Misplaced Pages

Revision as of 13:20, 2 June 2013

This article needs attention from an expert in India. The specific problem is: The article is incomplete and may require extensive cleanup. WikiProject India may be able to help recruit an expert. (May 2013)

The India Against Corruption (IAC) is a collective organised synergistic People's Movement formed to ensure a corruption free India. The apolitical movement has spawned a non-affiliated political party the Aam Aadmi Party after a split.

Objectives of the movement

IAC's current objective, as stated on its website, is for direct participatory democracy of citizens (without caring about leaders or big names) to rid the Greater Indian nation of corruption, wherever it is found by whatever means necessary. Accordingly, IAC offers and manages a series of platforms and tools to empower individuals who share a common dream that someday (soon) corruption will be eliminated in India. Membership in the movement reaffirms a primary Constitutional duty to defend the sovereignty, unity and integrity of the nation and its people by all means.

Origins of IAC and 2011 anti-corruption movement

"India Against Corruption" describes itself as a Jan Andolan (or people's movement). The IAC is a registered body originally associated with the Hindustan Republican Association founded by Sachindranath Sanyal and Ram Prasad Bismil on 3 October 1924 at Kanpur and claims associations with famous revolutionaries like Bhagat Singh, Chandrashekhar Azad, Ashfaqullah Khan and Pandit Ram Prasad Bismil etc.

In 1971 HRA leader Raj Narain filed an election petition against his poll defeat by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi for 7 corrupt practices under Section 123 (7) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. The moribund IAC organization was then resurrected and renamed as "India Against Corruption" on 17-March-1972 and a Writ Petition was successfully filed by the revived organization on 17-April-1973, within the limitation period, to the Allahabad High Court (under Article 227 of the Constitution of India) seeking supervision of the returning officer who was reluctant to hear Narain's election petition. The order of the officer was again challenged by Raj Narain in the High Court where he was represented by Shanti Bhushan. After the judgment on 12-June-1975 by Justice Jagmohan Lal Sinha setting aside Gandhi's election, a civil resistance movement followed resulting in declaration of Indian Emergency in 1975.

In 2010, the IAC Organization was again resurrected by HRA and Shanti Bhushan for filing a Writ Petition in name of athlete Sunita Godara and IAC against massive scandals in the 2010 Commonwealth Games held in New Delhi in October 2010. However, the Government preempted their petition by setting up the 1-member V.K. Shunglu Committee of Inquiry. The IAC Organization then took to the streets demanding instead a People's Ombudsman, resulting in the 2011 Indian anti-corruption movement with many prominent activists supporting it.

History of the movement

Resignation of Arvind Kejriwal etc.

On 20 February 2006 a future IAC leader Arvind Kejriwal resigned from the Indian Revenue Services. His resignation would not be accepted for another 6 years till 20 December 2011. In the meantime he carried on with his RTI activities in association with Aruna Roy and Prashant Bhushan of the NCPRI.

Conflict at the Narmada Dam RTI hearing

On 12-April-2006 Aruna Roy, member of the UPA Government's National Advisory Council applied under RTI to India's Prime Minister's Office "PMO" for a copy of a secret Cabinet report on resettlement of "Project Affected Persons" if the height of the Sardar Sarovar Dam was increased. NCPRI member Medha Patkar (who was on hunger strike) had filed a petition in the Supreme Court of India and Prashant Bhushan, her counsel, urgently needed the document to file in court.

A group of RTI activists led by Rahul Mangaonkar from the "Humjanenge" group opposed the disclosure of the report, and Sarbajit Roy filed an intervention motion for them opposing disclosure. When the petitions were taken up on 19-April-2006 in the Central Information Commission there was considerable tension between the NCPRI group consisting of Aruna Roy, Shekhar Singh and Arvind Kejriwal and the Humjanenge group consisting of Sarbajit Roy and Veeresh Malik, with allegations of bias hurled against the Chief Information Commissioner Wajahat Habibullah. As both Anna Hazare and Prakash Kardaley were torn between their dual loyalties to NCRPI and the Humjanenge on this emotive issue, the Indian RTI movement then split into the NCPRI faction led by Anna Hazare and Kardaley and the Humjanenge faction led by Sarbajit Roy.

