Mahatma Gandhi was an intensely active personality. He was interested in everything that concerns the individual or society.

He is best known as the matchless political leader who evolved the new technique of satyagraha. His fight against untouchability and the notions of superiority and inferiority by birth are also fairly well known. For India, his greatest service was, perhaps, the emancipation of Indian women. It is generally known that he lived an austere life, practised strict vegetarianism and abstained from alcoholic drinks, tobacco and even the milder stimulants like coffee and tea. His attachment to simple natural remedies against illness and disease and his radical ideas on education are not so well known to the outside world and, even in India, they have not made much impact. Gandhi deliberately refrained from making these public issues and thereby confusing the people. The only exception was prohibition of intoxicating drinks which became a tool in the armoury of satyagraha. Therefore it became a plank in the Congress program but it was well known that many an important supporter of Gandhi was privately addicted to drink and the great leader did not take undue notice of it. Even though it got into the Constitution in the form of a Directive Principle, there has been no honesty about prohibition among the Congress Governments and Congressmen in general. Gandhis views on language, government and economics played a considerable part in his political movements; and in the program of Khadi and Village Industries included in the Five Year Plans and in the Panchayat Raj which has recently been established, they have been accepted and implemented to some extent. If all these ideas and activities are viewed in isolation, they constitute a miscellaneous and rather archaic collection, the importance of which will dwindle and fade away with time. It is only when it is realised that Gandhi was fundamentally a moral and social philosopher and that, through these items, he sought to experiment with certain far-reaching fundamental principles, of whose absolute truth he was convinced beyond all doubt, that their true significance becomes clear. The Gandhian Principles The first principle which guided all his thoughts and activities is the complete unity and integrity of body, mind and soul in the individual human being. He was never tired of saying that the body should be controlled by the mind and the mind by the soul. But this control is not to be achieved by despising or neglecting either the body or the mind or in the mystic exaltation of the soul by itself. He attached to physical health and well-being as much importance as to plain and logical thinking or moral responsibility. He was one of the most logical and powerful writers; yet, he was never tired of decrying all idle and purposeless playing with words and ideas or deification of thought as such. He was convinced that real thought must be organically connected to moral purposes on the one side and useful and right action on the other. It has been claimed that the greatest achievement of Gandhi was the spiritualization of politics. This is undoubtedly true; but he had no faith in spirituality by itself as an abstract virtue. He conceived it as a kind of illumination or fragrance which should accompany every thought and action. It is difficult to define it, except, perhaps, through the verses of the Bhagavad-Gita which constituted his daily prayer. The second principle of Gandhian philosophy may be stated as follows: All social action should be governed by the same simple set of moral values, of which the main elements are selflessness, non-attachment, nonviolence and active service. It will take me too long to define and elaborate his ideas in respect of each of these; but he believed that the growth of a mans personality is proportionate to his faith in and practice of these virtues. This is possible only when he identifies himself more and more with an ever-increasing circle till it embraces all humanity and even all living beings. He judged the value and vitality of social institutions by their capacity to foster such growth. His third conviction was that no society, state or any other institution has any worth or importance apart from its part in contributing to the growth of the individuals of which it is composed. The State, the Nation, the community and other traditional groupings had no intrinsic value for him. In the pages of Young India in the earlier years, he defended the caste system as a great scheme of social and sexual discipline; but in the light of actual experience he abandoned it as an impractical system, though to the end he believed in some kind of voluntary and ideal social groups based on qualifications and capacity for service.

