Soon he will launch state-wide anti-liquor campaign in Uttar Pradesh where party will make it a poll issue.
Mumtaz Alam, IndiaTomorrow.net,
New Delhi, July 25: Eminent social activist Swami Agnivesh on Sunday joined Janata Dal (United) of Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar in the presence of party’s four national secretaries. Agnivesh told IndiaTomorrow.net that he was inspired by Nitish’s bold decision about prohibition in Bihar and has joined his party only to strengthen Nitish’s anti-liquor campaign and make it a national issue.
For decades, Agnivesh has been fighting for social justice and against bonded labour. In the past, he has successfully run anti-liquor campaign.
“We had launched such campaign long ago in Haryana and Andhra Pradesh and got prohibition implemented in both states. We had run the campaign in Haryana in 1968 and it was successful but as it was the only state with prohibition, so smuggling began from all sides, and it failed after one and half years. Same happened in Andhra where NT Ramarao had implemented it but it was lifted after one and half years,” said Agnivesh while talking to IndiaTomorrow.net.
Then we had decided that unless prohibition is implemented nationally the campaign will not be successful because states have so many borders and all are open, he said.
He said he was impressed by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s decision to ban liquor in the state and so he decided to join JD(U). He joined the party at its national office in Delhi in the presence of party general secretaries Arun Srivastava and Shyam Rajak and national election officer Anil Hegde.
I have not joined JD(U) to take any post: Swami Agnivesh
“When Nitish Kumar ji implemented it (prohibition) I talked to him and urged him to make it a national issue. He agreed. And now we are going to make it a national issue. I have been fighting for whole life for the poor, social justice and child labour. He has agreed on national minimum wages, land for homeless and equal opportunities in education – common school system where children of judges, politicians, government officers and all could study. Only then their standard will improve and business of private education institutions will go down,” said Agnivesh.
Talking to IndiaTomorrow.net, he said: I have not joined it to take any post but only to help JDU to make Jayaprakash’s total revolution a national movement.
JD(U) will make prohibition a poll issue in Uttar Pradesh
When asked if JD-U will make prohibition a poll promise in Uttar Pradesh as it did in Bihar, Swami Agnivesh said: “Certainly will do. We are making preparation for it. We will take out a yatra from Patna on 21 Sep and moving throughout Uttar Pradesh it will conclude at Rajghat (Mahatma Gandhi’s Samadhi) in Delhi on 2nd October (Gandhi’s birthday). This will make anti-liquor an issue for Uttar Pradesh elections.”
