Freedom-fighters now train guns on corruption

***Gandhians in 80s to go on fast in solidarity with Hazare

Express News service

Chennai:

After fighting against the British raj, freedom fighters in Chennai have now launched their fight against corruption by vowing to abstain from food on August 16.



Addressing a press conference organized by India Against Corruption, Mahatma Gandhi’s last personal assistant Venkita Kalyannam, who is on his mid 80s, and Lakshmikanthan Bharathi, 85, a freedom fighter turned bureaucrat said the move was in solidarity with anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare’s nationwide protest on August 16.



A frail looking Kalyannam blamed India’s first prime minister Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru for turning a blind eye towards corruption. “The British officials were not that corrupt and corruption came into prominence once India got freedom,” said the Gandhian.



“Now corruption starts from the day you are born and continues till death,” said Kalyannam.



Hailing Anna Hazare for launching the fight against corruption, he said nobody had the guts to fight against the government and Hazare has taken up the cause. We should support him,” he added.



Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as well as Nehru are men of integrity but when it comes to tackling corruption, they have failed badly, said Kalyannam.



Eighty-five-year old Bharathi, who was part of the Quit India Movement in 1942 and belongs to a family where father, mother, son and daughter all went to the jail for the same struggle, compared the present anger against corruption to that of the anger against the British rule in 1945. “This movement is a beginning to end corruption. We have to ensure a powerful Lokpal bill is passed,” said the senior citizen, who belongs to Gandhi Makkal Iyakkam.



The freedom fighters have sought permission to hold protest at SET college at K B Dasan road stating that it is not a political agitation. “I will confirm it when we get the permission,” said Kalyannam.



Meanwhile activists of India against Corruption are planning to stage a rally on Saturday from Gandhi Statue to Labour statue and back in Marina Beach Service Road. A petition to Gandhi will be given at the end of the march, said R Upendran, an activist of IAC. The activists on Friday also burnt a copy of Lokpal bill in front of Gandhi statue.