(Image Source: Wikimedia Commons) 

BY HARUMENDHAH HELMY

ANCHOR JIM FLINK

India’s lower chamber has passed a historic anti-corruption bill -- more than 40 years in the making. First proposed in 1968 -- the bill would, among other things, make way for the formation of an anti-corruption watchdog organization.  

The vote tops a dramatic day where activist Anna Hazare began yet another hunger strike -- his third one this year -- and drawing thousands of supporters in Mumbai who demand a stronger anti-corruption, or Lokpal, bill. euronews summarizes... (Video: BBC)

“The Lokpal bill would create an anti-corruption ombudsman, and the prime minister has appealed for all parties to support the measure, but Hazare claims this will not be enough to stamp out fraud.”

Hazare’s 12-day hunger strike back in August is often credited with putting the pressure on the government to finally take action on the corruption issue.

But Al Jazeera says there’s another reason why the Indian government has recently pushed to pass the anti-corruption bill as soon as possible -- even going so far as recalling the parliament to debate it this week.

“There’s no denying that there’s a lot of public anger here against corruption. And it’s this sentiment that the government is clearly very nervous about. With state elections coming up next year, they want to show people that they’re quite serious in tackling corruption.”

But another fast coming from a high-profile activist has TIME’s South Asia bureau chief calling this fast a “political theater” -- and wonders if it’s hurting his cause.

“For a couple of weeks this summer, Hazare made the fight against corruption look larger than politics... And while Hazare is said to live a simple, ascetic life ... every time he steps onto the national stage, he looks more like a politician. He traveled to Mumbai last night from in a massive convoy of vehicles...”

The bill’s lower house passage was marred by walk outs from representatives from at least two parties -- shortly before the voting.

India’s IANS reports some lawmakers charge the government with capitulating to Hazare.

The BBC outlines some of Hazare’s issues with the bill -- for example, how it doesn’t give the proposed anti-corruption committee control of the existing corruption investigating agency.

“In other words, the nine-member [anti-corruption] committee - which will include the ombudsman - will not have its own investigative agency, a major demand of anti-corruption activists like Mr Hazare and many opposition parties. The government has also kept outside [of] the ombudsman's [official task] a ‘citizen’s charter’ for the timely investigation of public grievances against the government, another demand of Mr Hazare.”

The legislation still has to pass the upper house. Some media sources are reporting the activist is suffering from low blood pressure and irregular heartbeats in the first day of his fast.