You could call them the 12 apostles of Anna Hazare in Bangalore. Fasting with their leader for 11 days now, the 12 persons share a messianic belief in their mission. They are certain that their satyagraha will transform the entire nation.
The motley group of fasting protesters come from various walks of life. Two farmers, a civil engineer, an associate film director, a retired chemistry professor, an IT professional an architect, a social activist and an advocate are among the dozen shouldering the burden of a billion expectations.
Seventy-three-year-old Dharmaraj MK is the oldest of Hazare’s 12 apostles in Bangalore. A retired professor of chemistry, Dharamaraj was initiated into the anti-corruption movement by the second Dandi march held in March. The possibility of a revolution without guns and violence inspired him. “We are following the lesson — satyagaraha that Gandhi taught us, he says and adds, “Although the Congress talks about Gandhi, why do they not understand that satyagraha is a struggle that comes out of truth?”
Rama Kumar, a farmer from Raichur, says his fasting not like begging for the crumbs that the government is offering. “I am asking them for my rights. I am asking them to show respect for the food I give them, through my toils on the field. What have they done for farmers?” he asks. “They keep saying farmers are the essence of our land, I suppose that is why they steal our land from us,” he remarks sarcastically.
Advocate Yogananda P, 36, believes that fasting is a proven formula in the country. He does not expect Jan Lokpal Bill to bring about a sudden change in the system. “But it will be the strongest anti-corruption legislation ever in the country,” he says. “We’ve always complained about corruption but for the first time we are doing something concrete designed specifically to put an end to a problem,” he feels.
Thirty-year-old architect Prathima Reddy took to fasting as a one-day affair. “But the hope the agitation had unleashed made me realise that this cannot be a one-day thing. This is years of frustration and anguish we are talking about. We cannot stop our fight until our goal is achieved,” she says. “It is extremely unfair that in today’s situation, politicians buy our vote and then they steal from us,” she adds.
Fasting has not been an easy task for the 12 apostles. Amre Gowda, a high school teacher, says besides hunger, there are other pains that one has to endure. “Stomach pain, headache, low-energy levels and gastritis... But the hope that something will come out of this drives us and I’m willing to go through the pain,” he says.
Businessman Sudhakar Reddy, 35, says the toughest part of the fasting fall on days three and four. “I remember that I drank a lot of water on day four of the fast. Getting through it was extremely difficult, with headache, stomach ache, extreme acidity, slurring and even blurred vision. But then I realised that it is not just my battle and that I am fighting for the whole nation; that gave me strength to go on.”
Associate film director N Ravi says the fast is a way for him to be an integral part of the second freedom struggle. “I’ve always been inspired by our freedom fighters and now I can be part of a struggle that the entire nation is fighting.” The first few days of the fast were difficult for him too. “But this problem has to be solved,” he says. “If we stop our protest now, we will not get another chance.”
Social worker Mohan Kumar KR, 40, is the only person in his entire family to have studied beyond Standard X. He went on to complete his MA and MPhil. He feels the biggest advantage coming out of the entire agitation is that, “now people are not afraid to stand up to their leaders. They understand that as elected representatives, they are answerable to us”.
Most people on fast did not expect it to be easy. Neelam Krishna, 31-year-old social activist, says the fight is a long one. “Since 1947 there has been no change, it is a habit that has been set in all of us, this corruption. We can hardly expect it to end in 10 days.”
Farmer Suresh BK says his biggest strength through the last 11 days has been the sheer number of people gathering at Freedom Park. He believes that the government will have to accept the bill at some point or the other. “People are angry and frustrated, what if this spills out,” he asks.
Civil engineer Arjun Narasimhiah, at 24 the youngest person on indefinite fast, says he never had a plan to join the agitation. “I woke up one morning and saw the news on television. That’s when I decided to join the fight.” He too adds that as long as people have the patience, they will wait. “But if the government pushes them beyond what they can take, their anger is bound to spill out,” he warns.
Trade union leader Basavaraj Bujar, 30, too believes that if the protests stop now, there may not be another chance. The Jan Lokpal bill, he says, can bridge the disparity between the rich and the poor. “If through corruption, we can avoid wastage and the rich getting richer at the expense of the poor, isn’t that a good thing?” he asks.
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