Corporate India says it backs Anna Hazare
Top industry leaders on Friday extended their support to the Anna Hazare movement against corruption, stating that Corporate India was ''sick'' of this menace.
Several corporate heads, including Bajaj Auto Chairman Rahul Bajaj, Godrej Group head Adi Godrej, Biocon Chairman and Managing Director Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw along with Assocham President Dilip Modi and Ficci Director General Rajiv Kumar came out in support of the social activist who has mobilised thousands of people in his campaign against corruption.
"We support any such movement by anybody, including Ramdev and Anna Hazare, to reduce corruption soon... We are sick of corruption," Bajaj said.
Pointing out that corruption cannot disappear immediately , Bajaj lauded the efforts of Hazare, saying "something has to be done" about it.
Godrej group chief said, "Industry cannot go on streets. Yes, corporate India does support his cause. We are with him".
Expressing similar views, the Director General of industry chamber Ficci said, "We completely support Hazare in his fight against corruption, which has been denting India."
Ficci favours setting up of ombudsman-type institutions to deal with issues of corruption and governance.
"Certainly, we are all concerned. All of us want to be a part of this process of eradicating corruption..," Biocon chief Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw said, adding,"personally, I am extremely supportive of what Anna Hazare is doing."
Indo-American Chamber of Commerce (IACC) President Gautam Mahajan said all the stakeholders should join hands to root out corruption from the system.
"All stakeholders including the government, officials and the civil society should sit together to devise the architecture to root out corruption," said IACC.
London-based renowned NRI economist Lord Meghnad Desai said Hazare's protest was in the right direction.
"I think there will have to be sustained negotiation between the government and the civil society. India will benefit from this new process of making legislation because Parliament has to listen to people if it has to perform better."
Assocham chief said there was a need for clean and efficient governance at all levels, whether corporate or civil.
"Whether it is the Lok Pal Bill or any other institutional arrangement, we must ensure that the power is not accumulated in the same hands and the balance of power envisaged in our Constitution is respected," Modi said.
