Washington: Indian-Americans have asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to issue a time bound plan to discuss and pass the Lokpal bill, as being sought by anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare and agreed upon by the Parliament this week.
"We hope the Parliament keeps up this spirit of healthy discussion rising above partylines and show the same determination in legislating and ultimately passing the Janlokpal and lokayukta bills.
We demand that very soon the government releases a
time-bound plan to discuss and pass the bill," they said in a
memorandum addressed to the Prime Minister and submitted to
the Indian Embassy here.
A small group of Indian-Americans and mostly Indian
students studying in various universities in and around
Washington held a "victory meeting" in front of the Gandhi
statue at the Indian Embassy in Washington.
About 50 Gandhi aka "Anna" caps were flown in by courier
service from New Delhi for the occasion for the small
gathering of die-hard Anna supporters.
Sweets were distributed, wherein the attendees discussed
the future course of action and how they can contribute in
their own small way for the anti-corruption movement in India.
"Anna Hazare has done something for India, which was
never accomplished in post-independent India. We all should
come forward to support him," said Janak Arora, who had flown
in the trademark "I am Anna" cap from India.
"We hope the Indian Parliament will discuss the
Janlokpal bill and present a strong anti-corruption law to the
nation soon," said Umang Agarwal, from the University of
Maryland.
Indian-American students from this University had been
holding daily protest in from of the Indian Embassy since
August 16.
"We are with Anna Hazare. It is time that India get rid
of corruption," said Ashutosh Gupta, one of the main
organizers of the Indian Students at the University of
Maryland.
"Our efforts seem to have paid off now that the
Parliament has accepted the three main demands of Anna
Hazare," he said.
"Let this resolution be a milestone in restoring faith
of people in our parliament. We hope it takes us forward into
a prosperous corruption-free India," said the letter addressed
to the Prime Minister.
PTI
First Published: Monday, August 29, 2011, 08:28