It was Gandhi's firm conviction that means are at least as important as, and often even more important than, ends. It is, of course, desirable that ends should be good and reasonable. But they merely give a direction to life while the means adopted constitute life itself. Therefore, if the means are right, that is, if they conform to the tests of truth and nonviolence, even mistakes, errors and failures aid the growth of the individual. On the other hand, wrong means corrupt the soul and no good can ever come out of them. Gandhi repudiated categorically the idea that ends justify the means. This implies the rejection of war, espionage and crooked diplomacy, even when they are adopted for the so-called noble ends of defending the country, religion or humanity. Faith in God is, according to Gandhi, the foundation of all moral values. He never defined God and was prepared to allow every person to have his own idea of God. For himself, he was inclined to think of Him as the Upanishadic Brahman. But, so long as a person believes in some source of spiritual life and holds it superior to the material universe, he is a believer in God. Gandhi had no objection even to a formal profession of agnosticism, so long as a person demonstrated by his attachment to moral values that this outlook was essentially spiritual in essence. I believe that the influence of Gandhi in the future will depend more and more on the realisation that these fundamental principles constitute the core of his teachings and that all his actions were merely illustrations of their application. He considered his life as a series of experiments with truth. Therefore, it is his conception of truth that is central to his life and work. I do not claim that the principles I have indicated exhaust his conception; but I believe that they constitute its basic elements. A muse on the relevance of the life and words of Mahatma Gandhi as an ode to his birthday): Life runs in fleeted foot. No time to pause and stare. Life goes in a buzz, a year full of activity packed in an infinitesimal second! In such times, where do we remember a man whod have turned 138, had he been alive, leave alone his principles? Zoom forward. An old lady on the bus, struggling to manage her luggage. A girl gets up and gives her a seat- Compassion India refuses to send troops for Iraq war- Ahimsa India supports community services and is a front-runner in the UN and was recommended for permanent membership in the UNs General Assembly- Peace and non-violence. The country rising in unison to help the tsunami victims- Unity and brotherhood Isnt this any indication? Years may have passed since the mahatma walked the face of the earth, but his treasured ideals and principles still hold fort. Lifes testing times have hardly created an impact on Indians and left them as the same bonded lot as Gandhiji moulded them to be. In fact it is only right to declare that his ideals have their greatest relevance in todays times! People all over the world are bonded by that spirit of togetherness and sense of belonging called patriotism. It is no different in India and what cemented this was Gandhijis undying devotion towards our motherland. Every kid knows Gandhiji and has grown up listening to tales extolling his spirit of patriotism and commitment to the cause of Independence. From childhood, there is born, an inherent seed of love towards the motherland that magnetically attracts Indians all over the world. In times of trouble and times of joy, Indians unite at the face of all! Even today, in a world were crime and gory fill the front pages of newspapers, India still seems to be deep-rooted in culture, heritage and tradition. Globe-trotters feel incomplete without an Indian Travel experience. The smells and sounds of our soil entice one and all and makes them feel a sense of divinity and calm, found no where else. This sense of warmth and universal acknowledgement is possible today due to the path The Mahatma showed us! Every Indian still follows a simple lifestyle and believes in koottukudumbam, kolam and karvachauth. Equipped with hard work and intelligence, Indian brains are sought after everywhere. And wherever they go, there seems to be an undying love and patriotism for the home country. A good indicator of the relevance of Gandhijis Simple living and high thinking policy. The word India effuses myriad images of celebration, warmth, food, colours, family, friends, truth, gaiety, peace, daal-chaval, rasam, kheth aur kapda, epics, devotion, gods and idols, manuscripts, love, Taj Mahal, Bollywood, chaats, IT etc. It is a confluence of both tradition and modernity. A rare blend of that which etches deep, our identity and that which helps us surge ahead.

