NEW DELHI: Fasting activist Anna Hazare said Tuesday he was ready "to die" for India as the government called an all-party meeting to try to break its damaging standoff with the anti-corruption campaigner.
Hazare's hunger strike has captured the public imagination in India, triggering huge protests and boxing Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's graft-tainted government into a tight political corner.
With the fast entering its eighth day and concerns over Hazare's health mounting, Singh invited all party leaders to meet Wednesday to seek to hammer out a consensus to deal with his demands for stronger anti-corruption laws.
"It would be my good fortune to die for the country," the 74-year-old Hazare told thousands of supporters at the open-air venue in central Delhi where he is staging his public fast.
"My demands will not change. You can cut off my head but not force me to bow down," he said.
Hazare's protest is focused on anti-graft legislation known as the "Lokpal" (Ombudsman) Bill. He 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 unprecedented 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 seemed in good spirits Tuesday, but aides say he has lost 5.6 kilograms (12.3 pounds) and his health is a matter of concern.
He is attended by a team of doctors, who regularly check his blood pressure and monitor other vital signs.
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 by parliament.
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.
Singh faces an uphill struggle in building a consensus with opposition parties who have pilloried the prime minister for misjudging and mishandling the challenge thrown down by Hazare's populist campaign.
Rajiv Pratap Rudy, spokesman for the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party, said that Hazare's stand had gained "rousing support".
"The government should negotiate with him. We believe that his demands and his actions are legitimate," he told AFP.
Both sides have said they are open to talks, but neither seems willing to make a formal move, relying instead on a number of go-betweens to relay their respective positions.
The focus of Hazare's campaign poses particular problems for Singh's government, which has been rocked by a succession of multi-billion dollar corruption scandals implicating top officials.
COMMENTS (19)
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@positive pakistani: People can survive for more than 5 days without food. HE is not taking liquid supplements - he is however taking water.
As for understanding, people in Pakistan and India are patriotic and willing to die for their country even if the causes dear to them maybe different. What is so difficult to understand?
Good initiative to increase public awarness about corruption. He will not die but will become world famous guy through media projection. But atleast he has helped the cause of reducing corruption.
@Observer: Let me guess your political way is Suicide Bombing and showering bullets on public right ? Really a Pakistani will never understand or learn the power of true "peaceful" protest. For you even peaceful protest justifies throwing stones at police men and security forces. Truly your's is a stone age barbaric culture and tradition. For you fasting is childish and kiling people to get your demands heard is "manly" , isn't it ?
@Observer:
you will never understand
There must be a more proper political way to assert ones opinion rather than resorting to such childish practices such as fasting until the demands are fulfilled.
Only a lion's heart can have infinite compassion Anna is a man with lion's heart and he has infinite compassion for his fellow contrymen and love for india. Long live anna hazare..............
Looks like fasting is the IN thing these days. Everybodys is doing it. Anna Hazare, some others for Krishna's birthday and some muslims are day-light fasting for Ramzin; I am gonna jump on the bandwagon; plus I gota loose some weight. I am gonna start fasting too; maybe every 2 hours...
@John Anna's aproach is not my way or highway. He didn't say that pass his bill, but when goverment brought there own bill with including the points discuss with these guys in their earlier meeting what should he do?
Goverment stand is very clear they want a very weak lokpal who will not have any authority to investigate anything unless goverment asks him to investigate! what kind of bill is this? Why they are even passing this bill just to fool people and show they are doing something to curb corruption. I can bet if this agitaion was not there, Kalmadi, A raja and Kanimozhi would be free by now enjoying their illgotten wealth. The same Kapil Sibbal who are talking about undermining the democracy also told that there was not corruption in 2G deal! do you think goverment would have asked a lokpal to conduct an enquiry for 2G?
@Malik who says
"i too have the same feeling. I think, every day morning..he eats heavily…so he can be on fast whole day..and then in the night…he breaks his fast..with a heavy feast secretly…."
What do you think? He's a muslim on rosa?
"You are right !! It is impossible to skip three meals for a healthy Muslim – even for a single day – even during Ramadan, how can an old guy fast for a whole day….suspicious !!"
Perhaps Allah has given a Hindu more will power than he has given a Muslim.
@Rakib:
Hazare is not asking for tampering the Constitution my friend. He is asking for a powerful anti-corruption agency and powerful anti-corruption laws. For this there needs to be no changing of State or Constitution.
@John:
This is what Anna Hazare and the citizens are demonstrating against. So you are asking for adding fuel into the fire.
The Indian Parliament's Lok pal bill has been prepared by a parliamentary standing committee comprising of 'distinguished' politicians like Lalu Prasad and Amar Singh. It is a supreme example of how the politicians try to pull wool over the people's eyes.
It is to Team Anna's credit that they managed to raise awareness on the issue.
@positive pakistani: During the fast, Mr. Hazare touches no food and drinks only water.
Hazare has made his point twice on the same issue. A good reformer-protester should know when to pull back. My way or high way is not a solution. This is were Hazare fails, unlike Gandhi.
The lok pal bill has been debated in the Indian parliament over four decades but time has come for it to pass now. However, PMs office should be exempted from ombudsman's office( lok pal ) since PM is under the supervision of parliament and he / she answers to its members. Judiciary, may be included although constitution of India says that judiciary is under the supervision of upper house of parliament/ president. Ombudsman office cannot be a substitute of law ministry.
Lok pal bill is not an end all solution to corruption. There are already numerous laws against corruption in the books. Laws are only good if they are enforced. If not, it breeds corruption.
Hazare has done a good job in bringing out the discontent of the populace on corruption, where even the fourth estate has failed so far. But now it is time for him to listen to the parliamentary issues and keep the momentum on negotiation and make sure the lok pal bill passes before the miscreants of political game high jack the situation in his name.
The Indian parliament should soon pass its version of lok pal bill to diffuse the situation.
@positive pakistani:
i too have the same feeling. I think, every day morning..he eats heavily...so he can be on fast whole day..and then in the night...he breaks his fast..with a heavy feast secretly....
You are right !! It is impossible to skip three meals for a healthy Muslim - even for a single day - even during Ramadan, how can an old guy fast for a whole day....suspicious !!
MM Singh's Govt should resign rather than give in to a blackmailer. Even if the well-meaning Hazare passes away and Singh's government falls that would be better than allowing the Constitution to be tampered with by a bunch that are "using" Hazare and want to create a parallel centre of dictatorial power.
@positive pakistani, To understand just google 'how many days a person can stay alive without food' and you can see this line on the first result site - 'Most doctors and nutritionist state that the average person can live about 4 to 6 weeks without food' ``Source - http://www.professorshouse.com/Health-Beauty/General/Articles/How-Long-Can-A-Person-Live-Without-Food-/
i don't understand these types of Fasting????....i mean can a human survive for more than 5 days without food? is he talking liquid food supplements or what???
Long live Anna!!!!!!!!!