US: Indian students launch campaign to support Anna

College Park, Aug 16: It seems that Anna's influential fasting has inspired the Indian students abroad to support the protest equally. Indian students studying in various American Universities have come in strong support of social activist Anna Hazare and his protest against corruption. Even they have planned to sit for silent protests before the Indian Embassy in Washington for several days starting from Monday, Aug 15.

Around 35 students went to the Indian Embassy in Washington on Sunday, Aug 14 to submit a memorandum addressed to the President of India. "We as non-resident Indian citizens, unequivocally condemn the attitude of GOI (Government of India), and demand your intervention into the matter. By failing to curb corruption, and by denying the constitutional rights to its citizens, we believe the government has lost moral authority to govern," the students' petition said.

Ashutosh Gupta, a physics graduate from the prestigious IIT-Kharagpur and a Ph D student at the University of Maryland, College Park, has been trying to organise his fellow Indian students to launch a campaign on the internet through various different networking sites in support of Hazare.

"The entire nation is ashamed of it (corruption). Even though we are far away from our motherland, as an Indian it is our responsibility to support this movement against corruption," Ashutosh said, after a 'support Anna' get together at the varsity campus on Sunday.

"We as students here can't raise funds and join the movement in India, but at least we can show our solidarity with Anna Hazare," said Umang Agarwal, another Ph D student at the University.

OneIndia News