The fight against corruption, spearheaded by Anna Hazare, has been sanctified by a Church leader in Meghalaya who said “political education to elect clean leaders must go hand in hand with spiritual teachings.”
Taking part in the support rally of Anna Hazare’s nine-day indefinite fast against corruption, Reverend K Pyrtuh of the Presbyterian Church here said: “the Church and all religious groups must lay more emphasis on educating people so that morally and spiritually clean leaders are elected to enter the hallowed precincts of democracy.”
Asked about his motivation to join today’s rally, the Church leader said: “as a concerned citizen of India I am as troubled and saddened as others about the scourge of corruption in our country. As a member of the Church I am morally and spiritually inclined to take a stand against this sin (corruption).” The rally was taken out from Police Bazaar to Laitumkhrah and was attended by a cross section of the society.
Rev. Pyrtuh took the connotation of corruption to local levels and said the fight must not be confined to monetary benefits, but, also look into issues of violence and exploitation of the poor and the weak.
“Everywhere in the country the poor and the weak are being subjected to violence and exploitation by mafias, the rich and powerful. The fight therefore must be against such exploitations of structural inequality. There must be freedom from fear in our democracy,” he added.
Right to Information activist, Michael Syiem on the other hand said, corruption in Meghalaya is endemic. “Look at the figures…the number of Below Poverty Line (BPL) families in Meghalaya has increased from 49 per cent in 2001 to 66 per cent in 2011 despite all the welfare schemes,” he pointed out.
Syiem is of the view that if the welfare schemes were “implemented honestly” the number of BPL families should have decreased. “We need an independent Lokayukta in the state so that corruption can be tackled effectively,” he added.
Agnes Kharshiing, a women social activist, dismissing the government bill on corruption as “Jokepal” said, the central government must awaken to the fact that the people would not accept a bill which does not effectively address the menace of corruption.
“Our full support for Anna Hazare. The government must enact a strong anti-corruption bill. This is the collective voice of the common people of India for the government to hear,” she said while handing out pamphlets to the people having both the government and Anna Hazare’s draft version of the Lokpal bill.
