Inspired by Anna Hazare's speeches, young children in Ahmedabad say they dream of a generation that will be free of corruption.
These hands have never bribed anyone, but they have now gone up in support of Anna Hazare’s campaign against
corruption.
Two kids who are not even teens observed a day-long fast in the city on Tuesday to pledge support to this nationwide movement.
Twelve-year-old Pratham Joshi and 11-year-old Kunjal Makwana did not eat anything and decided to join several others as they sat on dharna early on Tuesday morning.
Pratham had observed a two-day fast with Hazare when the crusader had protested at Jantar Mantar in April this year. “I am fasting today so that when I grow up, corruption should not affect us. I hope my generation can live with freedom from corruption,” the seventh-grader says in a matter-of-fact way.
Sitting at a makeshift stage outside Town Hall, he asserts softly that though his father is an activist, he was not asked to join the protest or fast by him and that it was his independent decision.
Similarly, young Kunjal who is on a 24-hour fast in Isanpur area was inspired after hearing Anna’s speech to join the ‘anshan’ (fast), wherever one was.
"Hearing Anna's speech on TV, she asked me about the meaning of corruption and I tried to make her understand the exact meaning," Kunjal's father Dilip told DNA.
"After listening to me, she said 'he is doing a good thing, we should support him'. And of course, I encouraged her," says the proud father, an accountant.
"I want to be a part of the movement and I want to give my support to Anna in whatever manner I can," said Kunjal, also a seventh-grader. She studies at Sardar Patel School.
"I saw a lot of people supporting Annaji when he went on fast the first time. I had seen that corruption affects us in so many small matters. I saw that we had to beg for our rights.
If I fast, I believe I can help in removing corruption in years to come," says Pratham, who dreams of becoming a pilot one day.
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