Youth power to the fore

Charged with being indifferent to their country's affairs while pursuing their selfish interests, the youth showed on Sunday that how strongly they felt about corruption and how far are they ready to go to eradicate the menace.

Charged with being indifferent to their country's affairs while pursuing their selfish interests, the youth showed on Sunday that how strongly they felt about corruption and how far are they ready to go to eradicate the menace.

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The Arvind Kejriwal-led anti-corruption protest in Delhi, under the banner of India Against Corruption (IAC), was powered by a massive participation by the youth.

"The Congress and the BJP are the two sides of the same coin. They are hand in glove in looting the country. Time is ripe for us to be the part of the political process to throw out the UPA government and not let the NDA to replace it," said Avnish Singh, a software engineer.

He said hundreds of RTI activists, engineers, including many IITans, have joined the movement. "We aren't some brainless bunch. We have with us students, intellectuals, professionals, RTI activists and IITans."

For Amit Kumar, a Delhi-based chartered accountant, this was a movement for freedom. "We are ready to go to jail or even sacrifice our lives. But we can no longer remain mere spectators," said Kumar, after he was dragged by the police and dumped into a DTC bus at Race Course Road.

Rameshwar Shukla came to join the protest at Race Course Road with his three-year-old son. The father-son duo was fully drenched as it was raining. Alarmed that his little boy may fall sick if not taken to a shelter, Shukla said: "It's time to save our country from the gang of corrupt politicians. At a time, when all our brothers and sisters are fighting for the cause, I cannot afford to look for a shelter for my son." They were also detained by police.

Neha, a college student, said she was initially indifferent to the movement but she could not resist becoming a part of it. "Thousands of youngsters like me are on the road today and their anger is spontaneous. Nobody has tutored them, nobody has forced them," said Neha.