Coming together

Many of the present participants in the IAC movement were prominent RTI activists of India of "Humjanenge" who met on the occasion of the 1st. National RTI Convention organized by the Central Information Commission between 13 and 15 October 2006 and informally agreed to pool their individual anti-corruption efforts.

These included Anna Hazare, C.J. Karira, Manoj Pai, Veeresh Malik, Mujibur Rehman and Sarbajit Roy. Anna Hazare and Sarbajit Roy were official panel members of the symposium. Other RTI activists from NCPRI like Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia of Parivartan were organising protests outside the high security venue, Delhi's Vigyan Bhawan complex, demanding the "sacking" of biased Chief Information Commissioner Wajahat Habibullah "to save RTI", they were briefly arrested.

The "Sack CIC" saga continues

NCPRI and Parivartan's struggle against CCIC Habibullah continued under the banner of "Did you get justice from CIC?" and on 8 February 2007 Arvind Kejriwal installed a cloth kiosk in the CIC HeadQuarters parking lot and distributed pamphlets implying that India's Information Commissioners were corrupt and favored independent non-NGO RTI activists like Sarbajit Roy and Gita Dewan Verma. On 10 February 2007 Roy reached the CIC and requested Kejriwal to stop distributing his pamphlets and wind down his kiosk. When Kejriwal declined, Gita Dewan Verma complained to the Delhi Police and filed a series of Right to Information requests which confirmed that the kiosk had been set up without necessary permissions from statutory agencies and that Kejriwal had himself paid bribes of Rs.2,000 to erect his illegal tent.

Humjanenge complains about Anna Hazare's anti-national activities

The tension between the Humjanenege and NCPRI groups again erupted in April 2011 when Roy filed a complaint to Delhi Police that on 05-April-2011 IAC leaders Anna Hazare and Kiran Bedi had participated in an anti-national and seditious motor cavalcade by draping the Indian Tricolor in a disrespectful manner and in a vehicle displaying a map with incorrect boundaries of India.

It was further alleged that Kiran Bedi had misused her status as a former Delhi Police officer to avert arrest by the policemen on the scene, and especially as a former Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) she was presumed to know the Motor Vehicles Act and the Indian Flag Code.

On 07-April-2011 the Delhi Police's Vigilance Branch immediately registered Roy's complaint and an inquiry is underway.

IAC split

Formation of a political party

On 25-july-2012, an Indefinite fast called by Team Anna Member Arvind kejriwal ,Manish sisodia and Gopal rai to protest against alleged corruption of 15 cabinet minister of government of India .The intial response of public to the fast was weak.On 27 July morning when Anna Hazare joined indefinate fast, the crowd count was a mere 300 at 11am. Nothing could disguise the thinning crowds from the cameras overhead and some people in crowd misbehaved with female journalists present who were televising the empty stands.Later, journalists identified a person who misbehaved with a woman media person and handed him over to IAC volunteers. With the Government in no mood to give in to Team anna demands, Arvind, with support letter of 23 eminent prominent,announced political alternative for achieving JanLokpal.Announcing the formation of a political party, Anna Hazare and his team said that they were forced to go the political way as the government had become unresponsive. A huge crowd of Anna supporters and others were present to witness Anna Hazare, Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and Gopal Rai break their fast. The last three had begun their fast July 25 and were joined by Anna on July 29,2012.Anna hazare announced he would not contest any election.2 days after, Anna disbanded his team and blog he was not fully with Team Anna on its journey into electoral politics. The sudden decision to float a political party had scattered the IAC, dismayed many of its core members, and brought simmering frictions into the open. Earlier on 22-April-2012 activist Akhil Gogoi and 5 other IAC core committee members had opposed the formation of a political party when it was first seriously discussed. They were not called to meetings after that. Though efforts were made to patch up their divisions, by September 2012 Team-Anna now openly blamed Arvind Kejriwal for announcing his decision to leave IAC to form a political party and accused of wrecking the anti-corruption campaign because of his political ambitions and gave final confirmation the movement has split due to politics..