Individuality, self-sufficiency and independence were two things close to Gandhijis heart. Present trends indicate the best time when both these are at their prime! At no other time in Indian history have people been independent and multi-faceted as today. Students balance education and part-time jobs with ease. The youth stand on their own feet, not relying on anyone for support; at the same time not losing out on values and their respect for elders. Gandhiji forever believed that theres no better teacher than life itself, in his stint as a paternal figure in his school in Johannesburg. He maintained that no kid can be forced to study but should find the inclination to do so on his own. Education nowadays is going the play-way method and is practical oriented. Studies show that more students enroll for studies with every passing year and education is reaching the masses. Kids today find it a joyous experience to attend school and college. Not only this, they are being moulded into individuals with character through moral education and value based training. Environmental consciousness, personality development, intra-personal skills, community and society oriented awareness are all inculcated into young minds in what has turned out to be a wholesome education. Women empowerment was one of Gandhijis main goals. Today women are fore-runners in about every field. None can deny the fact that Women these days can handle pressure, work and assignments with about the same ease as men. Household chores dont bog them down. Late hours of tedious work doesnt tire them out. From where Gandhiji left his work on Women emancipation, NGOs and other individuals have picked reins and contributed. Today Indian women have international presence whether you think space or sport! A Kiran Bedi and Arundhathi Roy are not only inspiring figures but also have international popularity. Women are constantly getting benefits from both the Government and people for further improvement and the day shall not be far off when women and men gain equal footage in day-to-day life. His dreams of creating a global India- a country which encompasses technical and intellectual advancements and maintains its identity is blooming true by the day. He envisaged an India which scales heights in every known field. Today, be it IT or architecture, medicine or research, India is constantly upgrading its skills and equipping itself to start its trek uphill. Gandhiji has not only been a person inspiring generations of Indians but also has been that thread unifying the fabric called India. Then, he stood up to fight for independence. Now, he infuses the spirit of oneness in every Indian. Both then and now, this great mans words and wishes shall sound and burn with the same effervescence as it always will. His was a life that millions still admire and as every great mans life, will always be so. His words shall have relevance as long as mankind and his love for his kin survive. Today when the enemy is not just the british but a wide range f them, corruption, population, terrorists, insurgent etc, 1 can not always sit non violently to gain Like everything changing the ways protests are conducted has also gone a sea change. During earlier times people used to gather in groups, hold placards and shout slogans against the people and policies they opposed. There were people who did crazy things like self immolation and other things to grab attention but such cases were few. Even the father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi, indulged in protests at different stages in his struggle for independent India but he always endorsed a non-violent side of it. The British army resisted the protest by attacking Indians but they did not even once restore to criminal ways to put forward their point. Under the guidance of Gandhi, they continued to take in bullets and as a result the campaign had a significant effect on changing world and British attitudes toward Indian independence. The Salt Satyagraha campaign was based upon Gandhi's principles of nonviolent protest called satyagraha, which he loosely translated as truth-force. Literally, it is formed from the Sanskrit words satya, truth, and aagraha, asking for. Try explaining the meaning to the generation today and they would reject it as something non applicable in todays time and age. A protest expresses a strong reaction of events or situations. Protesters may organize a protest as a way of publicly and forcefully making their opinions heard in an attempt to influence public opinion or government policy, or may undertake direct action in an attempt to directly enact desired changes themselves. The reason for such violent and boiling reaction of people can easily be find a connection in the aggressiveness that has seeped in the attitude of people.

The world is rapidly moving and so is growing the desires and wants of its people. In the race to get everything too soon they often forget that to achieve one has to struggle hard. Patience is a virtue that is fast vanishing. Frustration of not being able to get into a course or institute of choice, get a job of ones liking, a salary package that does not match the qualification and other factors add to the anxiety levels of people. When all routes appear close the only way people think they can bring light to their drudgery is through protests. If its a violent one then all the more better as it means instant attention. Today, for every small thing that people or a group of like minded peole does not agree with, they use protest as a tool to highlight their disagreement. Doctors conduct strikes in hospital for days. Critically ill patients are left on the mercy of junior staff because there is something that doctors feel is not being done by the government in their interest. A motorist accidentally kills someone ion road, the traffic is brought to a standstill by the relatives and neighbours of the deceased. For them it becomes a matter of creating a nuisance in public if the person responsible for the accident is not caught. They are so much blinded that they fail to see the inconvenience they too are being to public at large. For such demonstrators it is important to know that they cannot hold public ransom for each and every wrong done to them. There are other ways too to make your voice heard and violent protest only add to the problem. There is no wrong in holding demonstrations. But the one which causes damage and creates unrest amounts to criminal offence. Our law does not stop people from indulging in protests and strikes but it is important that they become strict against those who try to cross the limit during such cases. In countries like Libya, Syria, Egypt thousands of people lost their lives due to lawlessness. Those who took part in political protests were either injured or killed. We do not want a situation like this in our country. Why create an unpleasant situation where lives are lost? One should remember, a thing said with conviction and confidence hold more power than the one said in aggression and involving violence. Damaging public property leads to economic loss of crores of rupees and adversely affects the day to day life of common people. If such public demonstrations, rallies, strikes and protests are meant for the betterment of a certain caste or a group or community, then why bring them inconvenience through such illegal and brutal acts? People are unable to reach hospitals in time and often loose their near and dear ones getting caught in jams caused by such demonstrations, many have to do away with jobs or other important things as they are unable to make it in time. Because of the insipid behaviour of few fanatics the rest of the people have to undergo major problems. For these people who are instigated by rivals to not give into demands easily life is back to normal after few days, but for those who get caught in the web of their protest is left with nothing to fall back on in the end. To get back to normal, it often takes more than just time. For those who end up losing their properties, near and dear ones or valuables, its a loss that no one could fill. Baba Ramdev's deluxe ward at Dehradun's Himalayan Hospital was not far from that of his 'fellow faster' Swami Nigamanand. Yet, while the camera bulbs wouldn't stop flashing as Ramdev broke his fast following nine days of going without food, hardly anyone batted an eyelid as Nigamanand breathed his last after being on a hunger strike for 115 days. Nigamanand went on a fast unto death to protest against illegal mining on the bank of the Ganga in Haridwar. He started his fast on February 19 from Haridwar. On April 30, the district administration forcibly shifted Nigamanand - a seer at the Matri Sadan Ashram - to the Haridwar District Hospital as his condition started to deteriorate. But even then, he refused to touch food. On May 2, he entered into a coma. He was then shifted to Dehradun's Himalayan Hospital and put on life support. Nigamanand, 34, finally died on Monday - almost four months after he gave up food. Hospital spokesperson Kulveer Rawat said: "Swami Nigamanand died due to dehydration because of continuous fasting. The postmortem examination of his body will be conducted on Tuesday."

