Mumbai:
Anti-graft activist Anna Hazare has been advised a week of complete rest by his doctors, a day after his much-hyped three-day fast in Mumbai came to an abrupt end.
"Anna will undergo medical treatment and recuperate before taking further steps and deciding the future course of action to oppose the government's Lokpal bill," his assistant Suresh Pathare said shortly after Mr Hazare returned to his hometown Ralegan Siddhi today.
The 74-year-old Gandhian's called off his hunger strike on Day 2 of the agitation after his fast-deteriorating health became a major cause for concern. A frail-looking Anna, his voice wavering uncharacteristically, told the crowd gathered at the MMRDA Grounds in Mumbai that he was ending his fast.
How the protest unfolds next is likely to be decided when the core committee of Team Anna meets in Ralegan Siddhi on January 2 and 3.
Responding to Anna's decision to end his fast, senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, who has been extremely vocal in his criticism of Team Anna, tweeted, "I am very happy Anna has broken his fast. Now he should go back to Ralegan and get back to rural development work all over.
Mr Hazare's itinerary too changed in quick succession yesterday as his announcement to head to Delhi for a sit-in protest at the Ramlila Maidan was soon contradicted by his close aide Arvind Kejriwal who said that the plan stood suspended. His proposed civil unrest or jail bharo agitation, for which nearly two lakh people have signed up online, will also not be launched.
There were few lucid explanations for the many changes to Team Anna's plans provided by his aides yesterday. Mr Hazare began what was meant to be a three-day fast on Tuesday, just as the Lok Sabha began debating the Lokpal Bill that the activist has described as "a betrayal of the country." At a press conference yesterday afternoon, reporters asked him and his aides pointed questions, some of them about why his camp at the MMRDA Grounds in Mumbai had drawn crowds that were tiny compared to the huge turnout for his Delhi protest camp in August.
Even as the planned agitation in Delhi stands cancelled, what Mr Hazare and Mr Kejriwal did stress is that the activists will now focus on campaigning against the Congress in the five states that vote between January and March. "The Congress has cheated us more than any other party, including the BJP," said Mr Hazare. "Whatever we are seeing today in Parliament is tragic. So I have decided to call off the fast today. There is only one way now. We will make a programme in the five states and go and awaken people there. I will tell them don't vote for traitors," he said.
The bill is being debated in the Rajya Sabha today. The Lokpal is a new national anti-corruption agency with nine members that will investigate politicians and bureaucrats for corruption. Anna says the Lokpal Bill creates an ombudsman with no power and limited authority, especially because it has not been given an investigating agency to tackle complaints of graft.
On Tuesday night, doctors said Anna was seriously unwell. His blood pressure was rising, and he was feverish. Yesterday morning, they warned that if he persists with his fast, he faces the risk of a kidney failure.
During the Lokpal debate in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, a series of politicians from different parties were unsparing in their criticism of what they describe as Anna's attempts to undermine the supremacy of Parliament. They said the Lokpal Bill's passage must not be hurried to placate Anna into ending his hunger strike. This was Anna's fourth fast this year for the Lokpal Bill. Lalu Prasad from Bihar was toxic in his comments. He said he wants to set up a national committee to protect Anna's health. "At the drop of a hat, there is an agitation," he said, before dramatically raising his voice to declare, "We don't want this (Lokpal) Bill. Take it away."
Anna responded, urging his supporters not to let insults or criticism affect their morale. "After all, people only throw stones at a tree that's bearing fruit, not a barren one," he said.
There were 5000 people at his camp yesterday, an improvement upon Tuesday's numbers. Team Anna had organized shuttle buses to move people from nearby stations to the camp. Privately, they say the MMRDA Grounds is not an ideal location in terms of public transportation and connectivity. When asked about the lethargic response to his camp, Anna said, "People all over the country are supporting us. That is not a small thing."
(With agency inputs)