Congress party questions Arvind Kejriwal

On 20 October 2012 Mr Digvijay Singh, a General Secretary of the ruling Indian National Congress Party circulated 27 pointed questions targeting Arvind Kejriwal's misdeeds, his intentions and his sources of funding especially foreign funding. With all round demands that Arvind Kejriwal first answer these queries before challenging the Prime Minister to a public debate and no answers forthcoming from the "Arvind faction", a ginger group within the IAC's HQ began circulating, from 24/Oct/2012, a series of emails to the IAC's workers (and many journalists) replying to the first 9 of Singh's questions on behalf of IAC, alleging that Kejriwal’s actions are anti-movement and his decision to form a party without the approval of the IAC National Council and the general body had caused considerable confusion in minds of the workers, and that the IAC movement was also getting distracted from IAC’s long term goals by Kejriwal’s "antics". Team Arvind promptly denounced the IAC HQ group as "imposters".

Cyber War incidents

The tug-o-war between the 2 IAC factions in October 2012 and a series of cyber/hacking incidents between "IAC HQ" and the "Arvind faction" resulted in a "coup" for control over the IAC database for benefit of all supporters of IAC movement not only those aligned to the political faction. On 26 October 2012 the "parallel IAC" accused Team Arvind of hacking and disabling its mailing list.

Team Kejriwal Renounced IAC Name

On 10 November 2012 Kejriwal said he would not use the name of India Against Corruption after declaration of his political party name on 26 November 2012. Activist Kiran Bedi today told reporters that the name IAC will remain with Hazare. "We will seek donations in the name of IAC. People can donate in the name of IAC. Arvind's organisation is PCRF (Public Cause Research Foundation)". Bedi also said "it was not Hazare who left the organisation but Arvind Kejriwal-led group which wanted to enter politics". Speaking to media, Hazare said the group's bank account will be in the name of Bedi, Sunita Godara and Lt Colonel Brijender Kokhar, all members of the new Coordination Committee.

IAC++ mailing list relaunched

The next day 11.Nov.2012, the IAC's mailing list is re-launched by the apolitical Hazare faction, stating The IAC is an apolitical people's social movement to "cause" change in society. In response Kejriwal's media coordinator Ashwati Muralidharan requested Ajay Dikshit to stop sending emails on behalf of Anna Hazare.

On 11 November 2012 Ashwati Muralidharan sent an email to the entire IAC core committee saying "Shri Arvind Kejriwal has agreed not to use the name and style of India Against Corruption henceforth. An official press release will be issued very shortly. Arvind Kejriwal immediately emailed back on Blackberry telling her "Don't issue any press release. I discussed with Prashant and a few others. Will discuss with everyone and then make it public". To which Muralidharan replied "The general press release has already been issued to local media by IAC-HQ as planned from the official IAC PR email ID. It has been clarified in it that you may be issuing your own statement later. We can tweak everything in your statement". The premature release of the agreed press statement caused consternation within the IAC and sealed the split irrevocably.

Text of the controversial press release

Team-Arvind denied the media reports of Kiran Bedi that Kejriwal had agreed that Hazare could exclusively collect funds or use the name "India Against Corruption" or "IAC". Arvind clarified that the right and titles to use these names or to allow anyone else to use it or to collect funds in these names did not vest in him nor with Anna Hazare. Arvind clarified that all brands and logos of India Against Corruption were never trademarked and were in public domain to be used by anyone. Arvind denied that he had ever collected any funds from the public in name of India Against Corruption. Team Arvind launched a caustic attack on Anna Hazare saying "Shri Anna Hazare ji was not associated with the IAC movement initially, He associated himself later on .. Shri Anna Hazare ji under the cover of people's protests organised under the banner of India Against Corruption and financed by duly account(ed) funds of the PCRF and other social organisations has earned crores of rupees from sale of branded merchandise like shirts, caps and other articles with slogans like "I am Anna" by his volunteers. The IAC has not received even 1 rupee from such sales which had nothing to do with IAC. The Indian public hopes that accounts for such huge revenues would be rendered to them by the people who expect to collect and manage IAC's funds in the future".

