More join the Hazare party

Waving tricolour, people stood in serpentine queues to enter the sprawling ground in the heart of national capital to join the Gandhian activist in his fight for a strong Lokpal bill.
Inside Ramlila Maidan, Anna supporters delivered speeches slamming politicians and urging people to question the authority of Parliament.

Enthusiastic followers of   Hazare chanted patriotic slogans in between the high-decibel speeches delivered from the platform just below the stage.

Among over 10,000 people who had gathered at Ramlila Maidan, majority included euphoric urban youths.

Youngsters with tricolor painted on their faces chanted catchy slogans and danced to tunes of patriotic songs.

Some of the supporters, wearing Gandhi cap, roamed around the ground holding placards with anti-corruption slogans inscribed on them.

Some posters slammed Union Minister Kapil Sibal, who was one of the government’s representatives on the joint drafting committee formed to prepare the anti-corruption legislation. One such placard read: “Mr Sibal, corruption is to be treated not to be debated”.

The number of people offering voluntary services to the movement has swelled, as more than 2,000 people got their names registered at the information centre set up on the right side of  Hazare’s stage.

Also, a health desk set up by the volunteers will provide free medical aid and emergency services to supporters who fall sick during the 15-day protest.

Although the majority of the supporters belonged to the urban middle class, few came from rural India as well.

Rajendra Krishna, 59, had come from a village in Haridwar under the banner of Akhil Vishwa Gayatri Parivar. Krishna, who is not aware of the basic difference between the government’s Lokpal and Jan Lokpal bill, said he “came here to participate in the fight for the rights of poor”. Unlike yoga guru Baba Ramdev’s fast,  which allegedly had right-wing element in it,Team Anna has tried its best to show that the movement demanding stringent Lokpal bill is secular. While replying to a question related to the allegation that the movement is backed by the RSS, which has forced members of a particular religion not to participate in the fight, Anna Hazare said: “All those people making such allegations should be sent to mental hospital.”

To show that the fight against corruption is all inclusive, Team Anna organised a small iftaar at the ground for  supporters from Muslim community.