The elderly who came to the MMRDA ground had to stand in the sweltering heat to participate in the sparsely attended agitation.
Even as doctors hovered around Anna Hazare to check on his deteriorating health before the fast was finally called off on Wednesday, the elderly who came to the MMRDA ground in Bandra-Kurla Complex in support of the Gandhian had to stand in the sweltering heat to participate in the sparsely attended agitation.
With an acute shortage of chairs, many senior citizens were observed standing under the sun for several hours. Poor toilet facilities and shortage of water only added to the plight of the elderly who form a considerable chunk of Hazare’s loyal following.
Preeti Menon, a volunteer with India Against Corruption, said that they were able to arrange only 50 chairs at the venue. “We could not arrange for more chairs. Most of the people were sitting on the ground. Senior citizens too had to put up with it,” she admitted.
Seventy-year-old Abdul Shaikh, a retired Bombay Port Trust officer and Kurla resident, had come to the ground with his 64- year-old wife Najma Shaikh. “My wife suffers from arthritis and cannot sit down on the ground. She is also a heart patient and had to stand under the scorching sun. I really wanted to come to support the cause but it was inconvenient to do so as there was no choice but to sit on the ground. We waited for a few minutes and then left,” he said.
Several others like the Shaikhs found it difficult to stay on their feet for a long time. There were also no special arrangements made for the disabled. Meanwhile, the chairs that were available at the venue were used by the volunteers for registration or were placed in the press section.
Displaying a lot more enthusiasm were the young Anna fans who arrived at the ground with their parents. Two-year-old Mihir Tade had forced his parents to come all the way from Indore so that he could catch a glimpse of the crusader from close quarters. His father Kashikanth, a mechanical engineer, said, “I had to take a day off from work to bring him here. His interest in Anna was sparked after hearing us discuss the matter and by watching the TV coverage. I brought him here to witness this historic moment.”
Another parent, Antara Roy, who teaches art in Ecole Mondiale School, Juhu, had come along with her one-and-a-half-year-old son to catch a glimpse of Anna. “I brought my son along because it is his future that will be affected by this. The Lokpal Bill talks about transparency and accountability in the system which is the need of the hour,” she said.
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