Online petition from IITians, IIMites in support of Anna

Ahmedabad, Aug 20: Faculty as well as students of premier educational institutes like IITs and IIMs have launched an online petition on the web to garner support for anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare as his indefinite fast for the Jan-Lokpal Bill entered the fifth day today (Aug 20).

The 1,322-signatories to the petition and counting includes faculty of IIM-Ahmedabad, IIM-Bangalore, IIT-Kanpur, IIT-Gandhinagar and IIT-Guwahati. This petition seeks support to the Gandhian by skipping one meal in the day so long as he (Anna) continues with his fast.

It has also been signed by the students of IITs and IIMs, and is gradually getting popular.

"We have been instructed by the institution not to openly come in favour of the movement, but a lot of support is being garnered in favour of Anna at the institutes at individual level, where faculty and students have signied up this online petition," a faculty member of IIM-A who is amongst co-creators of the petition said, preferring anonymity.

Names of four faculty members from IIT-Gandhinagar figures on the portal, who have appealed people to lend support for Anna, and also thank them for joining the online campaign.

The comment of Dr Sachin D Kore, a faculty of IIT-Guwahati on the portal reads "I support Anna's fast against corruption."

Sreejith P, has posted ''Support from IIT-Madras, on the portal. The petition, hosted as www.PetitionOnline.com as a public service on the web, is created by both the faculty and students of IIMs and IITs.

The petition draft reads, "Its an appeal that seeks to express solidarity with Anna Hazare who has decided to undertake a fast unto death unless the government agrees to enact a powerful law to rid India of the scourge of corruption."

Protest were even organised at the IIM-A campus here in support of Anna Hazare on Thursday last. Students had taken out a candle light rally and had skipped meals for one time on that day.

PTI