Author: Our Political Bureau
Publication: The Economic Times
Date: June 6, 2011
Introduction: Anna to undertake a day's fast
in Delhi on Wed as a mark of protest against brutal police action
If Sadhvi Ritambhara's presence at Baba Ramdev's
anticorruption fast threatened to break up civil society coalition, then the
government's midnight police action helped paper over the sense of unease.
In the aftermath of the police action, the civil society came together to
express solidarity with Baba Ramdev and condemned the government. Divergent
strands of civil society made it clear that the government's action was unacceptable,
was against the Constitution and the basic tenets of democracy.
Setting aside all differences, civil society representatives came together
to slam the government. They said that protests are allowed in a democracy,
and that the police attack on the mass of sleeping protesters at Ramlila ground
at night was highly condemnable. Anna Hazare condemned "the barbaric
and unprovoked action of government" and described it as an "assault
on democracy".
As an expression of unity, Anna Hazare and
other civil society members of the joint Lokpal drafting committee have said
that they will boycott Monday's meeting of the committee. Hazare has also
said that he would undertake a day's fast in Delhi on Wednesday as a mark
of protest against the brutal police action, as well as to put pressure on
the government to act against corruption. "We condemn this action. This
is a blot on humanity. This is like throttling democracy. We have decided
that we will organise a day's fast on June 8. Wherever you may be, you may
stage a fast. And pray to god to give wisdom to this government," the
octogenarian Gandhian said.
The Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS)
has also condemned the forcible disbandment of Baba Ramdev's protest through
police action. In a statement for the MKSS collective, Shankar Singh, Nikhil
Dey, Lal Singh, Bhanwar Meghwanshi and Aruna Roy said: "The right to
peaceful protest, irrespective of ideologies, individuals or issues, is fundamental
to a functional democracy. The MKSS holds that plurality of views and their
peaceful expression are signs of a healthy vibrant democracy, and must be
protected."
Condemning the police action on supporters in the strongest terms, the Lokpal
drafting committee co-chairman Shanti Bhushan said that the government's handling
of Baba Ramdev's movement showed its desperation. For Bhushan, the police
action in the dead of night were an eerie reminder of the Emergency days.
The former law minister said that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should "resign
immediately" and "a caretaker government should be formed".
Anna Hazare and his team have also extended support to Ramdev's demand for
an ordinance declaring illegally stashed Indian funds in foreign banks as
national assets and for declaring the activity of taking away money through
illegal means outside India as a serious crime.
In a statement, the India against Corruption
platform, led by Anna Hazare, demanded that the Prime Minister should explain
to the nation the reasons which provoked his government to issue orders for
police action. "Last night's brutal assault of the government reminds
one of 1975 Emergency. It is almost an Emergency-like situation. Today is
June 5, the Sampoorn Kranti Diwas. People of this country rose against government
injustice 35 years back. Time has come for the people to similarly rise against
corruption," the statement read. The middle of the night attack has jeopardised
the fragile partnership that had been forged between the government and civil
society following Anna's fast against corruption in April. On the basis of
its interactions over the last month and half and last night's police action,
Hazare and his team are suspicious of the government's intentions in the war
against corruption. "The incidents of the last night and the proceedings
of earlier meetings clearly make government's intentions in dealing with corruption
suspect. The government has been trying to crush anticorruption movement."
The civil society representatives said they would write to the government
to "make its stand public on some of the key issues related to Lokpal
Bill. We have already made our stand clear to the government on these issues."
Their participation in future meetings of the committee will depend of the
government's response. "After we receive government's response, we will
decide whether any useful public purpose would be served in attending joint
committee meetings," the statement read.
