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India Against Corruption (IAC) is an organisation headed mostly by middle-class professionals and lawyers that has sought to mobilise the masses in support of their demands for a less corrupt society in India. It was particularly prominent during the anti-corruption protests of 2011 and 2012, the central point of which was debate concerning the introduction of a Jan Lokpal bill. Although nominally apolitical, IAC has Hindu nationalist leanings and has spawned the breakaway Aam Aadmi Party.

Objectives

In 2011, the mostly middle-class organisers of IAC determined to launch a campaign to mobilise the masses in support of demands that they hoped would help to bring about a corruption-free India. They approached Ramdev, a populist yogi with millions of supporters among the middle-classes of small-town India, to be the figurehead for this campaign. His connections to the right-wing Sangh Parivar threatened to damage the credibility of what was nominally an apolitical movement and he was soon replaced by Anna Hazare, a veteran Gandhian social reformer with a history of undertaking fasts in support of his causes. Hazare, too, brought a large support base with him, comprising mostly middle-class people from urban areas and idealistic youths. The urban sophistication of Hazare, compared to Ramdev's rusticity, attracted high-profile support for the campaign from Bollywood stars, the internet-savvy and mainstream English-language news media but he, too, struggled to disassociate himself from Hindutva symboliam and this meant that support from non-Hindus was less forthcoming.

Divergence

In 2012, there was a difference of opinion among the central figures of IAC regarding its lack of practical success and how much this might have been due to its unwillingness to be directly engaged in the political system. Arvind Kejriwal and some others split from IAC to form the Aam Aadmi Party in order to cause change from within the system.

The IAC membership adopted a new charter in January 2013. This stressed the desire to be apolitical, demanding that members or supporters of political parties must not connect themselves to IAC and insisting that its leadership bodies were merely operating in an administrative, advisory and strategic role rather than controlling it. Some salient clauses from it:-

Corruption defined

Corruption the IAC opposes and seeks to eliminate is defined as being co-terminus with those offences punishable under :-

• Chapter III of The Prevention of Corruption Act 1988, or
• Similar special laws in force within the territory of India or beyond, or
• International treaties and conventions India is signatory to.

Policy positions

The IAC has articulated its position on some controversial issues in policy documents filed by it to Government. These include:-

Compulsory national service for youth

The IAC proposes a 2 year compulsory national service for all Indian youth between the ages of 18 and 25 years for national integration and character building in the face of hardship.

Clean Public Toilets

IAC demands a national plan for clean and accessible public toilets as its lady members are sick and tired of seeing citizens exposing themselves in public.

Ban on consumption of alcohol

The IAC has supported prohibition in India (in accordance with the Directive Principles of Sate Policy) if the crime rate continues to rise.

Right to bear arms freely

The IAC opposes Gun Control laws, and demands that the colonial Arms Act be repealed so that citizens should have the unrestricted right to private defence including the right to purchase, store, possess and use arms and ammunition.

Notable people

• Anna Hazare – veteran Gandhian and anti-corruption activist
• Sarbajit Roy – Activist advocate
• Veeresh Malik – RTI activist and journalist, General Secretary, IAC
• Mujibur Rehman – RTI activist and corruption fighter from Chattisgarh, General Secretary

References

1. IAC website. Indiaagainstcorruption.net.in. Retrieved on 5 April 2013.
2. IAC mailing list home page. Lists.riseup.net. Retrieved on 5 April 2013.
3. Nanda, Meera (2011). The God Market: How Globalization is Making India More Hindu. NYU Press. pp. xxii–xxiii. ISBN 9781583673096.
4. "Anna Hazare tells Arvind Kejriwal not to use his name, photo for votes as they part ways". New Delhi: India Today. PTI. 19 September 2012. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
5. "So what is the Aam Aadmi Party all about". New Delhi: India Today. 24 November 2012. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
6. IAC's "India Resists" mailing list. Lists.riseup.net. Retrieved on 5 April 2013.
7. IAC Charter, v.1.000, 1 January 2013 html, PDF
8. "IAC submissions to Justice Verma Committee on amendment of rape laws", pirateparty.org.in, 4 January 2013
9. ^ "About Us". Indiaagainstcorruption.net.in (10 February 2007). Retrieved on 5 April 2013.

External links

• Use dmy dates from June 2013
• Corruption in India
• Political advocacy groups in India