Indian Americans to protest against corruption

The Indian American community will organise a protest demonstration against corruption and against the harassment being meted out to Janata Party president Dr Subramanian Swamy here on October 16.

A press release issued by Save India From Corruption said that the protest is being organised to express disgust and abhorrence against the unwarranted harassment of Dr Swamy, a former cabinet minister, who has emerged as the embodiment of resistance against totalitarian and corrupt system.

“The anti-corruption movement in India is the result of Dr Swamy’s efforts started as far back as 2008. He is the one person out of 1.2 billion who could nail many of the culprits of the USD 40 billion 2G scam, from Raja, Kanimozhi and many others,” the release said.

The release further accused India’s Home Minister P Chidambaram and the Crime Branch of the Delhi Police of falsely registering a case against Dr Swamy.

“Dr Swamy cannot be cowed down by adopting vindictive attitude or dictatorial techniques. In a recent poll conducted in The Times of India, 81 percent of the people said that Dr Swamy is being targeted by the UPA Government for his role in the 2G spectrum scam case.”

“In addition to filing frivolous FIRs, the government refuses to act on his request for housing in a safer environment in New Delhi to protect from Congress goons and Jihadists.”

The release said that Dr Swamy had come under attack on three different occasions between 2008 and 2011 in Chennai, Madurai and New Delhi.

It claimed that India is neither a banana republic nor a fiefdom of some dynasty. It is a full-fledged democracy in which freedom of diverse views is constitutionally guaranteed.

It said that Dr Swamy is being hounded by governmental agencies for writing an article three months ago in which he had appealed to all the Hindus to unite against the biggest challenge of the world -- Islamic terrorism.

Indian-Americans come out in support of Anna Hazare's efforts

Coming out in support of Anna Hazare, Indian-Americans have appealed to the Indian government to take serious steps to curb the menace of corruption in the country.

"We NRIs want to remove corruption out of India. We support Anna Hazare's efforts to eradicate the corruption, pass Lokpal Bill and declare black money as national assets," said Dnyanoba Kendre, a yoga teacher from Pennsylvania.

Of all the protests in India in recent times, this is the most legitimate and at the grass root-level, that can change the fate of the country, said Rangarajan, a student from the University of Maryland.

Another student, Umang Agarawal, said they are emailing Supreme Court en mass directly to take suo motu action and save the nation.

"More than Indians fighting against corruption, it seems government is fighting against people who are fighting against corruption. This is going to be one of the watershed moments of Indian history," said Vibhash Jha, a PhD student at the University of Maryland.

Indian-Americans from in and around Washington for the third day held a demonstration in front of the Indian embassy here. Similar events in support of Hazare are being reported from various parts of the country as well.

A large number of Indian-Americans held a similar protest demonstration outside the Indian Consulate in Houston.

"We NRI in Houston feel connected to the movement in India and are expressing support in several forms like Facebook, Twitter, Google, websites in addition to their presence in local gatherings around apartment club houses, public parks and other community places," said Raghava R Solipuram.

Shocked and saddened by the arrest of Hazare and his supporters, Non-Resident Indians for Secular and Harmonious India (NRI-SAHI) said Indian-Americans support the demand of Team Anna to bring every one under the Jan Lok Pal Bill.

"We demand the government of India keep its promise and promulgate an effective Anti-Corruption Bill," NRI-SAHI said.

In a statement, Atlanta-based US Hindu Alliance strongly condemned the measures taken by the Indian government against the peaceful and democratic anti-corruption movement led by Hazare.

"The right to speak freely and the right to protest peacefully have been earned by the people of India after a prolonged struggle which involved the sacrifices of millions of its people.

"Hindus around the world cannot remain silent spectators when the government snatches away the fruits of India's freedom movement and attempts to create a political environment which has all the hallmarks of a police state," it said.