Police: no foul play in youth’s death during Hazare’s fast

The city police on Monday told a Delhi court that no foul play was detected in the death of a 21-year-old youth, Sandeep, who was found unconscious at Ramlila Maidan during activist Anna Hazare’s fast there and was admitted to a nearby hospital where he breathed his last the next day.

The police made the submission before Metropolitan Magistrate Tyagita Singh in its second status report on its probe into a complaint by Haryana resident Satbir Singh who had accused Mr. Hazare and his team of instigating people against the government during Mr. Hazare’s 13-day anti-graft fast at Ramlila Maidan between August 16 and 29.

The police filed its second status report in compliance with the court’s September 19 order.

“The statements of the family members of the deceased were taken. They have not revealed any doubt in the death of the deceased. No foul play is noticed in his death,” the police said in its report.

In the status report, the Kamla Market police station in-charge said Sandeep was brought from Ramlila Maidan, the venue of the fast, and was admitted in LNJP hospital on August 23 in an unconscious state.

Sandeep died the next day during treatment and his relatives were informed about it, the police said.

Referring to medical reports of Sandeep, police said that “the death summary of deceased revealed the cause of death is complicated malaria.”

The report also mentioned about permissions granted by the city police and Municipal Corporation of Delhi to Team Anna for holding the fast.

Regarding Mr. Singh’s allegations that Mr. Hazare and his team “instigated” public through their speeches at Ramlila ground, the police said “on receipt of date and time of speeches from complainant, the recording from the media will be taken accordingly to proceed further in the inquiry.”

The court listed the matter for further hearing on October 21.

Celebrations in Mumbai as Hazare ends fast

Mumbai, Aug 28  Thousands gathered at the Azad Maidan since Sunday morning cheered as Anna Hazare ended his fast in New Delhi and 17 who were fasting here also called off their protest.

Amid loud cheers went up, the 17 broke their fast minutes after Hazare did. They had boiled jaggery water laced with glucose.

In spite of pouring rain, thousands packed the Azad Maidan.

Dhiraj Rambhiya of Tarun Mitra Mandal, a Jain group that deployed around 70 volunteers to care for those on fast, said: "Boiled jaggery water helps increase haemoglobin levels."

As many as 63 people, including seven women, started their hunger strike along with Hazare Aug 16. Many faced health related problems and had to be shifted to hospitals.

Till Thursday there were 19 people, including five women, who refused to break their fast until Hazare did.

Over the next two days, two people had to break their fast due to poor health.

Many wearing "I Am Anna" caps raised slogans like "Annaji ki jai ho" as Hazare called off the fast.

"It is a victory for people's power and democracy," said a student.

Hazare's village Ralegan Siddhi celebrated with songs, dances and merriment.

Mass media biased towards Anna Hazare's cause: Experts

There has been saturation coverage by television channels of Anna Hazare's fast reporting every twist and turn in the protest saga 24x7 for the last about two weeks. But has it been critical and unbiased or one-sided in approval?

By and large, media experts feel that television coverage was biased in favour of the 74-year-old activist, uncritical in its sweep and adulatory sometimes.

There was a lone voice of support for news television channels from noted journalist and Editor and Managing Director of Pioneer newspaper Chandan Mitra, who feels it was not the case.

"By its very nature, television is a very biased medium. Whenever a big issue or a campaign like this crops up, news channels try to be on top of it. This is the trend that prevails everywhere," says Bhaskar Rao, director, Centre for Media Studies.

"But unfortunately in the Anna Hazare case, I think TV channels have overdone it," Rao told PTI.

The main issue here is corruption, which is the elephant, but the media has given extensive publicity to "the elephant riders, which is Anna Hazare and his team", he said.

Concurs noted television commentator Karan Thapar, who says the media, especially the television, appeared to be siding with the Anna campaign and not fully representing the viewpoints of the government.

"They (TV channels) have been less than comprehensive in exploring the divisions or contradictions in Anna's side. They did not expose several of Anna's demands which may create serious constitutional problems," he said.

Echoing similar views, Vinod Mehta, Editor-in-Chief of Outlook magazine, said, "I think the electronic media was just carried away by the populist mood and failed to be critical on some aspects of Team Anna."

"Team Anna played several tricks, including using the life of the Gandhian (Hazare) for some sort of leverage. The media should have revealed and discussed those to make their coverage a balanced one," Mehta said.

"There have been a lot of debates on how the government mishandled the whole issue, but hardly there was any such discussion to expose the weak points of the Anna campaign."

According to Thapar, what the media did do was to project the deep national concern over corruption.

