Anna Hazare on the second day of his fast. Photo by Pankaj Jangid

INDIAN students in Cambridge have joined the fight against corruption in India.

Apoorva Jayaraman, CUIS's graduate liaison officer

The Cambridge University India Society has written to the Indian government committee responsible for drafting an anti-corruption bill calling for an end to the 40-year wait for measures to battle corruption in the country.

The letter has been signed by more than 50 students, graduates, academics, and residents.

They have also written letters to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who studied at Cambridge, and anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare.

The society had planned a fast in solidarity with Anna Hazare - he was on a ‘fast unto death’ in India - but called it off when the government, after days of national protest, agreed to form the drafting committee.

The bill, known as the Jan Lokpal Bill, has failed in Indian parliament 10 times since 1969.

Apoorva Jayarama, a PhD student at the institute of Astronomy is graduate liaison officer for the India society. She said committee forming was just a small step and there was still a long road ahead.

“At this point Indians needs to stand behind the bill,” she said. “But it’s not about the past five days, it is about seeing it through until the end which would take as long as six months.”

“Now the government has agreed to look at the bill the next few weeks are crucial. We need to make sure our voice is heard.”

Ms Jayarama said the letter supports part of the bill’s aims to remove government interference from the judiciary system but calls on the two chairmen of the drafting committee and the prime minister to ensure the bill is effective.

“Corruption is so widespread in India today that we are concerned whether the bill will be effective enough to end corruption at all levels,” she said.

She hoped the society, which has around 300 members, can raise awareness about the issue in Cambridge and unite Indian students in the international India Against Corruption campaign.

In the letter to Manmohan Singh the society said they were writing “to voice the deep concern of the Indian students

studying at the University of Cambridge regarding the growing levels of corruption in India and the seemingly ineffective way in which it is presently being dealt with.”

Mr Singh has a degree in economics from the University of Cambridge. He was a student at St John’s College.