Author: PTI
Publication: The Times of India
Date: August 18, 2011
URL: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/nri/us-canada-news/Indian-Americans-come-out-in-support-of-Anna-Hazare/articleshow/9649503.cms
Coming out in support of Anna Hazare, Indian-Americans
have appealed to the Indian government to take serious steps to curb the menace
of corruption in the country.
"We NRIs want to remove corruption out
of India. We support Anna Hazare's efforts to eradicate the corruption, pass
Lokpal Bill and declare black money as national assets," said Dnyanoba
Kendre, a yoga teacher from Pennsylvania.
Of all the protests in India in recent times,
this is the most legitimate and at the grass root-level, that can change the
fate of the country, said Rangarajan, a student from the University of Maryland.
Another student, Umang Agarawal, said they
are emailing Supreme Court en mass directly to take suo motu action and save
the nation.
"More than Indians fighting against
corruption, it seems government is fighting against people who are fighting
against corruption. This is going to be one of the watershed moments of Indian
history," said Vibhash Jha, a PhD student at the University of Maryland.
Indian-Americans from in and around Washington
for the third day held a demonstration in front of the Indian embassy here.
Similar events in support of Hazare are being reported from various parts
of the country as well.
A large number of Indian-Americans held a
similar protest demonstration outside the Indian Consulate in Houston.
"We NRI in Houston feel connected to
the movement in India and are expressing support in several forms like Facebook,
Twitter, Google, websites in addition to their presence in local gatherings
around apartment club houses, public parks and other community places,"
said Raghava R Solipuram.
Shocked and saddened by the arrest of Hazare
and his supporters, Non-Resident Indians for Secular and Harmonious India
(NRI-SAHI) said Indian-Americans support the demand of Team Anna to bring
every one under the Jan Lok Pal Bill.
"We demand the government of India keep
its promise and promulgate an effective Anti-Corruption Bill," NRI-SAHI
said.
In a statement, Atlanta-based US Hindu Alliance
strongly condemned the measures taken by the Indian government against the
peaceful and democratic anti-corruption movement led by Hazare.
"The right to speak freely and the right
to protest peacefully have been earned by the people of India after a prolonged
struggle which involved the sacrifices of millions of its people.
"Hindus around the world cannot remain
silent spectators when the government snatches away the fruits of India's
freedom movement and attempts to create a political environment which has
all the hallmarks of a police state," it said.