"It reflected the anger and frustration of the people. But in terms of critical, objective and balanced coverage, it gave the impression of siding with Anna and of not fully representing the view points of the government."

On whether the media has been able to uphold journalistic ethics while covering the issue, the experts said they don't feel the media was not at their best.

"When it becomes a competition for TRP, ethics hardly comes into play," says Rao.

Thapar believes, "It seems the media has undermined the ethics a bit while trying to reflect the national mood, which they also have helped create and enhance."

"One role the media played was to ventilatepublic opinion, but in doing so they also played the role of encouraging and of siding with it, which is wrong," he said.

"There is a lot of introspection the media has to do on what and how they have to cover a big issue," Mehta added.

Mitra, however, has a different take on this. "I think the media has to reflect what the public mood is. Some excesses could have happened here and there, but I would not blame the newspapers or TV for that. I think the media did a good job in the entire thing," he said.

Omar Abdullah hails ending of fast by Hazare

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Sunday said the ending of fast by Anna Hazare was a victory for people’s power and showed the resilience of parliamentary democracy.

“It is a victory for people’s power and shows the resilience of parliamentary democracy. Both worked together to end Anna Hazare’s fast,” Mr. Omar told reporters in Srinagar.

The Chief Minister said it was now the job of parliament to carry forward the process of making a strong Lokpal which will help in weeding out corruption.

“Without Anna’s fast, we could not have reached here. The impetus to its (Lokpal) passage was given by his fast,” he said.

The Chief Minister said the 13-day-long fast by the noted social activist has shown what a peaceful protest and a strong leadership can achieve.

Earlier, Omar had refused to comment on Anna’s fast and even made sarcastic remarks about the extensive media coverage given to it.

“Am I wrong to be completely fed up of the back to back coverage of this whole Anna thing? I’m boycotting my TV and newspapers for a few days,” he tweeted on the third day of Anna’s fast.

A few days later, Mr. Omar wrote, “Since nothing is happening in the world other than Anna and I refuse to tweet about Anna ergo I can’t tweet about anything.”

Meanwhile, National Panthers Party (NPP) Chairman Bhim Singh also welcomed the end of deadlock between Centre and Anna Hazare but demanded inclusion of Jammu and Kashmir in the ambit of the Lokpal bill.

“We appreciate the initiative of the Prime Minister and welcome the development in New Delhi following the end of Anna’s fast,” Mr. Singh told reporters here.

The NPP Chief, however, said he regretted that neither the Parliament nor Team Anna have realised the gravity of situation prevailing in the state.

“Anna’s silence is shocking on this issue... the Lokpal should be applicable to this state, which is integeral part of the Union,” Singh said.

“People of this state should not be deprived of this law,” he added.

Chennaiites brave rain to support Anna

Supporters of social activist Anna Hazare during a protest
against corruption at Marina beach in Chennai on Wednesday

Hundreds of supporters of Anna Hazare's anti-corruption movement staged a peaceful march on the service lane behind Gandhi Statue on the Marina Beach here on Wednesday. Raising slogans condemning corruption, several students, professionals and volunteers from India Against Corruption, Chennai chapter, took part in the march despite heavy rain.

Earlier in the day, the Government Railway Police, Egmore, arrested Sakthivel, an autorickshaw driver from Tambaram, after he threatened to jump off an iron scaffolding atop the Thiruvanmiyur MRTS station. Several commuters, passersby and employees of nearby companies watched as the man waved the national flag, pledging to die in support of Anna Hazare.

In the afternoon, a group of students from 50 city colleges left the fast venue on L.B. Road to demonstrate outside Rajaji Bhavan, which houses Central government offices, in Besant Nagar. “We are shouting slogans demanding that the employees come outside and assure us that they will never accept a bribe,” said R. Shruthi, a student.

Using social networking and text messages, students coordinated various demonstrations held across the city on Wednesday. While students of Vivekananda College lined the compound walls outside their college premises, bike rallies and similar demonstrations were organised in Vepery and Maduravoyal.

At the venue on L.B. Road, more than 10,000 students had registered from 56 colleges in support of the cause, said G. Banu, media coordinator, IAC. “There are currently 21 people on indefinite fast and 81 on relay fast. One person who was on fast had to be hospitalised on Tuesday night,” she said. Close to 20 students from V-Excel Educational Trust joined the cause. “The students who are young adults with special needs will be registering to support the cause,” said Usha Rajagopal, a teacher.

Outside the venue, shopkeeper S. Shivakumar, who is a supporter of Mr. Hazare, said he has to replenish his stock of national flags on a daily basis.


