Anna breaks fast, says poll reforms next on agenda

New Delhi, Aug 28 (PTI) Hailing Indian Parliament's nod
on key elements of Jan Lokpal Bill as "people's victory", Anna
Hazare on Sunday broke his 12-day-old fast declaring that
electoral reforms will be on top of his agenda next so that
corruption can come down.
The 74-year-old Gandhian accepted a glass of tender
coconut water mixed with honey from a Dalit and a Muslim girl
-- Simran and Ikrah -- at 10:20 AM on the dais at the Ramlila
Grounds ending over 288 hours of fast that began on August 16.
After a brief address, Hazare was driven straight to
Medanta Medicity in neighbouring Gurgaon run by eminent
cardiologist Dr Naresh Trehan who was attending to him along
with his team during his entire period of fast.
He was admitted to the hospital and is under strict
observation of a team of doctors who have begun administering
liquid diet to him. Hazare will be there for a couple of days.
"I have only deferred my fast, not given it up. Only when
these reforms are complete will I really end my fast. I will
not rest until all the changes that I look to are achieved,"
he said to a thunderous applause from thousands of his
supporters waving tricolour and shouting slogans like 'Anna
Hazare Zindabad'.
Dismissing the charge that his campaign was against
Parliament and Constitution, he said the change has to be
through constitutional means.
Flanked by his team members, including Shanti Bhushan,
Prashant Bhushan, Arvind Kejriwal, Kiran Bedi and Manish
Sisodia, Hazare said what has been achieved in Parliament
Saturday is a victory of the people of India, democracy and
those assembled in Ramlila Ground.
Team Anna hoped that the Government will convene a
special session of Parliament to pass the Lokpal Bill in a
month's time.

Minutes after Hazare ended his fast, Bhushan said: "We
hope that the government convenes a special session of
Parliament within a month's time to pass Lokpal Bill."
Hazare said his fight would now be for Right to Recall
and Right to Reject as part of electoral reforms so that
corruption can be reduced.
"While Right to Recall would be for those elected, the
Right to Reject will be a column in the ballot paper which
would ensure the voter has a right to say that he does not
like the listed candidates.
"We have to reform electoral system. (we need) Right to
Reject. You should be able to reject your candidate in the
ballot paper. We have to do that."
"If the majority in a constituency says that they reject
a candidate, even then the election should be cancelled. How
much money they (candidates) will distribute? Once the
candidate spends Rs 10 crore for one election and if the
election is cancelled, then right sense will dawn upon them,"
he said.
Maintaining that people's parliament is bigger than
"Parliament in Delhi", Hazare said that is why Parliament had
to listen to people's parliament.
"This movement has created a faith that the country can
be rid of corruption and we can go ahead with implementing
laws and the Constitution made by Dr B R Ambedkar," he said.
Referring to Parliament's decision to refer three of his
demands -- citizen's charter, inclusion of lower bureaucracy
and creation of Lokayuktas through Lokpal bill -- for Standing
Committee's consideration, he said, the country can be proud
of this moment. Thirteen days of agitation has yielded fruits.

Outlining his future agenda, Hazare chose reforms in
election and education systems and working for the betterment
of farmers and labourers.
He said they will have to think about farmers' problems
as well as the woes of labourers and fight for them
relentlessly.
Hazare said the fight for change should also focus on
issues like protecting environment because the country may run
out of fossil fuels like coal and petrol and those in power do
not have the capacity to think of the future.
"We have to think over these things in the fight for
change. We should not keep quiet even if the whole of Jan
Lokpal Bill is passed," he said.