While a woman wants justice after losing everything to goons, a physically-challenged man wants to own a PCO booth, bribe-free
While a woman wants justice after losing everything to goons, a physically-challenged man wants to own a PCO booth, bribe-free
At Delhi's Ramlila Grounds, Amina Khan (54), a resident of Indore, says her only possession now is hope because she has lost everything else to corruption. Trying desperately to keep her family together, with an alcoholic husband and a polio-stricken son, she left for Saudi Arabia to earn money and give her handicapped son a good life. She spent over two decades working as a nurse there when the tide of her fortune turned for worse. 
A day at a time: Supporters of Anna Hazare (above) on the sixth
day of his fast, at Ramlila Maidan. Amina Khan (inset), in New
Delhi on Sunday. PIC/Subhash Barolia
Amina said, "I was doing some social work there by giving free medical care to the poor. Neighbourhood doctors got jealous and planted abortion instruments in my house. I was jailed for a year and then sent back to India." Amina said numerous phone calls to authorities back home were futile and no one ever came to visit her.
Furthermore, while abroad, she used to send money to her son in Indore.
In her absence, however, vagabonds beat up her son and frequently looted the house. She said the reason was that she converted to Islam while in Saudi Arabia. "They came and beat up my son, saying I left my religion Hinduism for Islam. Today, I live in rented accommodation and my home has been taken away by local goons. I have no one," she said.
She went on to say that she has come to protest and eradicate such evils to enable future generations to breathe the fresh air of 'real' freedom. Pawan Kumar (24), a resident of Delhi, had similarly come as a last attempt to get justice. Pawan, who completed higher secondary studies two years ago, could not afford to pay college tuition fee and now works as a daily labourer to make ends meet.
He said, "I applied to get permission to open a PCO booth three years ago but nothing has been done till now. Everyone keeps asking for bribe. During my father's cremation, the authorities asked for Rs 100 to put him ahead in the line." Pawan left leg is infected with polio.
There is no sign of the movement waning or Anna relenting. Over the past few days, thousands of protesters have stayed back at the ground throughout the night, raising slogans, majority of which were anti-government and anti-Congress, singing patriotic songs, bhajans, and playing instruments like tabla and guitar. Most protesters came from different parts of country. "I came from Madhya Pradesh to support Anna, he wants to make India corruption-free," said Sandeep Shrivastava, a protester.
"I'm totally in support of Anna, he is doing so much for us and now we will show the government that what exactly democracy means," said Jeetesh Shah, an Anna supporter. Aatish Prashar, Assistant professor at IP University, who was shouting the slogan 'Long line Anna, Long live Indian democracy' said, "Anna is India and India is Anna.
It means Anna is not an individual; it is an attitude, a demand of time which will bring change in Indian political scenario. Each one of us could have been Anna, but only 74-year-old Kishan Babu Rao Hazare came forward and dared to challenge the corrupt system."
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