For Immediate Release

August 17, 2011

USHA Strongly Condemns India’s Actions Against Anna Hazare and the Anti Corruption Movement

August 17, 2011 - Atlanta - The US Hindu Alliance strongly condemns the authoritarian measures being employed by the Government of India against the peaceful and democratic anti corruption movement lead by Shri Anna Hazare. American Hindus are shocked and dismayed by the provocative actions of India’s ruling coalition. This deplorable Adharmic act of the Government of India has diminished India’s democratic credentials around the world and has brought India closer to other dictatorships like China, Iran and North Korea, where freedom of expression is denied and peaceful protests are crushed with brutal force.

The ruling UPA coalition, lead by Dr. Manmohan Singh, has resorted to the use of force to crush the anti corruption movement being lead by well known Gandhian Shri Anna Hazare and other members of civil society. Shri Hazare had promised to begin a non violent, peaceful fast on August 16, 2011. The fast was organized to gain public support for stronger legislation intended to curb corruption in India and make way for the passage of an anti corruption bill termed the Lok Janpal Bill. Instead of facilitating the passage of much needed legislation such as the one drafted by Shri Hazare and his team, the government has thus far attempted to torpedo his anti corruption movement.

The law enforcement officials from the New Delhi Police Department, who admitted taking “orders from above”, ransacked the house of Shri Hazare, frisked him away against his will and detained him at Tihar Jail of all places, the abode of notorious criminals, including those who are under detention for scams worth scores of billions of dollars. This type of barbaric treatment meted out to eminent and respectable personalities, who have become heroes of the entire Indian population, has the potential to create chaos and instability in India. The dictatorial and undemocratic policies of the ruling coalition has achieved in a matter of few months what the Jihadi terrorists have failed to accomplish with constant terror strikes for the past two decades, namely, serious doubts about political stability in India. This will no doubt have serious negative ramifications for the Indian economy.

We fervently hope that sanity and wisdom prevails within the Government of India and that India will be able to demonstrate to the world its unflinching commitment to freedom of thought and expression. The right to speak freely and the right to protest peacefully have been earned by the people of India after a prolonged struggle which involved the sacrifices of millions of its people. Hindus around the world cannot remain silent spectators when the government snatches away the fruits of India’s freedom movement and attempts to create a political environment which has all the hallmarks of a police state. 

USHA supports the peaceful and democratic efforts of all Indians seeking an end to corruption, a political evil that has robbed India of its rightful place among nations. We demand the unconditional release of Shri Anna Hazare, Arvind Kejriwal and others who have been arrested in clear violation of the Indian constitution. American Hindus will be forced to mobilize world public opinion against the Government of India and adopt additional punitive measures if it does not heed to the just demands of Anna Hazare and millions of his supporters.

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USHA is a non-partisan, non-profit national organization of Hindus in America promoting and protecting the interests and rights of Hindus in US and worldwide. For more information, please visit www.ushaonline.org or call (678) 913-8484.