After single-handedly initiating a people's revolution, the 72-year-old activist who launched what he calls "India's second freedom struggle," ended his hunger strike at 10:40 am today, following an agreement with the government to set up a committee to write a stringent new anti-public corruption law.
Anna Hazare said he would tour the entire country to campaign against corruption and promised more struggles ahead after breaking his 97-hour hunger strike. He also had a word of thanks for the youth.
'I have broken the fast today because the government has fulfilled our demand by issuing this order,' he said, triumphantly flashing the gazette notifying the formation of a 10-member panel to draft a stringent Lokpal (ombudsman) Bill to combat corruption in high places.
Reacting to the Centre's decision of agreeing to issue a formal order to set up a committee for drafting a strong Lokpal Bill, Infosys Chief Mentor N R Narayana Murty hailed the outcome of the protest launched by social activist Anna Hazare.
"Corruption is a phenomenon that affects the entire civil society and therefore Anna Hazare's desire that civil society plays an important role in defining the parameters for Lokpal is absolutely justified," he said.
Following is the text of the Gazettee Notification issued by the government constituting the Joint Drafting Committee comprising ministers and civil society activists to prepare the draft Lok Pal Bill.
"The Joint Drafting Committee shall consist of five nominee ministers of the Government of India and five nominees of Shri Anna Hazare (including himself).
The five nominee Ministers of the Government of India are as under:
Pranab Mukherjee, Union Minister of Finance, P Chidambaram, Union Minister of Home Affairs, M Veerappa Moily, Union Minister of Law and Justice, Kapil Sibal, Union Minister of Human Resource and Development and Minister of Communication and Information Technology and Salman Khursheed, Union Minister of Water Resources and Minister of Minority Affairs.
The five nominees of Anna Hazare (including himself) are as under:
Anna Hazare, Justice N Santosh Hegde, Shanti Bhushan, Senior Advocate, Prashan Bhushan, Advocate and Arvind Kejriwal.
The Chairperson of the Joint Drafting Committee shall be Pranab Mukherjee.
The Co-Chairperson of the Joint Drafting Committee shall be Shanti Bhushan.
The Convenor of the Join Drafting Committee shall be M Veerappa Moily.
The Joint Drafting Committee shall commence its work forthwith and evolve its own procedure to prepare the proposed legislation.
The Joint Drafting Committee shall complete its work latest by 30th June, 2011."
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S.S.Mahadevaiah
General Secretary
All India Postal Extra Departmental Employees Union
