Anna Hazare fever spreading like bonfire

While Anna Hazare fever is spreading in India, it has also touched the soil of Pakistan and Bangladesh. Meanwhile, Mumbai's famous tiffin-box carriers will skip work on August 19, 2011 for the first time in over a century backing Hazare's campaign against corruption. "In the last 120 years, we have not had the occasion to take a day off, come rain or shine. We never stop work. But we have decided to back Hazare's agitation," Sopan Mare of the Nutan Mumbai Tiffin Box Suppliers Association told reporters in Mumbai. It is learnt that 5,000 members of the association will hold an anti-corruption rally in the city of Mumbai.

Rain did not dampen the spirit of protesters who continued to throng the Freedom Park in Bangalore where they continued their attendance for the third day, with veteran Gandhian HS Doreswamy and former Supreme Court judge Santosh N Hegde among them.

Youngsters in the age group of 18 to 25 turned up in large numbers at a private wedding hall in Chennai on Tuesday to express solidarity with Anna Hazare and his fight against corruption.

They were in for a surprise when nonagenarian V Kalyanam, personal secretary to Mahatma Gandhi, walked up to the podium and gave a piece of his mind about the state of affairs in the country.

"India will get a sure gold medal if corruption is entered as an item in the Olympic Games," Kalyanam told the audience. "We may not be a force in football or athletics or hockey. But India is the undisputed global leader in corruption."

Referring to Anna Hazare's arrest in New Delhi, Kalyanam said it was easier to fight foreign tyranny than the tyranny of our own people. He ridiculed the contention of Union ministers like Kapil Sibal and Chidambaram that Parliament was supreme and civil society has no voice.

"These ministers and politicians forget the fact that it is we who elect them and they are our servants," said Kalyanam.

In Washington, state department spokesperson Victoria Nuland blamed "some extremely inaccurate reporting out of India" for Indians taking umbrage over the US stand on Hazare's protest and said it supported the right of non-violent protest universally.

"With regard to the case [Hazare], however, you know where we are. We support freedom of expression and assembly, and we encourage all countries and all parties to do the same," Nuland said.

"All democratic governments have a responsibility to allow peaceful protest and freedom of dissent, even as they work to maintain public safety," she said.

Social activist Anna Hazare's fight against corruption and the protests in India this week have stirred interest among China's vibrant online community, winning praise from netizens whose ire is often directed at corruption in officialdom.

On Thursday, Chinese micro-bloggers praised Hazare for raising public interest and bringing thousands to the streets in his battle against corruption, drawing a contrast with their home country where anger at corruption is widespread, but protests are rare and not tolerated.

Caijing, a widely-read liberal magazine, described Hazare as "the new Gandhi" in a posting on its account on the widely popular Chinese Twitter equivalent, Sina Weibo, which is used by more than 140 million people. The magazine has more than a million followers.

"China has more corruption than India, but when will we ever have protests?" asked one micro-blogger named Tianya Lu Tu, in response to the post.

"Let a Gandhi be born in China," remarked another blogger from Hohhot, in Inner Mongolia.

In Bangladesh, bloggers have started campaigning for standing against corruption and are suggesting for a mass demonstration against corruption and corrupts on Tuesday, August 23, 2011 in Dhaka as well as other parts of the country.

"We already have become captive in the grips of corrupt people. Starting from politicians up to civil servants, corruption has spread like incurable disease in the society. Bangladesh needs to be liberated from such situation," the blogger said.

The said, "Corrupts are getting state-patronization as even the top brasses in country's administration are not free from corruption. Bangladesh Awami League, Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Jatiyo Party are epicenters of corruption. Most corrupt man like former military dictator Hussain Muhammed Ershad is the coalition partner in the ruling Grand Alliance government. The Prime Minister is surprisingly showing 'colder attitude' towards the communication minister Syed Abul Hussain, who also is known to be a champion corrupt. Most of the ministries in the government are now engaged in looting of public wealth", it said.

Commenting on Civil Society, the bloggers in Bangladesh said, "These people claiming to be conscious members of the society are basically nothing but purpose serving agents of corrupts political forces in the country. Where are those voices like Professor Muzaffar Ahmed [Transparency International], Professor Anu Mahmud, Syed Abul Maksud, Dr. Akbar Ali Khan, Dr. Debopriya Bhattacharya, Farhad Mazhar, Asafuddowlah etc are? Where they have now pledged their conscious and voice? Why they too are not raising voice against corruption in Bangladesh? Have they already sold their own dignity and conscious to the corrupt politicians and officials? How the self-declared corrupt officials are allowed to continue in many important posts in the public services?"

The Bangladeshi bloggers said "দুর্নীতিবাজ রাজনীতিক দানবদের কবল থেকে এই জাতিকে রক্ষা করতে, আমাদের একজন অন্য হাজারী দরকার" [We want an Anna Hazare now to salvage this nation]."

The bloggers said: "বাংলাদেশের সম্পট লুটে খাচ্ছে রাজনীতিক দুর্বৃত্ত আর ওদের বাহিনী। প্রতি বছর ওরা হাজার-হাজার কোটি টাকা লুটে নিচ্ছে। বর্তমান সরকারের ৫ বছরে শুধু মাত্র যোগাযোগ মন্ত্রী এবং তার বাহিনী লুটে নেবে ৭ হাজার কোটি টাকা। এই টাকা ভাগ- বাটোয়ারা হবে দেশে-বিদেশে। [Political criminals and their gangs are looting wealth of Bangladesh. Every year they loot millions of Taka. During the 5-year term of the current government, only Communications Minister and his gang will loot US$ 1 billion. This amount will be shared at home and abroad.]"

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Anna Hazare fever spreading like bonfire

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