Cracks in Team Anna

Immediately, the widening rift in Hazare’s new team developed the increasing communication gap between the social activist and volunteers in Delhi. Many old IAC volunteers were unhappy with the fact that Hazare only interacted with a coterie which comprises of mainly of new faces including Lt General (rtd) Bejender Khokar and Rashid Rafiq, both of whom are members of the new core committee. Many volunteers also did not like Kiran Bedi laying claim to ‘IAC’ brand name. “IAC is nobody’s personal property" they said. There were also complaints about the high rent being paid for Anna's new office.

Team Arvind accused of again hacking IAC mailing list

On 26 December 2012 IAC's cyber-media coordinator Ajay Dixit again accused Aam Aadmi Party of disabling the IAC's primary mailing list with 27,000 subscribers. This time the mailing list had shown content on Arvind's men allegedly killing a cop during the 2012 Delhi gang rape case and had just published that Kiran Bedi was terminated from the movement at her request. The mailing list was restored the next day.

Accusations against Kiran Bedi

On 15.Jan.2013, General Vijay Kumar Singh (Former Chief of the Indian Army and team Anna strategist) in an email to IAC's members stated that Kiran Bedi's stance kept changing but IAC was with Anna and his Patna rally would take place as IAC event on 30 January 2013. In an email in reply, an IAC Coordinator from the NCPRI faction alleged that Kiran Bedi had misappropriated money collected for Anna Hazare during the 2011 struggle and asked for its return. The allegation was repeated a few days later in another detailed email, this time saying that there was no "anonymous donor" for paying the exorbitant rent for Anna's office but it was the money looted from IAC's volunteers by Kiran Bedi along with Anna Hazare and General Singh.

Anna Hazare drops claim to IAC brand name

Immediately disassociating themselves from Kiran Bedi, Anna Hazare on 18 January 2013, dropped his team's claim to the IAC brand name and will not work under the IAC banner any more. Instead Team Anna will work as BVJAN. Anna's spokesperson Sunita Godara said this is not the end of the road for IAC and the movement with many branches functioning all over India will continue to do its work. Hazare's controversial Delhi office opened by Kiran Bedi was also to be closed.

IAC National Convenor praises Anna

Immediately responding to Anna's decision, IAC National Convenor Sarbajit Roy in an email to all IAC members saluted Hazare for his pioneering work against corruption, and promised IAC would closely follow in his footsteps to uphold Anna's ideas and principles. Roy also slammed Kiran Bedi for running a 3 month long "smear campaign" to mislead Anna. The IAC would work closely with Anna's BVJAN and supported Anna's new anti-corruption campaign to be launched nationwide from Patna on 30 January 2013 with General V. K. Singh.

Kiran Bedi says its the "beginning of end" for IAC

On 24 January 2013, Kiuran Bedi released a book co-authored by her giving her version of Anna's anti-corruption movement narrating the "fissures" in the Team Anna in some length. In the final chapter titled "Beginning of End" she explained post the Mumbai rally failure and having not got the Lokpal bill from Parliament some members of Team Anna expressed confusion and made public their view that Team Anna didn't know the way forward.

IAC charter

IAC's new Charter was adopted by the membership with effect from 1 January 2013. Some salient clauses from it:-

Corruption defined

Corruption the IAC opposes and seeks to eliminate is defined as being co-terminus with those offences punishable under :-

• Chapter III of The Prevention of Corruption Act 1988, or
• Similar special laws in force within the territory of India or beyond, or
• International treaties and conventions India is signatory to.

An apolitical movement

Members or adherents of any political party will delink themselves from the movement and unsubscribe themselves from the IAC mailing list.

A Disciplined, Principled and Democratic People’s Movement

Members will be bound by, the movement’s operational and strategic principles contained in the IAC manifesto. There is no “High Command” in the IAC andolan. The role of IAC’s Core Committee is administrative, advisory and directionary. All IAC’s organs are expected to be transparent and report regularly to the movement.

Issues

Issues to be taken up by IAC, from time to time, include:

• Defence of the Indian nation and its brave defenders
• Ensuring supremacy of qualified professionals/specialists in their field
• Legal process including judicial reform and police reform/systems
• General economic reform and policy
• Education reform
• Town planning to benefit citizens
• Healthcare delivery and Healthcare reform to benefit citizens
• Grassroots movements for equality and emancipation
• Citizen’s participation in public processes
• Strict monitoring and regulation of the media
• Agrarian reform
• Industrial reform
• Societal and religious reform
• Monitoring and tracking corruption
• Eliminating corruption

Policy positions

As an apolitical movement, the IAC has articulated its position on some controversial issues in policy documents filed by it to Government. These include:-

Crimes against women

The IAC stands for revisiting or repealing "draconian" laws like "The Domestic Violence Act", anti-dowry laws, section 498A of the Indian Penal Code etc. which are badly legislated and prone to misuse.

