A day after the arrest and subsequent 'release' of Anna Hazare, the overwhelming support extended by the hoi polloi to India’s biggest anti-corruption icon is in fact swelling by the minute.
Protesting since Tuesday’s night outside Tihar Jail, 65-year-old Anil Kumar was not willing to leave. “I will continue to be here until Annaji is released and all the conditions are met. I request police to arrest me so that I can join him in jail.”
Notably, the India's well-acclaimed social activist decided to remain inside the premises of Tihar Jail despite being released on Tuesday night, demanding an unconditional release and permission to launch his fast at Jai Prakash Narain Park in Central Delhi. As Anna continued his fast-unto-death inside the jail, his supporters thronged outside. From as young as five to as old as 80, the zeal and fervor of Anna’s supporters are remarkable.
Meanwhile, a number of school students arrived outside Tihar Jail with extraordinary enthusiasm. The volunteers were distributing pamphlets describing the difference between Lokpal Bill and Jan Lokpal Bill, with an aim to educate the people more on the issue.
Determined to participate in “now-or-never fight against corruption”, Niki Rana, a second-year student of Delhi University, asked, “Where is Rahul Gandhi? Not even a single statement has been given by the so-called future prime ministerial candidate. This shows he is only interested in events, which give him photo opportunities. If he was honestly interested in the problems faced by this country, he should have come out.”
Anna has become a voice of millions of Indians who want to change the system and get rid of corruption. “This government has brought shame to the world’s largest democracy. We will continue to protest here. I request the people of this nation to come forward and extend their support to Annaji’s movement,” appealed Nisha Pachoria, a housewife.
The spirit of Anna Hazare’s anti-corruption movement is not going to die, said Arvind Gupta, who took a leave from the office because he wanted to “do something really important today”. Meanwhile, Ajay Sharma, a software professional, slammed Delhi police for arresting Anna Hazare on Tuesday. “It’s disappointing to hear it from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that Delhi police action against Anna Hazare and his supporters is justified.”
Fed up with the numerous scams tumbling out of the government’s closet, Ram Nigam, a retired military officer, said, “If the government is so worried about corruption, then why has it left out all the parliamentarians and bureaucrats out of their Lokpal draft? They should have included them and left it on other political parties to decide. This could have prevented a showdown between Annaji and government. And above all, the government’s credibility would have improved in the eyes of the angry Indians.”
“If political parties can protest in the middle of the roads and block traffic, force shutdowns, why are these politicians not allowing Annaji to protest peacefully at JP Park?,” asked Gautam Razdan, an advocate, who was at Tihar to show his support to Anna.