Anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare who led the peaceful mass movement, called off his hunger strike that lasted for 98 hours after the government issued a formal gazette notification announcing setting up of a Joint Committee of federal ministers and civilian nominees to draft the Lok Pal Bill.
Hazare, the 73-year-old Gandhian, broke his fast by accepting a glass of juice at 10.45 am offered by a small girl at ground zero, Jantar Mantar, which symbolised that Gandhian methods could still be used to force the government to accept popular demands even 63 years after Mahatma Gandhi got India independence from British rulers.
Gazette notification
"Our fight against corruption does not end here. We will continue the fight. This is a victory of people. There is still a long way to go. The real fight begins now. I have broken the fast because the government has conceded to our demands. I thank all those who stood for anti-corruption and we are all one for our country," Hazare told the cheering crowd after offering water to over 300 activists who had joined the fast.
The Manmohan Singh government on Friday night announced its readiness to accept setting up of a 10-member panel with five representatives each of the government and civilians.
The government, however, surprised everyone by issuing formal gazette notification instead of a letter of acceptance from the Ministry of Law after saying all along that a gazette notification would set a wrong precedent.
"The people's movement has enhanced India's prestige. The youth has awakened. That is a good sign. If youth decide they can turn the politics of the country," Hazare said while waving the copy of the gazette notification.
Mass movement
Hazare started his fast unto death on Tuesday with an agenda that seemed ambitious as various governments have over the years dilly-dallied on passing the Lokpal Bill, which Hazare and his supporters believe could end corruption in the country. While thousands joined him in New Delhi, it turned into a mass movement with people staging similar sit-in protests all over the country.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was under pressure from his Congress party chief Sonia Gandhi who wanted the impasse to end soon since it would have a direct bearing on the ongoing legislative assembly elections in five states.
Pranab is chairman
The Joint Drafting Committee shall consist of five ministers nominated by the Government and five nominees of Anna Hazare (including the activist).
The Ministers on the panel are: Union Minister of Finance Pranab Mukherjee, Union Minister of Home Affairs P. Chidambaram, Union Minister of Law and Justice M. Veerappa Moily, Union Minister of Human Resource and Development and Minister of Communication and Information Technology Kapil Sibal, and Union Minister of Water Resources and Minister of Minority Affairs Salman Khursheed.
The five civilian nominees are: Hazare, Justice N. Santosh Hegde, senior advocate Shanti Bhushan, advocate Prashant Bhushan and Arvind Kejriwal.
Mukherjee will be the chairperson of the committee, Shanti Bhushan will be the co-chairperson and Moily will be the convenor.
The committee shall commence its work forthwith and evolve its own procedure to prepare the proposed legislation. It has to complete its work by June 30.
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