Compulsory national service for youth

The IAC proposes a 2 year compulsory national service for all Indian youth between the ages of 18 and 25 years for national integration and character building in the face of hardship.

Legalised prostitution

The IAC supports moves to decriminalise the ancient profession of prostitution for both buyers and seller of such services.

Clean Public Toilets

IAC demands a national plan for clean and accessible public toilets as its lady members are sick and tired of seeing citizens exposing themselves in public.

Minimum age of consent

The IAC has called for the minimum age of consent, and for voting, marriage and consumption of alcohol etc. to be legislated throughout India as 25 years for males and 21 years for women.

Ban on consumption of alcohol

The IAC has supported prohibition in India (in accordance with the Directive Principles of Sate Policy) if the crime rate continues to rise.

Right to bear arms freely

The IAC opposes Gun Control laws, and demands that the colonial Arms Act be repealed so that citizens should have the unrestricted right to private defence including the right to purchase, store, possess and use arms and ammunition.

Office bearers of the movement

• Anna Hazare – veteran Gandhian and anti-corruption activist
• Sarbajit Roy – Activist advocate and National Convenor, IAC
• Veeresh Malik – RTI activist and journalist, General Secretary, IAC
• Manoj Pai – RTI activist and astronomer, General Secretary
• Mujibur Rehman – RTI activist and corruption fighter from Chattisgarh, General Secretary
• C.J. Karira – Civil rights activist and noted blogger, General Secretary
• Ajay Dixit – National Cyber-media Coordinator

See also

• The Lokpal Bill, 2011
• 2011 Indian anti-corruption movement
• 2012 Indian anti-corruption movement
• Anna Hazare
• Arvind Kejriwal

