New Delhi:
Rallying behind Anna Hazare's campaign against corruption, thousands of people on Sunday marched a distance of five kilometres from India Gate to Ramlila Maidan, the venue of the Gandhian's indefinite fast for a strong Lokpal Bill.
All roads led to India Gate, located in the centre of the national capital, as people converged at 5pm for a 'Maharally' to Ramlila Maidan, shouting slogans supporting the 'Campaign Against Corruption'.
Slogans supporting Anna Hazare and opposing the Government's Lokpal Bill could be heard all along the way as people marched peacefully from India Gate via Tilak Marg, ITO to reach Ramlila Maidan.
Team Anna members Swami Agnivesh and Kiran Bedi joined thousands of people at the India Gate and led the rally.
Delhiites were not alone in the endeavour as people from neighbouring states like Punjab, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh too joined in the long march to send a strong message to the government.
"I want a corruption-free India. I had to pay a bribe of Rs10,000 to get my tractor loan sanctioned. Why should I pay this money?" asked Kanwal Preet, a farmer who travelled all the away from Sangrur district of Punjab to attend the rally.
"We come from one of the most backward parts of the country. We stand with Anna to prove that we stand behind him," said Yogesh, a student from Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh, waving a flag displaying "Bundelkhand with Anna."
Finally at the Ramlila Maidan, an estimated crowd of 50,000 people thronged to hear the man of the moment: Anna Hazare. As the grounds reached full capacity, the 74-year-old Gandhian finally spoke. Responding to Prime Minister's statement of a give and take on the Lokpal Bill, Hazare said he was open to dialogue but still refused to end his fast, the Parliament passed his version of the Lokpal Bill.
"The path of negotiations is not closed for us. It is still open. Only through dialogue can issues be resolved," Hazare told the cheering crowds at the Ramlila Maidan. Incidentally, this was Hazare's sixth day of his hunger strike.
Hazare's speech came, as protests, in favour of his version of the Bill, broke out in various parts of the city, and the country. By Sunday evening, crowds at the Ramlila Maidan had swelled to several thousands of people. Similar protests, crowds ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand, were reported from many cities and towns.
From the government's side Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee had said that "the government desires a new chapter of talks with the civil society." He added that the Constitution, ''could accommodate all views."
But Hazare was in a combative mood. "Hold talks how much ever you want to. But we will not budge from the Jan Lokpal Bill," he asserted, drawing huge applause from the crowds.
So far the government and Anna Hazare have been in deadlock over the bill. The government so far has not budged from its stand on referring the Lokpal Bill to a Parliamentary Standing Committee. However, Hazare aide Arvind Kejriwal has accused the government of using the Parliamentary Committee as a ''shield to keep away the Jan Lokpal Bill away from discussion.''
And Team Anna was in no mood to let that happen. Despite six days of fasting, Hazare was his usual energetic self on Sunday. Although he rested most of the day, he thundered at one time to say people should picket the residences of their MPs to press them to pass the Jan Lokpal Bill.
But sources say that backchannel dialogue has been going on between the government and Team Hazare. But Hazare aide Swami Agnivesh so far has denied the government had sent a mediator to meet them.
"The chief secretary of Maharashtra came last night as a personal friend of Hazare," Agnivesh said. "He was given both versions of the Lokpal Bill and he went away."
Hazare began his indefinite fast on August 16 soon after his detention while he was proceeding to the JP Park. The same day he was taken to Tihar Jail, where he remained until Friday when he shifted to the Ramlila Maidan.