But Matri Sadan founder Swami Shivanand alleged that Nigamanand was killed on the orders of those whom he was opposing. Shivanand had lodged a complaint against chief medical superintendent (CMS) of Haridwar District Hospital Dr P.K. Bhatnagar and owner of Himalaya Stone Crusher Gyanesh Kumar at the Kotwali police station on May 11. In his complaint, Shivanand alleged that Nigamanand was poisoned on April 30 during treatment at the district hospital, following which he went into coma on May 2. "On April 30, Nigamanand was given an injection of the poison, organo phosphate, by a nurse at the hospital after which he went into coma on May 2," Shivanand says in his report. "Nigamanand has walked through the path of martyrdom. It is difficult for us to bear the loss," Shivanand said on Monday. Haridwar district magistrate R. Meenakshi Sundaram said: "An autopsy of Swami Nigamanand will be conducted in view of the complaints of poisoning by his fellow sadhus of the ashram. It should throw light on the exact cause of Nigamanand's death." The Uttarakhand government termed as baseless Shivanand's allegation. "The accusation is politically motivated. The Matri Sadan people have made such allegations in the past as well," media adviser Devendra Bhasin said. Nigamanand was on fast to force the state government to issue an order to immediately stop quarrying in the Ganga. He also wanted the works of Himalaya Stone Crusher to be shifted from the Kumbh Mela area. But even as one fasting seer died, another Baba sunk his teeth into food and made plans for international tours as his 'crusade against corruption' reached a tame end. On Monday, the Himalayan Hospital released a medical bulletin on Ramdev, saying he is likely to be discharged by Tuesday. "The health of Baba Ramdev is stable. He has taken fruits and juice. He is able to sit and is feeling better. He even walked within his hospital room," Dr S.L. Jethani, the hospital's medical superintendent, said. Ramdev's Patanjali Yogpeeth, meanwhile, announced he will fly to Russia next month along with Acharya Balkrishna to conduct a week-long yoga discourse. They will then head to Mexico from July 24 to 31 for another discourse. Sulekha blog "Anashan" or Hunger strikes of recent times !!

The two hunger strikes first by Anna Hazare and second by Baba Ramdev created quite a ripple in the civil Society. All of a sudden , Civil Society has woken up from long slumber. Media needs some thing and they these hyped for their TRPs. Hundreds of articles and blogs have been written in the media and blog spaces. I have a uncomfortable feeling about this sudden spurt in anti-corruption noise. People may say any thing, but there is political motive behind this, I am not saying whether it is right or wrong. What I am saying is, this crusade ,if I may say so, it seems to be directed against UPA ,Prime Minister and Mrs. Sonia Gandhi and not so much against corruption per se. Even in case of Black Money ,it is also directed towards Prime Minister and UPA. There is nothing wrong in the attempt catch any one who is involved in wrong doing. I read quite a few interesting blogs since this "Bhuk Hartal " or hunger strikes are being used to arm twist Govt.One of the most intersting one was that Mamata Banerjee used this most effectively, her hunger strike for over 20 days for Singur and Nandigram ,it appears inspired both Anna Hazare and Baba Ramdev to go on fast. It is said all of them drew inspiration from fasting or hunger strike by Gandhiji. Some basic differences are - Gandhiji did not make it look like Ramlila. - he allowed himself to be examined by doctors,

