700 brave rain to watch Anna's 17 end their fast

As the Azad Maidan rang with shouts of Jai Hind and Inquilab Zindabad, 17 fasting Mumbaikars ate their first bite in 13 days after Anna ate his at Ramlila Maidan

Azad Maidan was drowned in a sea of saffron, white and green last morning as jubiliant protestors braved the torrential downpour to be part of the countdown to Anna Hazare and 17 Mumbaikars breaking their 13-day fast.


United in triumph: People celebrated even as IAC members promised to
be back if politicians backtracked.
Pic/Atul Kamble

People donning the 'I am Anna Hazare' Gandhi topiu00a0-- the Jan Lokpal Bill agitation's most widely-recognised, and possibly most potent, symbolu00a0-- started trickling into the ground from early morning and there were nearly 700 of them when the announcement came at 10.30 am that Hazare had broken his fast at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan.

The news was immediately greeted by cries of Bharat Mata ki Jai, Jai Hind and Inquilab Zindabad and some supporters even broke into popular songs with an Anna twist. 'Yeh saara zamana, Anna ka deewana' and 'Anna, Anna cool, aap hai wonderful' gained instantly popularity.

The 17 people fasting in Anna's support were seated on a makeshift stage and had been garlanded by supporters. The stage was soon overflowing with people and security personnel had to eventually restrain supporters from making their way up.

Mayank Gandhi, the Mumbai in-charge for India against corruption and Dheeraj Rambhia, the Azad maidan event organiser, wormed their way through the crowd on the stage to feed the 17, who had refused to partake of food until Anna broke his fast. They were given a lump of sugar each, followed by a broth of moong dal and jaggery.

Renewed vigour
Narayan Shinde, one of the fasting 17, said, "If Anna can fast, so can we and now that he is ending his fast, we are also ending ours." Usha Sharma, who was also on a fast, said. "I don't feel as though I have not eaten for so many days. I have renewed new energy and feel proud to have been part of the struggle. I feel a sense of victory."

Asking Anna's supporters to remain alert, Mayank Gandhi said, "We have won here and are going back. Anna is leaving Ramlila Maidan and, thus, we are also leaving Azad Maidan. Now we will wait for sometime and, if those in power backtrack on their promises, we will start a protest with ten times the current intensity."

Some people at the maidan, however, were disappointed at not being able to see the events on stage because of the crowd. Ramesh Guha, a businessman, said, "I came here despite the rain to witness the 17 people breaking their fast in person, but my trip was a failure as the stage was too crowded and I could barely see anything from below."

Nandini Yadav, a housewife who had come with her daughters, said, "It would have been better if we had stayed at home and watched the people breaking the fast on TV. I only came because my children, Tripti (14) and Dhara (12), insisted. They were also disappointed at not being able to see a thing."