2014 will tell whether our movement has steam: Hazare

New Delhi, Mar 21: "Dum hai ya nahi, 2014 mein pata chalega. (Whether the movement still has the steam, we will come to know in 2014)." This was how Anna Hazare responded to queries whether his anti-corruption movement still has the support and not fizzled out.

The 74-year-old activist, a veteran of several protests, was releasing a book titled 'Anna: 13 Days That Awakened India' written by TV journalist Ashutosh on the agitation in Ramlila Maidan last August. "There are questions about the movement. Some people doubt that the movement has lost the steam. Whether the movement still has the steam, we will know in 2014 (when the country goes to general election)," he said.

Hazare said he will wait till mid-May to see whether Parliament passes a strong Lokpal law during the ongoing budget session and then embark on a nation-wide tour to awaken people about the issue. "Soon after the elections are announced, I will go to Ramlila Maidan (and sit on fast) and people will be on streets," he said while claiming that his protest is not against any single party.

Agreeing with BJP's Rajiv Pratap Rudy, who also spoke at the function, he said a single law will not end corruption and what was needed is a change in system. Rudy asked how can one call India a functional democracy when a former Chief Minister, who was jailed for a multi-crore scam, gets elected to Lok Sabha while another install his wife as the Chief Minister of the state which he ruled.

"What we needed is a change in system. Bureaucrats are supposed to construct roads and MLAs and MPs make laws. However, in India bureaucrats make laws and lawmakers construct roads," he said.

PTI