The retired Supreme Court judge, V.R. Krishna Iyer, has appealed to the Chief Justice of India to intervene in the ‘Anna Hazare issue' and strike a balance using his judicial wisdom. “Our independence, dignity, autonomy are in peril; the fight is between Indian billions versus authoritarian executive.”

In the appeal, titled “The Beginning of the End,” Mr. Iyer wrote:

“I am informed that Anna Hazare has been arrested today [on Tuesday]. Every speech is in chase. Corruption is free. India is in custody. As a free Indian I demand your Excellency the Chief Justice of India to liberate Bharat and make fundamental freedom truly free and not at the mercy of the High Executive.

“Anna Hazare, a free soul wanted to express his protest against the chronic malaise of corruption by fasting unto death in a peaceful manner. But this Gandhian attempt was sought to be prevented by a conditional order of the authority demanding specific conditions to be satisfied as a pre-condition, which to my mind appear unreasonable and unjust in a country of Gandhian vintage. The duty of every hon'ble citizen in India today is to protest against the action of the Government/executive. Everyone who stands for the fundamental rights of the Constitution, who has a backbone to uphold the value of the Constitution and the Father of the Nation; must desiderate the Executive, the Legislative and Judicative instrumentalities, to release those arrested forthwith and vindicate every citizen's right to oppose in all conscience against executive command lest the people of this county lose what was won through do or die struggle from the oppression of unconscionable imperialism.

“Anna Hazare and his team members who are under arrest today are symbolic of Bharat behind bars. India is one here. We, the People of India the socialist, secular democratic Republic on the one side, and an under fall of arrogance of the South and North blocks who pro tem hold the nation in custody and terror.

“Dear Hon'ble Chief Justice of India, act now! Every hour is late. Every moment is late. Anna Hazare, I speak for Indian humanity in the divinity that everyone harbours in his inner being. India is in prison until the voice of one who speaks for the country is unfree and in servitude. I know if everyone protests against every authority there will be chaos but you must intervene and strike a balance using your judicial wisdom…..”

Mr. Iyer said he was sending out this appeal at the request of a local advocate in Kochi and a human rights activist.