- he did not get behind a curtain at night, his followers did not thrash any one for getting close to the stage or peep in. The blog which said Mamata Banerjee's hunger strike inspired these two and she could carry on for 20 + days because of "sincerity of purpose " while Baba Ramdev had to be hospitalized in 8 days and that too he being a Yoga expert who can control metabolism through Pranayams.Did the author mean that both Anna Hazare and Baba Ramdev did not have the sincerity of purpose. It was possible that Mamata Banerjee broke her fast because an World record would have triggered scrutiny. She refused medical examination by Govt.Doctors on the plea that state Govt. was trying to resort to "scietific killing". Prime Minister offered Medical Board from Army Command Hospital that too was refused. She was examined by a party doctor.She also took shelter in the Nursing Home owned by the same Party Doctor. In 8 days Baba Ramdev was not ina position to speak, look at Mamata Banerjee tapes/CDs with Kolkata News Channels after 7 days of her hunger strike till she broke her fast. Weight loss etc were not divulged or made public, because it could be checked.She did not look like one who who was on hunger strike for 20 +days. The Sulekha member who posted the blog forgot a few things - Sincerity of pupose is important in any agitation but if any one resorts to some thing like hunger strike, it is imperative that it is transparent.No haze and iron curtain at night. - Examination by non partisan medical board is also imperative

- Human physiology supercedes "sincerity of Purpose" Gandhiji did resort to fasting several times to defend truth, to get some rightful political concessions from British Raj and once or twice for restoration of communal harmony. It is sad that we are today comparing incomparables with the hope of making some political points. With no aspersions on the skill and knowledge of Baba Ramdev about Yoga , it is shameful to compare him with Swami Vivekananda and the civil society watching this as a passenger. I believe "we the people" need to understand one very basic fact that there is moral responsibility in initiating such agitation and the person must ensure that there is no vested interest and people are not misguided. It is imperative that people who join in are not naive and understand implication and moral issues involved in such agitation While it is very tempting to join the rhetoric of Black Money and Govt. not doing any thing to bring it back. Do people who raise such issues tell the process involved ? Do they tell that those who are ranting now with Anna Hazare and Baba Ramdev were in power for 6 years,what did they do get it back ? If they did nor do it,will Anna Hazare and Baba Ramdev tell peopel why they did not do it. Before they explain to people, NDA and its constituents have no moral right to join the ranting and make use of these people for political gains. I know there are people who are very excited about the awareness which is claimed to have been created. While this awareness is said to have been created, have people stopped paying bribe ? Have people making Black Money or use Black Money ? There is no reason to pat ourselves on the back for the noise that was created. I will again be accused of opposing the fight against corruption, No - I am not against fight against corruption, but I am certainly against the drama being created and misguiding people who are naive and gullible . I still do not understand why suddenly now this awareness ? What was different before that people did not have the awareness ? Why was Black Money and money in Swiss Banks not important before.even during NDA regime ?

If corruption has to minimise, let "we the people " become honest first. Let us stop paying bribe to get things done,often not so legitimate ones.Hunger strikes will not reduce corruption. Why Anna Hazare start his "second Freedom Struggle" to make people honest ? Let laws be framed by those who are authorized to do so by the constitution . Let the Civil Society watch, recommend but not use means like hunger strike unless it is truly people's choice and the choice "self styled" activists, who might ulterior motive. Why are they not agitating for declaration of assets and its scrutiny ? Why are they niot demanding that it should be applicable for tall,including Charitable Trusts,NGOs ,Activists,Politicians , Officials all proffesionals ? Why not ? Why all focus is on getting PM under "Lokpal" ? I think the intent is still under haze and needs clarity and transparency. By Paul Beckett Joseph Lelyveld, an American author, may have caused a furor with his latest take on the Mahatma. But others are evening up the ledger in the Respect Gandhi account by adopting the form of protest most associated with the Great Soul: A hunger strike. Moveon.org, the progressive U.S. public policy advocacy group, is asking its members not to eat to show their opposition to proposed U.S. government budget cuts that the movement says would, among other things, cut food aid to pregnant women and children.

