Shillong: After Team Anna launched its anti-graft campaign across India, Team Ardent - named after Meghalaya legislator Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit - is set to host a mass rally as part of Clean Politics Campaign here Monday.
With a year left for the 2013 battle of ballots in Meghalaya, the "partyless campaign" initiated by Basaiawmoit aims at educating people about the electoral politics, ills of corruption, rights and duties of citizens and responsibilities of the lawmakers.
"Team Anna is putting pressure on representatives to make good laws in the country. We are telling people to elect the right people who will legislate good laws," Basaiawmoit told reporters when asked about the difference between his and Anna Hazare's campaign.
He said Team Anna was active in identifying the symptoms of the disease (corruption) and the campaign here was directly tackling the disease by enlightening the citizens.
The United Democratic Party (UDP) legislator made it clear that his campaign had nothing to do with any particular political party nor was he trying to gain any political mileage out of it.
"I am already a legislator. I am not using this campaign to gain political mileage. But this campaign is to reclaim democracy, reject corruption and redeem politics," Basaiawmoit said.
He had toured villages across Khasi-Jaintia Hills in the eastern part of Meghalaya to motivate the rural masses to support his campaign.
Stating that he had received positive response, the social activist-turned-politician said nearly 70 meetings have already been held in various parts of the Khasi-Jaintia Hills. Over 7,000 people have registered for the crusade.
"Clean Politics Campaign is not confined to issues relating to corruption alone. We talk on two I's - issues and ideas - since we know that without these two I's the campaign would be blind," Basaiawmoit said.
IANS
First Published: Saturday, January 28, 2012, 13:55