Anna Hazare ends fast, India celebrates

Barely a week after the nation celebrated the World Cup victory, a wave of euphoria swept India again on Saturday, April 9. This time it was not a cricket team but a 72-year-old man who is being hailed as the Mahatma Gandhi of the present.

Social activist Anna Hazare went on a "fast-unto-death" on April 5 demanding that the government introduce a bill to tackle corruption immediately, and that politicians alone not be in charge of drafting that bill.

It took Mr Hazare almost 98 hours of fasting to accomplish every point of an agenda that seemed preposterously ambitious when the week began. Till India pitched in, expressing its solidarity with rallies around Mr Hazare's cause.

As the government agreed to most of his demands, the entire nation reeled under the stupendous feeling of victory.

"This victory is a result of your sacrifice," he told his supporters at Jantar Mantar, adding that "this is only the beginning. Our real fight begins now. If the government does not pass Lokpal Bill, I will come back to fight again." (AFP Photo)

Activist Swami Agnivesh was handed over a copy of the notification on the joint committee to draft the Lokpal Bill by Kapl Sibal . "We have got much more than we expected," Swami Agnivesh said. (AFP Photo)

New Delhi: Supporters gathered at India Gate to celebrate the man, the victory and the triumph of the human spirit and grit.

New Delhi: People thronged the India Gate with candles in hand to celebrate and mark the moment.

For the last few days, Mr Hazare, with his speeches, has drawn the middle class out of its inertia. (AFP Photo)

For every demand that Mr Hazare presented, the government had an equal and opposite reaction.

And slowly, it began conceding one point after another, till it was game, set and match for Mr Hazare. (AFP Photo)

Youth and old, men and women, poor and rich -- all stood shoulder to shoulder supporting the anti-corruption protest shouting 'Vande Mataram', 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' and 'Inquilab Zindabad'.

Here's a look at celebrations across the nation. (AFP Photo)

Jammu: A large group of people descended on to the roads, beating drums and dancing.

Guwahati: People came outside their houses and celebrated their victory.

Chandigarh: People sang praises for their hero - Anna Hazare.

Chandigarh: People signing posters and writing messages for Anna Hazare.

Bhopal: It was Holi all over again in Bhopal as people celebrated with colours.

Bangalore: People across all sections, celebrated the victory, coming together as 'one'.

Bangalore: Members of the local music bands donned the Hazare topis as their guitars strummed out colourful concoctions.

Ahmedabad: People danced and celebrated their victory.

Ahmedabad: Loud cheers of victory came from every corner even as people jostled for space.

Let us now take a look at the developments that took place over the last few days in Anna's crusade against corruption.

Anna Hazare, the face of India's fight against corruption.

In cities across India, people are gathering in large numbers to support activist Anna Hazare's cause ever since he began his hunger strike in Delhi against corruption on Tuesday.

Government's Lokpal Bill 2010 does not give the Lokpal (Ombudsman0 any power to either initiate action suo motu in any case or even receive complaints of corruption from general public. Only those complaints forwarded by Speaker of Lok Sabha/Chairperson of Rajya Sabha to Lokpal would be investigated by him. Activists call this bill toothless.

The outpour of support for Anna Hazare's crusade against corruption forced the government to sit up and take notice. On the third day of Anna's hunger fast, the government reached out with an offer to set up an informal group, including activists and ministers. Shortly after the announcement, activists rejected the government's offer of an informal panel on the Lokpal Bill.

Mr Hazare said that it's regrettable that the views of eminent Indians and activists like Swami Agnivesh and retired Justice Santosh Hegde "were not considered important by the government."

The Jan Lokpal Bill (Citizen's ombudsman Bill) is a draft anti-corruption bill drawn up by prominent civil society activists seeking the appointment of a Jan Lokpal, an independent body that would investigate corruption cases, complete the investigation within a year and envisages trial in the case getting over in the next one year.

Thousands are showing their solidarity in the fight against corruption, through the Internet. Social networking sites are flooded with updates and requests to join the fight against corruption. A group by the name "Join Anna Hazare in fast unto death to demand anti-corruption law" has seen more than 7,500 people joining in the past 48 hours.

With lakhs of Indians throwing their weight behind him, the 72-year-old Anna Hazare said on Thursday morning, "I think nothing will happen to me for another seven days, don't worry God is with me and I will be fine."

Facebook and Twitter have seen 45-50 updates per minute on Hazare. Users are updating their views and asking others to join the cause. Google Trend shows keywords like Anna Hazare and Lokpal Bill among the top 10 searches by netizens in India in the last two days.

Many supporters of Anna Hazare and his fight against corruption are looking at this crusade in the context of the movement in Egypt. A Facebook update read: "It was Egypt and Libya...And now we will see same in India. Let this protest go on; we are with Anna Hazare."

Mr Hazare's fast has led to one of the biggest mass movements in recent times. Thousands of Indians have joined the chorus for a more stringent law against corruption. Hundreds of people took part in a candle light vigil at India Gate on Wednesday.

Four people in Bangalore's Freedom Park have also been fasting for the last two days to show solidarity for Mr Hazare's fight against corruption. During the past two days, nearly 200 people from all across the city visited Freedom Park to join these four on their indefinite hunger strike for the cause.

Mr Hazare has questioned the government's wisdom in its choice of the Group of Ministers set up to fight corruption. After widespread public criticism, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar quit the panel on Wenesday. "So what," said Mr Hazare, "if one Pawar goes...another will come."

The veteran activist admitted that he could not fathom that the movement led by him would generate such a massive nationwide support.