Indian hunger striker doubted he would triumph
An Indian septuagenarian whose 98-hour hunger strike against corruption ended with big concessions from the government said yesterday he had no idea his campaign would win national support.
"I did not know that this protest would spread throughout the country," said Anna Hazare, a Mahatma Gandhi devotee, a day after his demands for changes to a new anti-graft bill were accepted.
Hazare began the hunger strike in New Delhi on Tuesday, winning wide support amid rising public anger over rampant corruption scandals that have tainted Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's government.
Hazare's main demand was that activists be included on a committee tasked with drafting an ombudsman bill, giving teeth to anti-corruption laws that could ensure potential prosecutions of government ministers and bureaucrats.
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