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29 March 2024

Indian gov't opens talks with fasting activist

A team of doctors checks the health of India's anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare on the stage during his hunger strike in New Delhi. (AP)

Published
By AFP

The Indian government held its first talks Tuesday with aides to fasting activist Anna Hazare, whose anti-graft drive has triggered huge protests in a high-stakes standoff with Premier Manmohan Singh.

The meeting between Law Minister Salman Khurshid and Arvind Kejriwal, a senior member of Hazare's campaign, was the first sign of progress in resolving a dispute that has brought hundreds of thousands onto the streets and boxed Singh's graft-tainted government into a tight political corner.

"There has been no progress on the contentious issues. We just had general discussions," Kejriwal told reporters after the meeting.

"We met them to get information, understand their viewpoint," Khurshid said. "There was no agenda."

Kejriwal said the government had nominated Finance Minister Pranab Mukherkjee to take forward a formal dialogue and the campaign would choose its representative after discussions with Hazare.

The meeting came on the eighth day of the 74-year-old activist's fast which is focused on anti-graft legislation known as the "Lokpal" (Ombudsman) Bill.

Hazare insists the current draft is toothless, and is demanding the government adopt and pass his own, more aggressive, version by August 30.

Blindsided by the groundswell of national support for Hazare, the government has struggled to find a compromise while insisting that parliament cannot be dictated to on matters of legislation.

Hazare has permission to stage his public fast until September 2, but has made it clear that he would continue refusing food until his version of the bill is passed.

Singh has called an all-party meeting on the crisis for Wednesday but faces an uphill struggle in building a consensus with opposition parties who have accused him of misjudging and mishandling Hazare's populist campaign.

Pressure has grown on the government to find a way out of the impasse amid mounting concerns over Hazare's health, with aides saying he has lost 5.6 kilogrammes (12.3 pounds).

"We are worried about his health," said close aide Kiran Bedi. "Every hour is crucial now. We are worried that his health might suffer."

For all those concerns, a feisty Hazare was in defiant mood when he spoke to cheering supporters earlier Tuesday at the open-air venue in central Delhi where he is staging his public fast.

"It would be my good fortune to die for the country," he said. "My demands will not change. You can cut off my head but not force me to bow down."

He is attended by a team of doctors, who regularly check his blood pressure and monitor other vital signs.

On Monday, Singh said his government was "open to a reasoned debate" on the pending legislation but stressed that there was no single solution for eradicating corruption.

"I feel the complexity of the task is not adequately appreciated," he said in a speech in Kolkata.

"The creation of the Lokpal as an institution will help, but it will not solve the problem," he said, arguing that it had to be backed up by judicial reforms and a thorough revamp of government procedure.

Hazare's campaign is particularly sensitive for Singh's government, which has been rocked by a succession of multi-billion dollar corruption scandals implicating top officials.