Anna's supporters hop on ‘Jan Lokpal Express’ in Mumbai local trains

As the 10.57am train to Churchgate arrived at platform number seven at Borivli station on Saturday morning to start its journey south, a mass of commuters charged on it. But unlike the usual mixed crowd of office goers of various ages, this was a throng consisting mostly of youngsters, waving the national flag and holding aloft banners in support of the Jan Lokpal Bill.  

Taking over the train as it began its hour-long journey to Churchgate, the young campaigners from India Against Corruption christened it the ‘Jan Lokpal Express’. They distributed handbills explaining the difference between the Jan Lokpal Bill and the Lokpal Bill that was put up before parliament by the government.

As a 17-year old, Arun Nambiar, a student of Thakur College, Kandivli will not be able to vote if any public elections are held in the next one year. But he was there on the train, distributing leaflets explaining the Jan Lokpal Bill. He has been skipping lectures at college for the last five days. His parents did not seem to mind for the first three days, but questioned him on the fourth day. “What is the point of studying if I have to pay bribes for the rest of my life? Corruption is at an all-time high,” said Arun.  

Mahendra Jaiswal, a BCom student at NM College, Kandivli who was sticking bills with pictures of Gandhi and Hazare on compartment walls, said he already had experienced corrupt officials. “It is not just the government; corruption is spread everywhere. I was asked to pay bribes for admission to a college,” said Mahendra.  

Inside the train, the IAC volunteers explained why the Jan Lokpal Bill was superior to the government version of the bill. They informed the passengers that among other things, while the government bill brought only 60,000 class 1 central government officers under the rule of the law, Anna Hazare’s draft planned to bring millions of lower level government functionaries under its ambit.

The prime minister, judiciary and employees of local government bodies too could be made answerable to the Lokpal, they explained.    

Before the train arrived for its journey to Churchgate, a large group of diamond traders who were on their way to offices in Opera House stood with banners proclaiming their support for the Jan Lokpal Bill. This group of about 50 traders usually takes the 10.17 train from Borivali to Churchgate, but decided to take the later train to join the young campaigners.

Rajubhai Bhuta of the Borivali Municipal Market Vyapari Sangh who joined the student campaigners in spreading information on the Jan Lokpal Bill to fellow passengers said, “Nothing works in the government without a bribe.”