Agence France-Presse/Getty Images Activist Anna Hazare is starting a fast to push for civil society to be included in the formation of the anti-corruption ombudsman bill. Obviously, these are serious issues that deserve to have attention drawn to them. The fast is attracting some attention, which is precisely the point. There are examples through history, beyond Gandhi, where this high sacrifice has made a meaningful difference in righting a serious wrong. And we make the distinction between this kind of advocacy fasting and religious or spiritual fasting, which tends to pursued in a quiet way that emphasizes the personal and devotional nature of the exercise. Still, isnt there a risk that hunger strikes are being invoked so often as a form of protest that their currency is being devalued? Ask yourself this: When you read that a new movement, or person, or association has decided to fast in protest, do you think: (a) That is an admirable and truly self-sacrificial step that deserves to triumph over the forces it is opposing? (b) This is a fitting legacy for Mahatma Gandhis example of non-violent protest? (c) These people are self-absorbed publicity hounds (d) Oh no, not again. If you even paused over (c) and (d) then perhaps it is time for a new form of individual protest in which people will take an genuine interest. Its not just the frequency with which fasting is being pursued that is making the hunger strike less, well, striking but also how people appear to be tweaking the notion of fasting. To me, it would mean eating nothing. Perhaps a drink of water. Period. For as long as I decided to do it. Thats easy for me to say, of course, because the chances of my fasting for any period of time that would be worth issuing a press release about are zero to nil.

But many consider it to be something different. You can fast for a day or part of a day, for a meal or a weekwhatever you can do. Dont we all fast for part of a day? Like between 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.? I occasionally, God forbid, miss breakfast. Does that count? Is it going to guilt anyone into changing anything that I might find offensive? And then theres the relay strike, a variation that has become quite popular in India. Take this 2009 reference to a relay hunger strike going on in Hyderabad which was causing some angst among those who follow the traffic patterns and disruptions in the city) on a forum. It reads: A Relay hunger Strike will be continued at Indira Park, Beside NTR Stadium, Lower Tankbund, Hyderabad by Telangana Girijana Aashrama Patashala Hostel from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm. So, please avoid the above mentioned route as traffic jam may occur. To which one commentator asked the very reasonable question: Sorry for going off topic, but what is the meaning of a relay hunger strike. Is it like Guy 1, eats nothing for 5 mins, then Guy 2 eats nothing for 5 minutes and so on The fast unto death is another form of the protest that seems to have rather lost its sense of literal meaning. Social activist Anna Hazare is reportedly starting such a fast this morning to push civil societys involvement in the formation of the anti-corruption ombudsman bill in Parliament. I have no reason not to take Mr. Hazare at his word. He has won the Padma Shri award, one of Indias highest civilian awards. But do you think he is really going to go through with this even if the government ignores his demands? Even more bizarrely, according to this IANS report, activists also called upon the nation to join the fast. Seems an unkind call to make in a country where large numbers of people often go without food anyway. Telangana Congress leaders launch 48-hour hunger strike in Andhra Pradesh IANS Jul 13, 2011, 12.00pm IST HYDERABAD: Defying Congress leadership, leaders from Telangana region on Wednesday launched a 48-hour hunger strike in Andhra Pradesh, demanding the separate state of Telangana. Having failed to garner any assurance from the party high command despite their resignations from parliament and state legislature last week, the Congress leaders began the two-day fast. Despite rains lashing the city early morning, six parlimentarians, two state ministers and a few legislators along with their supporters, launched the fast at Indira Park at 10 am. The leaders who sat on the fast include MPs K Keshava Rao, G Vivek, G Sukhender Reddy, S Rajaiah, K Rajagopal Reddy, Ponnam Prabhakar and ministers K Jana Reddy and Basvaraj Saraiah. They said more leaders would join them in the fast later. G Sukhender Reddy told reporters that they were using Gandhian methods to mount pressure on the central government to initiate the process for formation of Telangana, in line with its statement of December 9, 2009. The central government had then promised to intitiate the formation of the state. Chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy and State Congress chief Botsa Satyanarayana had on Tuesday advised the ministers and legislators not to go on fast. The agitating Congress leaders also rejected the party's appeal that they take back their resignations. Eleven MPs and 40 members of assembly belonging to Congress party had submitted their resignations last week. A total of 15 MPs and 100 legislators of various parties from the region have quit.