The ongoing struggle for getting the Jan Lokpal Bill approved and legislated has been dubbed as the first Social Media Movement of India. One can clearly see the reason for this name being coined. The way social media has been used to garner support has no precedent in India. Raising awareness, not only about the Bill but also about the daily progress used online mediums much more than the traditional media. One can also argue that traditional and online media are quickly amalgamating into one.
Big-development today is the phone apps. It was only a matter of time before the India Against Corruption spearheaded movement gets associated with the convenience and efficiency of the Android app, and rightly so. If you were wondering what progress have Anna and his supporters seen since your last rendezvous on RSS feeds/news channels/twitter hashtags worry no more. Two students of Sastra University in Tanjuvar, Tamil Nadu have devised an Android app called the Lokpal App. The app may sound too optimistic given how an appointed Lokpal is still a distant dream. But given how the movement is largely driven by the flow of news in the form of text and visuals and also on how sentiments that are affected in the public with every single piece of progress and failure has shaped the mass opinion over months this app might just play the all-important role of the backstage hand to the stage of Indian socio-politics.
Furthermore, this app doesn’t just aggregate news with keywords like Lokpal, Anna, Hazare, Kiran, Bedi, Jan Lokpal and such. Designed for Nokia Phones, the Lokpal Messenger app allows people to participate in the from wherever they are. Anna Hazare’s Janlokpal Bill Campaign also took off on Facebook & Twitter were utilized gather support, views & reaction from various cities.
Here are the features of this app:
Realizing that the latest happenings from the ground make it first to the blogs before they reach the main media, various feeds from political blogs to keep you up-to-date with happenings on the battle front have been included.
All the events lined up by India Against Corruption to forward the Bill are mentioned here and updated regularly to ensure that the public is always aware of when and how they can extend themselves to the cause of Jan Lokpal Bill.
Not Only This: You can also participate in the actual movement following channels defined by IAC themselves – Capability to register support through Missed Calls
Register for Email updates
- Capability to register support through Missed Calls
- Register for Email updates
- Interactive Voice Response
This ingenious application is the brain child of R.Venkatramanan and R.R.Arun Balaji, both from Sastra University. The app can be downloaded from the Ovi Store and Android Marketplace.
Contact details for developers:
venkat20390@gmail.com
arunkam@gmail.com
By: Sahil Siddhique
