Mumbai:
Activist Anna Hazare is not well, his doctors say. At the end of the first day of his hunger strike, the 74-year-old is reportedly down with fever once again. But he is determined not to eat. Doctors from Mumbai's JJ Hospital are stationed now at his camp at MMRDA Grounds amid reports that the Gandhian may be moved to hospital. The Chief Minister of Maharashtra Prithviraj Chavan has requested Anna to end his fast. An ambulance is on stand-by. "He is stubborn and is sticking to his fast," said his doctor, Anirudh Dharmadhikari, "we may need to hospitalize him."
This afternoon at MMRDA Grounds, Anna gave an impassioned speech about the Lokpal Bill. In Parliament, the same bill was being debated in the Lok Sabha. He refused to give up his fast despite requests from close aides. This is his fourth hunger strike this year to draw attention to the need for a strong anti-corruption bill.
"When the doctor checked me, I did not have fever. But now, the fever has returned," Anna said, to a crowd of a few thousand people, considerably lower than what either Team Anna or the Mumbai police were expecting. But Anna said he will not call off his hunger strike. "People die of heart attacks, don't they?" he asked. "I will be fortunate to die for my country. It is the time for sacrifice once again," he said, urging people to support his movement. (Watch)
Anna left a government guesthouse in Mumbai at 9.30 am and confronted a group of 20 men who waved black flags against him. (Read: Black flags waved as Anna drives past in Mumbai) He headed to a statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Juhu, escorted by his aides. After meditating there, he moved to the MMRDA Grounds. It took his convoy two-and-half hours to reach his camp. Hazare travelled in a decorated open truck.
His aides in Mumbai, and those who organized a parallel protest in Delhi, admitted they were disappointed by the poor turnout today. They blamed poor connectivity for public transport to the venue in Mumbai.
"I haven't had food for past three days. Today for two-and-a-half hours in the morning, I was standing in a car. But I am fine," he said.
Anna then reiterated his opposition to the government for betraying the country. In August this year, Parliament asked him to end his 12-day fast by reassuring him that his three guiding principles for the new Lokpal or ombudsman would figure in the legislation. Anna says without these powers, the Lokpal is designed to fail. He urged people to join his movement - a jail bharo agitation that launches after his fast ends. Anna's close aide, Prashant Bhushan, said in Delhi that the activists may reconsider their plans for civil unrest if Parliament shows a commitment to fighting for a strong Lokpal Bill.
Anna said if politicians don't rise to the occasion, he will campaign against the Congress. "There are elections in a few states, but what will they do to us at the national level (is what the government thinks). But in these five states that are voting, we will campaign against the government. You have not seen what people power is. It is more powerful than Parliament."
He also stressed the need for electoral reforms. "The sort of people who are joining politics now are criminals, goondas. What will become of our country then? This is why we need to fight for the Right to Reject (electoral candidates). There are 10 candidates standing for elections. Yet, voters have nobody to choose from. So we should have the right to say "none of the above." And if there are many who choose this option, then the election for that constituency should be cancelled. We will have to fight for these laws."
This afternoon at MMRDA Grounds, Anna gave an impassioned speech about the Lokpal Bill. In Parliament, the same bill was being debated in the Lok Sabha. He refused to give up his fast despite requests from close aides. This is his fourth hunger strike this year to draw attention to the need for a strong anti-corruption bill.
"When the doctor checked me, I did not have fever. But now, the fever has returned," Anna said, to a crowd of a few thousand people, considerably lower than what either Team Anna or the Mumbai police were expecting. But Anna said he will not call off his hunger strike. "People die of heart attacks, don't they?" he asked. "I will be fortunate to die for my country. It is the time for sacrifice once again," he said, urging people to support his movement. (Watch)
Anna left a government guesthouse in Mumbai at 9.30 am and confronted a group of 20 men who waved black flags against him. (Read: Black flags waved as Anna drives past in Mumbai) He headed to a statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Juhu, escorted by his aides. After meditating there, he moved to the MMRDA Grounds. It took his convoy two-and-half hours to reach his camp. Hazare travelled in a decorated open truck.
His aides in Mumbai, and those who organized a parallel protest in Delhi, admitted they were disappointed by the poor turnout today. They blamed poor connectivity for public transport to the venue in Mumbai.
"I haven't had food for past three days. Today for two-and-a-half hours in the morning, I was standing in a car. But I am fine," he said.
Anna then reiterated his opposition to the government for betraying the country. In August this year, Parliament asked him to end his 12-day fast by reassuring him that his three guiding principles for the new Lokpal or ombudsman would figure in the legislation. Anna says without these powers, the Lokpal is designed to fail. He urged people to join his movement - a jail bharo agitation that launches after his fast ends. Anna's close aide, Prashant Bhushan, said in Delhi that the activists may reconsider their plans for civil unrest if Parliament shows a commitment to fighting for a strong Lokpal Bill.
Anna said if politicians don't rise to the occasion, he will campaign against the Congress. "There are elections in a few states, but what will they do to us at the national level (is what the government thinks). But in these five states that are voting, we will campaign against the government. You have not seen what people power is. It is more powerful than Parliament."
He also stressed the need for electoral reforms. "The sort of people who are joining politics now are criminals, goondas. What will become of our country then? This is why we need to fight for the Right to Reject (electoral candidates). There are 10 candidates standing for elections. Yet, voters have nobody to choose from. So we should have the right to say "none of the above." And if there are many who choose this option, then the election for that constituency should be cancelled. We will have to fight for these laws."
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