NEW DELHI – An Indian septuagenarian whose 98-hour hunger strike against corruption ended with big concessions from government said on Sunday he had no idea his campaign would win national support.
“I did not know that this protest would spread throughout the country,” said Anna Hazare, a Mahatma Gandhi devotee, a day after his demands for changes to a new anti-graft bill were accepted. Hazare began the hunger strike in New Delhi on Tuesday, winning wide support amid rising public anger over rampant corruption scandals that have tainted Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s government.
Hazare’s main demand was that activists be included on a committee tasked with drafting an ombudsman bill, giving teeth to anti-corruption laws that could ensure potential prosecutions of government ministers and bureaucrats. The committee will be jointly led by a prominent human rights lawyer, Shanti Bhushan, and Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, with people from pressure groups among its members.
The use of methods made famous by Independence leader Gandhi, who pioneered fasting as a form of protest, Hazare’s frail resemblance to the father of the nation, and blanket media coverage helped the 73-year-old spread his message. “I have been fighting corruption for 25 years, but my strength is weak,” the Hazare said, crediting technology and social media for boosting his campaign.
“What happened this time is that corruption has increased so much in the country that not a day goes by without hearing about crores (millions) of rupees being lost in corruption,” he said.
