India Against Corruption movement
Also called: Anna Hazare movement · Topic: Civil Society, Pressure Groups, NGOs and Self-help Groups · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
The India Against Corruption movement was a 2011 campaign against corruption, led by Anna Hazare. It demanded a strong Jan Lokpal, an independent anti-corruption watchdog. Hazare fasted at Jantar Mantar in April 2011 and at Ramlila Maidan in August 2011. Parliament responded with a "sense of the House" resolution on 27 August 2011, a formal statement of its shared view. This led to the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act 2013, which came into force in January 2014.
Example
The movement also gave birth to a political party. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was formed on 26 November 2012. It shows a social movement turning into a party that contests elections.
Don't confuse with
- Pressure group: it tries to influence the government without contesting elections. The movement started that way, but part of it became the AAP, which seeks power through elections.
- RTI movement: it was led by MKSS in Rajasthan from 1990 and led to the RTI Act 2005. It was about the right to information, not a Lokpal.