19 maintain fast resolve to stay with Anna Hazare

MUMBAI: While Anna Hazare is resolved to continue fasting at New Delhi's Ramlila Maidan, he has quite a few hardcore supporters at Mumbai's Azad Maidan. On Day 8 of the anti-graft agitation, 19 protesters continued their fast though 49 of the original 68 broke their fast for health reasons or to more meaningfully devote themselves to the agitation.

Nanda Mandlik (52) of Vashi said, "I was given jaggery water and 10 spoons of moong dal water when I quit. My family was glad to have me home after my seven-day stay in Mahajanwadi, Dongri, with the others. I'll now distribute pamphlets in local train."

For some, the decision to quit was mainly medical. "A few who had hyperacidity problems from the beginning, threw up blood. But they mainly complained of weakness, headaches and acidity," said Dr Kalpana Kamani, general physician, Lalbaug, who shut her clinic for eight days to take care of those on fast.

Madhu Padaya (41) didn't give up fasting like her husband Anupam. "My husband's health was getting affected as he was not just fasting but also co-ordinating the movement. He was requested to give up. I'll continue till my will power permits," she said. The movement is close to their heart as their family was at the receiving end when Anupam exposed a corruption case in an airline company he worked for.

The protest got a shot in the arm on Tuesday when 15 freedom fighters, who participated in the 1942 Quit India movement, came to Azad Maidan.

Dr Shanti Patel (90) former mayor of Mumbai and former MP said Anna's movement was in the right direction. "It's unfortunate the government didn't initially permit Anna to conduct a peaceful movement , as it's our democratic right to peacefully protest. I'm here to lend my support because corruption in our country starts right from procuring a birth certificate to a death certificate," he said. Patel was 15 when he was dismissed from an Ahmedabad school as he went to receive Jawaharlal Nehru at a station. Asked about Anna being called the second Mahatma, he said, "Mahatma Gandhi was an exception. One shouldn't attempt such a comparison. But Anna is a simple, genuine man fighting it out peacefully like Gandhi."

For MT Gangwani (85), this is indeed a second freedom struggle. "If we could make the outsiders bend, why can't we make our own people bend," said Gangwani. Like Patel, he too lost one year of schooling due to active participation in the freedom movement. He also joined Anna with a day's fast on April 5, when the movement first began.

"We don't want this movement to die, the youth should continue. Today we are at the mercy of the bureaucracy-politician-builder mafia. This bill will not solve corruption completely but atleast Anna has awoken the country against corruption," said Vijay Shroff (85).

Harshad Shah (87) was shot in the arm by the British when he tried to stop them entering his college in Gujarat. "Our aim was 'Do or Die' for independence. If the PM and government don't agree to table the Jan Lokpal bill then their next step should be to boycott voting for Congress," said Shah.