References

1. History. Indiaagainstcorruption.net.in. Retrieved on 5 April 2013.
2. IAC website. Indiaagainstcorruption.net.in. Retrieved on 5 April 2013.
3. IAC mailing list home page. Lists.riseup.net. Retrieved on 5 April 2013.
4. ^ "About Us". Indiaagainstcorruption.net.in (10 February 2007). Retrieved on 5 April 2013.
5. "City activists garner support for Jan Lokpal bill". Hindustan Times. India. 14 March 2011.
6. IAC website. Indiaagainstcorruption.net.in. Retrieved on 5 April 2013.
7. "IAC's rules". Indiaagainstcorruption.net.in. Retrieved on 5 April 2013.
8. "Team Anna conflict with IAC, Original IAC makes bribery allegations". Aamjanata.com (2 December 2012). Retrieved on 5 April 2013.
9. "History of IAC"
10. "Justice with a fine balance". Frontlineonnet.com. Retrieved on 5 April 2013.
11. Ministry of Finance gazette notification of 20-Dec-2011. (PDF) . Retrieved on 5 April 2013.
12. Central Information Commission decision in Aruna Roy versus Prime Ministers Office
13. IAC mailing list archived at. Lists.riseup.net. Retrieved on 5 April 2013.
14. "Final Report of RTI Conference 2006". Central Information Commission
15. "Kalam agrees to meet RTI activists on protest" Asian Age, New Delhi 14 October 2006
16. Citizen News Service – Cns: Cloth Is A Security Threat To Indian State. Citizen-news.org (5 October 2006). Retrieved on 5 April 2013.
17. IAC website "Origins :IAC Campaign". Indiaagainstcorruption.net.in. Retrieved on 5 April 2013.
18. Central Information Commission decision in Ms. Gita Dewan Verma versus Dy. Commissioner of Police (Traffic).
19. "Team Anna fast: Supporters misbehave with women scribes" Indian Express 27-July-2012
20. "Team Anna breaks fast, announces formation of political party". Zee News. New Delhi. Retrieved August 3,2012. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
21. CNN-IBN. "Team Anna announces political party, Anna Hazare says he won't contest". IBN 7 News. New Delhi. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); |author= has generic name (help); Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
22. "Team Anna disbanded, team members taken by surprise". Indian Express. New Delhi. Retrieved August 6,2012. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
23. "The Kejriwal conundrum". Tehelka.com (18 August 2012). Retrieved on 5 April 2013.
24. "Arvind Kejriwal blamed for splitting group", The Times of India, 29 September 2012
25. Now, Digvijay Singh poses 27 questions to Arvind Kejriwal. Business Standard (21 October 2012). Retrieved on 5 April 2013.
26. Digvijaya Singh now questions Arvind Kejriwal on foreign funds to his NGO. Ibnlive.in.com (20 October 2012). Retrieved on 5 April 2013.
27. Arvind Kejriwal should first answer Digvijay Singh's questions: Congress. NDTV.com (22 October 2012). Retrieved on 5 April 2013.
28. ^ Raza, Danish (24 October 2012) IAC ‘imposter’ slams Kejriwal in bulk emails sent to party database, Firstpost.
29. Menon, Sreelatha (24 October 2012) "Now, a parallel IAC", Business Standard, New Delhi edn.
30. "Hazare claims IAC's name, Kejriwal says will oblige" NY Daily News. India.nydailynews.com (10 November 2012). Retrieved on 5 April 2013.
31. "Arvind Kejriwal not to use IAC's name after November 26", DNA 11 November 2012
32. Archived IAC message sent through "hum" mailing list
33. IAC mailing list archive. Lists.riseup.net. Retrieved on 5 April 2013.
34. Email on IAC's public and archived mailing list. Lists.riseup.net. Retrieved on 5 April 2013.
35. Email on IAC's public and archived mailing list. Lists.riseup.net. Retrieved on 5 April 2013.
36. Email on IAC's public and archived mailing list. Lists.riseup.net. Retrieved on 5 April 2013.
37. Email on IAC's public and archived mailing list. Lists.riseup.net. Retrieved on 5 April 2013.
38. "Signs of crack in Anna Hazare’s new team", Firstpost, 23 November 2012
39. Anna mail list shows content on Arvind men killing cop, disabled | Millennium Post. Millenniumpost.in (27 December 2012). Retrieved on 5 April 2013.
40. Aam Aadmi Party accused of disabling Team Anna mailing list : India, News – India Today. Indiatoday.intoday.in (26 December 2012). Retrieved on 5 April 2013.
41. Team Anna 's new bitter battle with Team Kejriwal. NDTV.com (26 December 2012). Retrieved on 5 April 2013.
42. Email of 15 January 2013 on IAC's public/archived mailing list. Lists.riseup.net. Retrieved on 5 April 2013.
43. Email of 18 January 2013 on IAC's public/archived mailing list. Lists.riseup.net. Retrieved on 5 April 2013.
44. "Anna drops IAC brand name, to close Delhi office", Indian Express 18 January 2013
45. Email dated 18 January 2013 on IAC's public archived mailng list. Lists.riseup.net. Retrieved on 5 April 2013.
46. "Kiran Bedi launches book on Anna Hazare's movement against corruption at Jaipur Lit Fest", India Today, 24 January 2013
47. IAC's "India Resists" mailing list. Lists.riseup.net. Retrieved on 5 April 2013.
48. IAC Charter, v.1.000, 1 January 2013 html, PDF
49. "IAC submissions to Justice Verma Committee on amendment of rape laws", pirateparty.org.in, 4 January 2013
50. "Team Anna's bitter battle with Team Kejriwal". Ndtv.com (26 December 2012). Retrieved on 5 April 2013.
51. "Anna team blames Team Arvind for disabling mailing list", The Hindu, 26 December 2012
52. "Aam Aadmi Party accused of disabling Team Anna mailing list", India Today, 26 December 2012

External links

• Official website
• Official mailing list for members
• Official mailing list till the IAC split of 26/11/2012
• IAC's general mailing list
• IAC Blog (English version)
• IAC historical document repository

• Use dmy dates from May 2013
• Corruption in India
• Organisations based in India
• Political advocacy groups in India
• 1973 establishments in India