Thousands of citizens from over 40 cities poured into the streets on 30th January to participate in the nationwide campaign for “March against corruption”, started by Param Pujya Gurudev Sri Sri Ravishankarji along with Swami Ramdev, Swami Agnivesh, Kiran Bedi, Anna Hazare, Arch Bishop Vincent M Concessao, J. M. Lyngdoh and many others. The campaign demanded the setting up of the citizen-drafted Lokpal as an independent body at the center and Lok Ayuktas in the state. These bodies will have powers to initiate investigation and prosecution against the corrupt, without permission from other government bodies, as against the present scenario in which anti-corruption offices act only as an advisory authority.
“Every movement starts with a thought, moves with support and ends with a change. For the first time in my life, I am experiencing a thought manifesting into movement. The movement has started with a bang and I am sure that every citizen of India will participate in it and play their role in bringing the change”, says Tarun Om Kathuria, a businessman from Delhi. He was one amongst the many youngsters, who took responsibility for the change that they wanted to see in the country.
Following this event, Guruji addressed a large gathering of youth from villages around Bangalore and Ramanagaram in the Art of Living Ashram in Bangalore during the Yuva Jagruti Sammelan on 6 February. "Fight corruption with truth and non-violent means, we have to come together to root out corruption from India. The youth have to bring a wave of transformation. We need to stand strong against corruption irrespective of any party or person”, he said. Inspired by the revolution that Mahatma Gandhi lead by means of ahimsa, the youngsters discussed about the various ways to tackle corruption in peaceful yet powerful manner. They expect to create a mass movement for using of the RTI Act, staging of street plays to create awareness and conducting regular follow up regarding the local projects in the government offices. The stickers “I do not take bribe” were distributed in the local government offices as a part of this campaign.
Guruji has re-iterated in various forums that corruption begins where a sense of belongingness ends. “You draw a circle of belongingness around you and corruption begins only after that. Politicians need to be more spiritual, by spiritual I mean have a sense of belongingness with people. That spirit is somewhere going down. That is why we feel that corruption or unethical business have all sprung up. We need to inculcate these value systems in our youth. The youth are ready for this, they want it!”
Want to be a part of this campaign?
Write to us at webteam.india@artofliving.org
