, animals, birds and nature. Former DGP, MGA Ramen expressed shock at increasing tolerance levels among Keralites to corruption. “The youth is so fed up with the vice that they came out to support Anna Hazare's crusade.” Literary critic M.K. Sanu said that corruption must be fought tooth and nail, to cleanse society.

Former Additional Solicitor General T.P.M. Ibrahim Khan said that school and college syllabi must be revised so that the youth fight with more vigour against corruption. “We must introspect how just two lakh British soldiers could rule 20 crore Indians for 200 years. Lakhs of crores of Indian money is slashed away in secret bank accounts abroad, at a time when over half the population is living on less than Rs 20 per head per day,” said another panelist Rahul Easwar. “India's future is in the classrooms and steps must be taken to sensitise the youth on issues like corruption,” said former judge of the Kerala High Court P.K. Shamsudeen, State president of the Kerala Shanti Samithy. Swami Sunil Das spoke of how people must change their mindset that tolerates corruption. “Hands that do good deeds are better than lips that pray. Society needs to revive human values so that people desist from being selfish. Religious rituals are of no value if one does not care for others. Purity of one's mind can wipe out corruption.”Congress leader V.M. Sudheeran was the chief guest at the valedictory function. Former civil servants P.C. Cyriac and Alphonse Kannanthanam too spoke.
Courtesy: thehindu