Press Releases Archive

“Should we learn to live with the menace of corruption or resolve to bury it once and for all?”

Every citizen has to grapple with the question at this turning point in India’s history, said Lok Satta Party Working President D. V. V. S. Varma here today.

Addressing a gathering after unfurling the national flag on the 65th Independence Day at the party headquarters, Mr. Varma said that corruption has become the centerpiece of politics now.

The Lok Satta Party believes in fighting corruption from Delhi to the galli. A Lokpal at the national level cannot address corruption at the State, district, municipal, and panchayat levels. The Lokpal Bill should also provide for constitution of strong and independent Lokayuktas in States and ombudsmen in districts.

Mr. Varma took exception to Government and ruling party representatives heaping corruption charges against Gandhian Anna Hazare shortly before he is to go on an indefinite fast. The allegations betray the impatience of the Government with the fighters against corruption, he said.

Leaders of the Lok Satta and its affiliated organizations including Katari Srinivasa Rao, V. Vijayender Reddy, M. Satyanarayana, P. Rohit Kumar, K. Gangadhar Rao, A. Kiran Kumar, D. Ramu, P. V. Rao, G. Mangala and A. Annapurna took part in the function.

PFL parades in US

“Bharat Maata ki Jai” slogans resounded at India Day parades organized across various US cities by the People for Lok Satta (PFL).

The PFL conducted parades in Boston, Houston, Washington DC, Chicago, Edison (New Jersey), Bay Area and Los Angeles.

The PFL had the distinction of conducting the Dandi march-II, a 240-mile walk against corruption, in March 2011.

Wearing white T Shirts and Gandhi caps and waving Indian flags, NRIs in New Jersey took part in the parade. Undeterred by heavy rain, they shouted slogans like "We want Jan Lokpal" and “Anna we are with you."

In Houston volunteers of several organizations like IAC, PFL, 5th Pillar and Bharat Swabhiman and NRIs gathered near the Mahatma Gandhi statue to celebrate India’s Independence Day.

Messrs Srinivas Ranabothu, Raghava Solipuram, Sravanthi Yelamanchili, Manasa Mahathi, Srihari Atluri, and Bhimesh Reddy took the lead in organizing the parades in different US cities.

Greeting Indians the world over on the eve of the Independence Day, Lok Satta Party President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan said India has ensured freedom and peaceful transition of power, and stable economic growth after 20 years of economic reforms.

Indian can fulfill its destiny by 2022, the 75th year of Independence, if the society and polity display the requisite will and skill to bring about accountability in governance, ensure participation of citizens in exercise of power, and create growth opportunities to all.

Dr. JP pointed out that lack of accountability in governance and polity is one of our conspicuous failings. The recent yearnings for a strong, independent Lokpal/Lokayukta mechanism are borne out of ordinary citizens’ despair over lack of accountability. The second failing is exercise of power by a privileged few. The need of the hour is dispersal of power both horizontally and vertically. People should have control over their destiny. The third failing is denial of growth opportunities every child. The opportunities are now open only to those with the privileges of birth and wealth. The nation can endure only when all its citizens are freed from bondage of oppression and poverty.

Dr. JP said we should put an end to evils like political dynasty, monumental corruption, centralization of power, neglect of agriculture and the attitude of might is right.

He appealed to all Indians to transcend narrow barriers of caste and religion, region and language and recognize that all of us are Indians first.