August 19th, 2011
08:10 AM ET

India's Hazare begins anti-corruption fast

Indian activist Anna Hazare began a public hunger strike in the country's capital Friday, accompanied by thousands of cheering supporters.

The 74-year-old campaigner, who is seeking stronger anti-corruption measures in India, was greeted by crowds as he left a jailhouse in New Delhi earlier to make his way to the city's large Ramlila Grounds.

He will stage the two-week protest there after police relaxed their conditions. Supporters say he began fasting while still in jail.

Hazare traveled from the jail in an open-top truck decorated with Indian flags, as thousands of citizens marched along.

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soundoff (43 Responses)
  1. michaelfury

    Truth alone will endure, all the rest will be swept away before the tide of time. I must continue to bear testimony to truth even if I am forsaken by all. Mine may today be a voice in the wilderness, but it will be heard when all other voices are silenced, if it is the voice of Truth.

    When I despair, I remember that all through history the ways of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants, and murderers, and for a time they can seem invincible, but in the end they always fall. Think of it–always.

    – Mahatma Gandhi

    http://michaelfury.wordpress.com/2011/08/09/testify/

    August 19, 2011 at 8:13 am | Report abuse |
  2. justathought

    I've never understood hunger strikes–what do they accomplish. I guess my feeling is: if they want to go hungry, let them; I don't care.

    August 19, 2011 at 8:34 am | Report abuse |
  3. Naomi

    Corruption of all kinds is just norm in outside of US/Canada. No surprise. It's not even a scandal.

    August 19, 2011 at 9:16 am | Report abuse |
  4. mmmmm

    I thought they had all these things in Hungary. My mom always said there are millions of starvung children there so i better eat my brussel sprouts.

    August 19, 2011 at 9:27 am | Report abuse |
  5. like-new Stealth Schwinn

    "Corruption?"
    Grow up.
    There is corruption everywhere.
    It's in most churches. Shouldn't that be impossible?
    It's even in unions, and isn't that supposed to be the most noble endeavor of all time?
    Have any Communists been corrupt?
    One thing saves us: there has never been one corrupt member of the Democratic Party.

    August 19, 2011 at 9:27 am | Report abuse |
    • Lyndsie Graham

      Do you want to bet on that? Of course there are a great deal very corrupt Democrats here in this country. Barack Obama and Hilary Clinton are both shining examples of this or we wouldn't be fighting all these obscene wars overseas causing a lot of needless deaths and unnecessary destruction!!!

      August 19, 2011 at 10:23 am | Report abuse |
  6. jim

    I bet it would be tough being on a hunger strike at the New Delli. They have incredible corned beef sandwiches. Maybe the indian guy is a vegeterian so the coldcuts dont make him hungrier.

    August 19, 2011 at 9:29 am | Report abuse |
  7. running deer

    Hunger Fasting is an ancient form of protest among our indian tribes. As a Navajo indian we are taught to fast at an early age. HOOOWA HOWA WOOOOWA HOOWA.

    August 19, 2011 at 9:34 am | Report abuse |
  8. hiyawatha

    We are no longer called Indians. We are native americans from india.

    August 19, 2011 at 9:35 am | Report abuse |
  9. Ling Xao

    I bet he has some beef jerkey hid in his pockets. That is an old hunger strikers trick. We used to do that back during the 60s sit-ins.

    August 19, 2011 at 9:41 am | Report abuse |
  10. ajd041

    @justatgought hunger strikes result in fewer peopple buying food which results in less money to go around which slumps business hunger strikes take a while and are hard if you sont have a lot of people but if you do they work very well

    August 19, 2011 at 9:57 am | Report abuse |
  11. Lyndsie Graham

    What Anna Hazare and his followers need to do right now is to link up with the Maoists in India to make common cause against the corruption riddled government in New Delhi. That would go a very long way in alleviating the plight of the poor. It appears the elected leaders are either too corrupt, too incompetent or both to govern effectively in that country.

    August 19, 2011 at 10:03 am | Report abuse |
  12. Speckled Fawn

    Hey. Do not be labeling all us indians as corrupt. We only take from the land what we need. It was you the white man that killed off all our water buffalo.

    August 19, 2011 at 10:12 am | Report abuse |
  13. Joey Issota-Fraschini

    One has to applaud Anna Hazare. This 74 year old is remarkable. So good to fight corruption without violence.

    August 19, 2011 at 10:15 am | Report abuse |
  14. RUFFNUTT

    HUNGERSTRIKE = temple of the dog's best song

    August 19, 2011 at 10:25 am | Report abuse |
  15. JIF

    Not Joey Isotta-Fraschini at 10:15 AM.
    JIF accepts the reality of almost universal corruption.
    JIF is also not into self-victimizing do-gooders and demonstrations to benefit the so-called "downtrodden," as he believes that lazy sheep trod on themselves.

    August 19, 2011 at 10:51 am | Report abuse |
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