SHILLONG, Aug 17 � The hills here today erupted into spontaneous show of support for Anna Hazare�s fight against corruption, which many young citizens terming the anti-corruption crusader the �new Mahatma� of this generation.
�Anna Hazare is the new Mahatma of our generation. We haven�t seen Mahatma Gandhi, only read about him, but what we are seeing is Anna Hazare actually carrying forward the good works of Gandhiji,� Sanjay Boro, a 19-year-old student who took part in a candle light protest meet and signature campaign at Police Bazaar today.
Not just students like Boro, there were hundreds of other supporters of Anna Hazare. Teachers, lawyers, social activists, housewives, children, all took part in the meet and shouted slogans against corruption and the Central Government for holding �democracy to ransom.�
Tinku Banik, a mechanic who was seen pinning anti-corruption badges on people said he has felt his �duty� to be part of the movement against corruption. �I don�t know why, but I felt from my heart that I have to be a part of this movement. Rampant corruption in India is slowly killing people like us,� Banik said.
Gokul Srivastava, a shopkeeper said, �The Parliament is not supreme, the Constitution is. The Central Government is holding democracy to ransom by putting preconditions for holding a peaceful democratic protest, which otherwise is a fundamental right of every Indian under the Constitution.�
Michael Syiem, a RTI activist said that Anna Hazare�s fight would be given full support. �We are going to continue with our protest everyday in support of our fight against corruption,� he added.
Along with Syiem, Agnes Kharshiing, another social activist with her supporters were part of the meet. Kharshiing said that the country has gone deep into the muck of corruption and all right thinking people should take a call on it.
