Mumbai’s withdrawal symptoms post World Cup celebrations seem to have ended rather early. With slogans like “Kon bolte denar nahi, ghelte shivay rahnar nahi,” chanted by a crowd in the same way they might have cheered team India in the finals, popular support for corruption crusader Anna Hazare was evident at the Azad Maidan as he started his fast unto death on Tuesday.
Hazare started his fast at the Jantar Mantar, Delhi to force the central government to form a committee that will look into the draft of the Jan Lokpal Bill. The call has been supported by various Gandhians, NGOs like National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM) and leaders of all religions.
Protesters of all ages started with a car and bike rally from Shivaji Park, gathered at the Azad Maidan till evening shouting slogans, cracking jokes on corruption and then distributing bills asking people to support the cause.
“I took retirement from the Army and now work as an advocate in the judiciary. There too, corruptions exists on a large scale, particularly in the lower courts. The government is not taking any concrete steps and corruption is spreading like a cancer. To stem that, I am participating in this fast,” said retired commander Jaswant Singh who had come from Kandivili.
“At the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), corruption is deep and pilots have to suffer. My friends are witnesses to it and suffer every day,” said Maitrey Avachat, a 21-year-old student pilot who too had come to fast.
Religious leaders fasted to avoid corruption in their areas. Sister Mathilda Fernandes, who came from Helper’s of Mary, Andheri, said, “Whenever we work for the poor, we see that there is lot of harassment from police particularly. They either want bribes or haftas or if people work for moving sand, they want bribes for that too.”
Apart from the city, Anna’s hunger strike received a response from various talukas in the interiors of Maharashtra and metropolitan region. “People in Thane, Navi Mumbai and Kalyan are supporting by meeting in those places. Many who have not come here too are doing it,” said Shirish Parab, Mumbai president of Hazare’s Bhrashtachar Virodhi Jan Andolan.
“We had around 8,000 people from Narmada Bachao and Ghar Bachao and Ghar Banao Andolan. We are supporting the fasts as it affects the poorest the most. We want SRA projects given to builders to be stopped and and the Rajiv Gandhi Awas Yojana started so that people can get homes,” said Amit Maru of the NAPM.
“We are requesting people who could not fast today to do so tomorrow or the day after. We are also asking them to register with us to go to jail if the government does not agree to our demands which could be possible,” said Mayank Gandhi, of India Against Corruption.
Organisers said that they were forced to take such a step after the PM flatly declined to form a committee citing the Parliament session and elections in various states as reasons.
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