Lokpal Bill row: Mumbai tiffin box suppliers to back Hazare's protest

Mumbai, Aug 6 (ANI): Mumbai city's famed tiffin box suppliers or 'dabbawalas' have decided to go on strike on August 16 in support of veteran social activist Anna Hazare's demand for a stronger Lokpal Bill.

The tiffin box suppliers of Mumbai have a primary business of collecting freshly cooked food in lunch boxes from the residences of office workers and delivering it to their respective workplaces and returning the empty boxes back to the customer's residence.

Kiran Gavande, a tiffin box supplier, said they have never gone on a strike, but they have taken this decision of going on a strike to support Hazare and will not deliver tiffin boxes on August 16.

"Our organisation supports Anna Hazare and is against corruption. All of us support Anna Hazare in the protest that he has started. It is our record that we have never gone on a strike, but to support Anna Hazare we are going on a strike on August 16," said Gavande.

Meanwhile, Joshuan, a foreigner, said it is very important for the Indian people to join the fight against corruption.

"What are we seeing is that 'dabbawalas' (tiffin box suppliers) people, they are very honest, hard working people, very skillful, I am very pleased to see how they have joined the fight against corruption. It's very important for the Indian people and we support it very much," said Joshuan.

The much-debated Lokpal Bill, which aims to set up an anti-corruption watchdog in the country, was tabled in the Lok Sabha on Thursday.

Anna Hazare and his supporters, however, burnt copies of the Lokpal Bill in Pune on Thursday, claiming that the anti-corruption legislation tabled in its present form in Parliament, would not be able to deal with corruption.

Team Anna said the symbolic protest would continue till August 16 when Anna Hazare will go on fast to protest the exclusion of several recommendations made by civil society members on the bill.

The proposed legislation introduced in the Lok Sabha doesn't cover the Prime Minister within the purview of the ombudsman during his or her term in office. But once the Prime Minister demits the office, he or she may be investigated for any wrongdoing during the term. (ANI)