Indian Activist Poised to End Hunger Strike

Posted on Aug 27, 2011

AP / Gurinder Osan

Anna Hazare, 74, at the Mahatma Gandhi memorial in New Delhi on Aug. 15, the day before his fast began.

Activist Anna Hazare has agreed to end his nearly two-week-long hunger strike on Sunday morning after India’s finance minister announced that the general sentiment in parliament is to support the strict anti-corruption policies Hazare is demanding.

After 12 days of consuming only sips of water, Hazare appeared increasingly frail on Saturday, but he said he is energized by the outpouring of support he has received.

Tens of thousands have taken to the streets across India over the last two weeks in support of Hazare and his stance against political corruption. —BF

Al-Jazeera:

About 6,000 supporters chanted and waved Indian flags at the sprawling protest site Hazare has taken over in the capital, New Delhi.

Several scandals linked to the government, including a bribery scam involving the sale of telecom spectrum that may have cost the state up to $39bn in lost revenues, led to Hazare’s latest protest.

“It’s the twelfth day of my fast but I am all right since I’m getting energy from all of my supporters. I can fast for another three or four days, nothing will happen to me,” Hazare, visibly weak, told his supporters on Saturday morning.
 
“Until the Jan Lokpal bill gets passed I won’t die.”

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