VIJAY TO MEET HAZARE

Tamil actor Vijay will leave for Delhi on Thursday morning to meet Anna Hazare at the Ramlila grounds to wish him success in his campaign. He will also participate in the fast.

Traders in Guwahati express solidarity with Anna Hazare

Traders in greater Guwahati areas observed a half-day closure in support of the Jan Lokpal Bill and to express solidarity with Anna Hazare. Shops and business establishments downed their shutters till 1 p.m. in response to a call given by the All Guwahati Traders' Association. The traders also took out a protest rally in the city and sat on sit-in-demonstration to press for their demand.

Supporters of Mr. Hazare and Team Anna picketed in front of the residence of Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) President and Congress MP in the Rajya Sabha Bhubaneswar Kalita,

Union Minister of State for Development of North Eastern Region Paban Singh Ghatowar, former Union Minister and sitting Congress MP from Jorahat Bijoy Krishna Handique, Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) MPs Birendra Prasad Baishya and Joesph Toppo. They sang Ramdhun during the picketing and demanded the members of the parliament from Assam to support the Jan Lok Pal bill in the parliament.

Leaders and workers of six parties including the Left parties took out a protest march demanding strong and effective Lokpal Bll and urging people to strengthen the movement against rampant corruption during the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government. Students, teachers and several city colleges also took out rallies.

NCP not happy with Hazare's arrest, says it was not proper

Leaders of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), a key Congress ally at the Centre and in Maharashtra, on Saturday said that the arrest of social activist Anna Hazare was not proper and everyone had a right to express their feelings and opinions in a democratic society.

Speaking to the media, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who belongs to the NCP, said everyone has a right to express their opinion and also to go on a hunger strike. But to arrest someone even before he went on a fast was not correct and then later taking him to jail and asking to leave was improper, he pointed out. Mr. Pawar was speaking to the media after a Congressman from Ahmednagar Rajeev Rajale joined the NCP.

Earlier, NCP general secretary D.P. Tripathi too said that there was no need for Mr. Hazare's arrest. Besides, the Congress did not take its allies into confidence before this action, he added.

HE MADE IT KNOWN

Mr. Pawar said that Mr. Hazare had made his demands much in advance and already indicated that he would go on a hunger strike. Referring to Mr. Hazare's protests in Maharashtra, Mr. Pawar said that he had carried out many protests and fasts and the leadership had found a way out through mediation and discussion. He said even now when there were issues, he and the Chief Minister discussed and tried to resolve matters. However, he was not willing to get drawn into any criticism against the Centre.

Mr. Pawar said the Jan Lokpal bill was pending and since this was a democracy, elected representatives in the Parliament would discuss it later. He said if any expertise from the State was needed, then Maharashtra was well-represented in the Union Cabinet. The Centre was perfectly capable of taking decisions on its own. In fact, some time ago, Congress president Sonia Gandhi had called a meeting of all the allies. When asked if he felt the Congress had not taken its allies into confidence, he said he would not comment on it.

‘NCP NOT UNLEASHED'

In response to questions, he said it was totally wrong to say that the NCP was being “unleashed” on the Congress as was reported in a section of the media. He clarified that the NCP was not against Mr. Hazare at all and everyone was for eradicating corruption. However, it must be done within a legal and constitutional framework. He said even the Prime Minister had accepted the need for a Jan Lokpal and it could be passed through the Parliament with amendments, if necessary. “There are no two opinions that corruption must be cleaned up and the bill such as this is can be debated,” he said.

Mr Pawar said that the current agitation of Mr. Hazare had kept political parties at bay and even their flags were not permitted. Anna's supporters were apolitical, he said.

MAVAL ISSUE

On the Maval issue, Mr. Pawar said he had condemned it in the State Legislative Assembly the very next day after the incident and both he and the Chief Minister had discussed the matter. Asked about Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi's visit, he said that Mr. Gandhi was a leader and possibly a future Prime Minister and he went wherever there was an issue involving farmers. The NCP had already stated that the firing should not have happened.

When asked about proposed changes in the Home Ministry, Mr. Pawar said he had only read about it in the newspapers. There had been a lot of buzz that R.R. Patil was on his way out as the NCP was unhappy with his functioning. However, Mr. Pawar denied he went to New Delhi as was reported in the media and clarified there was no discussion on any change in the Home Ministry. If there was going to be any change, the party high command would decide and he was not going to meddle in it. And it will not be discussed with the media first, he pointed out.

NCP president Sharad Pawar is in the city to attend the Iftar party hosted by it. There are reports that he may visit Mawal en route Pune on Sunday.