Violence never the solution: Anna Hazare after letter to PM over protest crackdown
A day after writing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the violence and police action during the Cockroach Janta Party's protest in New Delhi, veteran
A day after writing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the violence and police action during the Cockroach Janta Party's protest in New Delhi, veteran activist Anna Hazare on Thursday asserted that violence should never be the solution to differences. He said he wrote to the leader as he holds the highest office in the country's government. "Narendra Modi is a prominent and respected leader of the country. He should understand that violence is never the way forward," Hazare told India Today. Read Full Story On being asked about the Centre's handling of the CJP's agitation, the 89-year-old Gandhian activist said he did not want to comment on the issue. He, however, maintained that "whatever happened was wrong." He also reaffirmed his belief in the principle of non-violence. "I have led 22 hunger strikes in my lifetime, and there was never any violence in any of them," Hazare stated. He also stressed that representatives of the BJP-led central government should visit the protesters at Jantar Mantar. The remarks came a day after the activist urged the government to engage in dialogue with protesting students and address their concerns.
WHAT ANNA HAZARE TOLD PM MODI In his letter to PM Modi on Wednesday, Hazare had said that reports of violence and police action were "painful" and added that violence, damage to public property and unnecessary use of force had no place in a democracy. He had also said the concerns of young people over paper leaks, delays in recruitment processes, unemployment and other issues should not be viewed merely as law-and-order challenges but as a reflection of wider social distress and expectations. The letter came two days after the CJP's 'Chalo Sansad' march, which was organised to protest alleged examination irregularities and demand the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The protest later turned violent, with police using tear gas and lathis to disperse demonstrators. Referring to the NEET controversy, which is the central focus of the CJP-led agitation, Hazare said irregularities in the examination system had caused anxiety among students and parents. He argued that accountability for administrative failures should not be limited to lower-level officials and that senior authorities must also be held responsible.
In the letter, Hazare also said that taking the resignation of a minister would not weaken the government but send a strong message to other ministers about accountability, and will improve governance. LETTER AMID MOUNTING OPPN PRESSURE Hazare's letter came as opposition parties mounted their attack on the Centre and amplified the protesters' demand for Pradhan's resignation. "Dialogue is always a better path than confrontation in a democracy," he said, urging the government not to view the people's voice as the voice of the Opposition. He added that differences were natural in a democracy, but they should be resolved through dialogue, sensitivity and mutual respect. The activist also maintained that whenever irregularities or scams came to light, responsibility was often fixed only on lower-level officials while the government claimed credit for positive outcomes, asserting that the ultimate responsibility rested with those occupying senior positions. Hazare also expressed concern over the removal of activist Sonam Wangchuk from his hunger strike site, saying the government should have initiated talks with the protesters before taking action.
The BriefWire