Saaku - March Against Corruption
When & Where?
Hockey stadium, Shanti Nagar, Bengaluru on Dec 11, 2010.
Why?
Had the Rs. 176,700 crores not been squandered in the 2G Scam, our country would now have enough revenue to wipe out half the fiscal deficit of our country, to improve the rural and urban economy of our country!
Had our government supervised Common Wealth Games strictly and stopped corruption from spoiling the show, India's global reputation and economic opportunities would have by now shot up. India's IT boom period has flipped to become SCAM boom period.
Corruption, today, has become a bold menace which is shredding to pieces India's Global reputation and its economy. Despite the fact that more than one exploit has been unveiled, the corrupted are undeterred. Institutions that have the freedom to act do not have the power to do so, while institutions which have the power to act do not have the freedom to do so. So while Scams and Scandals are ravaging our country, WAYE decided to say 'SAAKU!' (It means 'ENOUGH' in Kannada).
What
Saaku, is a united stand taken by 18 NGOs like UNODC, LOKSATTA, Yuva Bengaluru, smartvote.in etc. against corruption. It is a national campaign against corruption, the first step of which was the Saaku March that happened in Bengaluru on Dec 11 2010. WAYE, supported the march by mobilizing the youth through word of mouth publicity, social networking avenues and through its strong network of volunteers.
Though, the March had a very strong and focused objective, the participants were calm and cheerful in their approach. There was an air of peace and respect to their belief. All the elements that captivates people's interest like music, art, Baton Relay's and skits were involved in getting the message across to the audience.
About 500 people walked from Vittal Mallya Road to the Hockey Stadium on the pleasant saturday morning. People marched conveying Anti-Corruption messages via slogans, badges, posters etc. The gathering was presided by eminent dignitaries like Shri M.N.Venkatachalaiah (Padma Vibhushan and former Chief Justice of Supreme Court), Shri Dr. Jaya Prakash Narayan (President, Loksatta) and Shri Aravind Kejriwal (Padma Bhushan and Ramon Magsaysay awardee). The event concluded with the announcement of Center for Gandhigiri, followed by signing of a petition, writing a post card and sending Rs. 1 Money Order to PM expressing our concern.
