New Delhi:
Looking frail, his voice wavering uncharacteristically, Anna Hazare ended his hunger strike in Mumbai this evening. His aides say the 74-year-old is not well enough to fast any longer; they also say he has been let down by the weak anti-corruption Lokpal Bill that was passed in the Lok Sabha last night. He will neither head to Delhi now, as discussed earlier, nor launch a civil unrest or
jail bharo agitation, for which nearly two lakh people have signed up online. Anna is now resting at a guesthouse in Mumbai, and is expected to head today to his hometown of Ralegan Siddhi in Maharashtra.
There were few lucid explanations for the many changes to Team Anna's plans provided by his aides yesterday. Anna began what was meant to be a three-day fast on Tuesday, just as the Lok Sabha began debating the Lokpal Bill that the activist has described as "a betrayal of the country." At a press conference yesterday afternoon, reporters asked Anna and his aides pointed questions, some of them about why his camp at the MMRDA Grounds in Mumbai has drawn crowds that are tiny compared to the huge turnout for his Delhi protest camp in August. Anna said he would soon move to Delhi for a sit-in at Ram Lila Maidan. Minutes later, his closest aide, Arvind Kejriwal, contradicted that. For now, he said, the agitation is suspended.
What Anna and Mr Kejriwal did stress is that the activists will now focus on campaigning against the Congress in the five states that vote between January and March. "The Congress has cheated us more than any other party, including the BJP," said Anna. "Whatever we are seeing today in Parliament is tragic. So I have decided to call off the fast today. There is only one way now. We will make a programme in the five states and go and awaken people there. I will tell them don't vote for traitors," he said.
The bill will be debated in the Rajya Sabha today. The Lokpal is a new national anti-corruption agency with nine members that will investigate politicians and bureaucrats for corruption. Anna says the Lokpal Bill creates an ombudsman with no power and limited authority, especially because it has not been given an investigating agency to tackle complaints of graft.
On Tuesday night, doctors said Anna was seriously unwell. His blood pressure was rising, and he was feverish. Yesterday morning, they warned that if he persists with his fast, he faces the risk of a kidney failure.
During the Lokpal debate in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, a series of politicians from different parties were unsparing in their criticism of what they describe as Anna's attempts to undermine the supremacy of Parliament. They said the Lokpal Bill's passage must not be hurried to placate Anna into ending his hunger strike. This was Anna's fourth fast this year for the Lokpal Bill. Lalu Prasad from Bihar was toxic in his comments. He said he wants to set up a national committee to protect Anna's health. "At the drop of a hat, there is an agitation," he said, before dramatically raising his voice to declare, "We don't want this (Lokpal) Bill. Take it away."
Anna responded, urging his supporters not to let insults or criticism affect their morale. "After all, people only throw stones at a tree that's bearing fruit, not a barren one," he said.
There were 5000 people at his camp yesterday, an improvement upon Tuesday's numbers. Team Anna had organized shuttle buses to move people from nearby stations to the camp. Privately, they say the MMRDA Grounds is not an ideal location in terms of public transportation and connectivity. When asked about the lethargic response to his camp, Anna said, "People all over the country are supporting us. That is not a small thing."