Democracy, not rule by diktat, Anna Hazare says after Pradhan's resignation
Social activist Anna Hazare on Saturday said peaceful agitation, democracy and dialogue were the only ways to address public grievances, as the Cockroach Janata Party
Social activist Anna Hazare on Saturday said peaceful agitation, democracy and dialogue were the only ways to address public grievances, as the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) called off its agitation following the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. He stressed the importance of democracy and dialogue in resolving public grievances, saying, “It is democracy, not rule by diktat, and one should always follow the path of democracy.” Read Full Story Speaking to reporters in Ahilyanagar, the 89-year-old activist recalled his own history of civil agitation and said lasting systemic change could be achieved through dialogue rather than confrontation.
“Any issue gets resolved through dialogue. Dialogue leads to solutions. Creating tension and going down the wrong path will not solve anything,” Hazare said. Recalling his 22 hunger strikes, Hazare said he had never resorted to violence and credited peaceful agitation with helping bring about legislative changes. “I did 22 fasts, never used violence, and because of that, 10 laws were enacted. Creating violence is not right. Whoever the person may be, one should never indulge in violence,” he said. Hazare also stressed that governments must listen to citizens and prioritise public welfare.
He said democratic avenues should always be used to resolve public grievances. “One has to see what the public is saying. For the public's welfare, even if we have to step forward, there's no harm in it. But public interest must happen. Issues are never resolved by violence but by dialogue among people,” he said. “Whatever happens through democracy happens. One should always follow the path of democracy,” Hazare added. His remarks came amid political developments in the national capital following Pradhan's resignation. A CJP delegation held a third round of talks with Union Ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh at the Constitution Club of India.
Following the discussions, the CJP formally announced the withdrawal of its 37-day agitation at Jantar Mantar. “Cockroach Janta Party declares that we withdraw the agitation in good faith, with the understanding that the agreed-upon terms will be executed within the agreed-upon timelines,” CJP Chief Spokesperson Saurav Das said. Ends With inputs from Rohit Walke
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