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| A board containing signatures in support of Anna Hazare is seen in Mumbai yesterday |
Public disgust with endemic corruption in India has seen huge crowds of people from all walks of life take to the streets of their cities with one message: enough is enough.
In scenes not witnessed in the capital for decades, tens of thousands of demonstrators joined a spontaneous rally in New Delhi on Wednesday, venting their anger at a problem that pervades every aspect of their daily lives.
Schoolchildren, office workers, retired government officers, army men and even a group of eunuchs all marched in a united call for action that has been promised by successive governments but never realised.
Sandhya Yadav, a 54-year-old housewife, attended Wednesday’s rally with two of her daughters, one of whom had failed to secure a college place despite a 90% exam score because she refused to pay a bribe.
“We cannot afford to be mute spectators anymore,” Yadav said.
Many said the issue of corruption made them feel as much shame as outrage, as they are forced to participate in an engrained process they feel powerless to resist.
“We are so corrupt. We are not scared of offering bribes and people do not hesitate even once before accepting it. We should be ashamed of ourselves,” said protester Anita Trehan, who admitted paying a Rs20,000 ($450) bribe for a permit to open a beauty salon.
Medical student Anjali Yadav said she had even bribed an official to secure her mother’s death certificate.
“I was so ashamed of myself. But I will fight against corruption now,” she vowed.
The demonstrations emerged from a campaign by veteran activist Anna Hazare, who has vowed a “fast unto death” to protest against what he sees as a watered-down anti-corruption bill introduced in parliament.
Hazare’s main fight is with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s government, which has been hit by a succession of multi-million dollar scandals involving some senior ministers.
But while there is widespread public disgust at the government’s record, the real anger expressed by the protesters has been against the culture of low-level corruption that blights their everyday lives.
College student Avantika Rohatgi, 18, said she recently paid a backhander to get her driving licence.
“If we don’t do this kind of thing, our work will never be done. It is this culture that has to come to an end, and we have to address it right here, right now,” she said.
Bribes and backhanders are needed to secure everything in India from phone connections to business permits and school admissions letters, and corruption affects every level of society from the wealthy to the impoverished.
Similar protests were held across the country, from Arunachal Pradesh in the far northeast, to the financial capital Mumbai and the southern port city of Chennai.
“For once we have brought the issue of corruption to every street of India,” said K C Malhotra, 68, a former history professor from Delhi University.
“I am happy that Indians are united for a cause that will change our lives forever,” he said.
“We have to defeat corruption to stop it from eating up the system,” said another elderly protester, Govind Kumar, who joined the Delhi rally straight from an all-night demonstration.
“This is the battleground for us to fight,” Kumar said, pointing to the street where he marched.
Retired government official Srinivas Krishnan said political leaders were out of touch with reality, and added that the sudden surge of protests would serve as a wake-up call for the entire country.
“Every person who is here is a victim of corruption,” he said.