This coastal city’s response to the anti-corruption drive of Anna Hazare had been warm for the last 10 days. Now a few motivated citizens have decided to take it forward.
On Friday, more than 200 citizens gathered near Gandhi Square to hold a candlelight demonstration. “We did not raise slogans, hold placards or distribute hand-outs. There was no press publicity either. Yet we could draw a good crowd today. There were more people today thanyesterday (Thursday),” said Srinivasan Nandagopal, organiser of the demonstration.
On the other side of the city, in front of the deputy commissioner’s office, there was absolute silence. There were no demonstrations, but one could not conclude that there was no support for the cause represented by Anna Hazare.
“In fact, we are taking it more on a person-to-person level. We are trying to spread the word on the anti-corruption movement to every house, through our network of people. We think that would be more prudent thangoing for a mass programme at one place. The results are there for everybody to see. People even approach us with their ideas,” said Vidya Dinkar, a member of the Dakshina Kannada Anti-corruption Forum.
The forum will hold an inter-collegiate elocution event on ‘Anti-corruption and Anna’s initiative’ at Sharada Vidyalaya Composite College on Sunday.
In Mysore, the anti-corruption movement is picking up. On Friday, about 200 two-wheeler mechanics running businesses along the roadside took out a bike rally from Maharaja’s College grounds to Gandhi Square. The rally stopped at Ramaswamy Circle and Chamaraja Double Road (100 feet road). The men then raised slogans there against corruption.
This was followed by another rally by the city’s taxi drivers’ and owners’ association. About 100 taxis took part in the procession. The police, however, did not allow them to enter Gandhi Square to prevent congestion at the city centre.
Not to be let down, taxi drivers and owners marched to Gandhi Square and joined the demonstration there.
Other associations that joined Anna’s struggle were Mysore Poultry Association and Vishwakarma Jewellers’ Youth Association.
About 600 students from Sharada Vilas Educational Institutions formed a human chain at Ramaswamy Circle. Traffic was diverted fromChamaraja Double Road to Saraswatipuram Ist Main.
Voicing their support to Anna Hazare, members of Vidyarthi Kriya Vedike of Yuvaraja’s College boycotted classes and marched to the deputy commissioner’s office, where they staged a sit-in for more than an hour.
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