Anna lines up other feasts

Rounds I and II of the Jan Lokpal battle won, Anna Hazare on Sunday broke his fast after not taking a morsel for 298 hours. But then, having set the mood with a few words on people’s power, the social activist drew the future roadmap — the battles ahead, starting with electoral reforms.

Hazare was then taken to Gurgaon’s Medanta hospital. The 74-year-old had lost more than 7.5kg since August 16. Doctors are monitoring him in a special ward.

Earlier, at Ramlila Maidan, Hazare said he had merely suspended the fast, not ended it. “The fight will go on till Parliament passes the Lokpal bill. I thank all of you. It is your success,” he said to a huge applause from the thousands gathered.

Hazare called for electoral reforms, including the right to recall MPs and the right to reject. He said people should have the option of not voting if the candidate is not of their choice. He termed the youth India’s strength.

“I am happy that a movement of this enormity was non-violent. You’ve set an example for the world.”

The Gandhian broke his fast by sipping coconut water and honey offered to him by two young girls, Simran and Iqra - one a Dalit and the other a Muslim, a significant gesture as many had called the Jan Lokpal movement anti-Dalit and anti-Muslim.   

Late on Saturday night, Hazare had announced he would break his fast after parliament ‘in-principle’ agreed to his three crucial demands: Lokpal bill would ensure a citizen’s charter posted at every government department; Lokpal would cover all levels of bureaucracy and the government would put in place a mechanism to appoint Lokayuktas in all states.

Hundreds of supporters and a frenzied media followed Hazare to the Gurgaon hospital adding to the crowd, which had already assembled on the hospital premises.

Dr Naresh Trehan, chairperson and MD of Medanta Hospital and the head of the team of doctors monitoring Hazare’s health for all these days while he sat on fast at Ramlila, said there was no need to worry.

“His [Hazare] vital organs are settled. He will remain on a liquid diet (coconut water and honey) for at least 48 hours,” Trehan said.

The ending of the fast also ended the embarrassment of a government involved in a grim and bitter internal battle. But Team Anna is aware that the battle is far from over. It could take weeks if not months for the Act to take a final shape. Both sides claimed they were ready for that, too.

The “in-principal agreement” on the three sticky conditions would now go to the standing committee on personnel, headed by Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi. The committee also has the Team Anna’s version of the bill.

Key Team Anna member Prashant Bhushan said at Ramlila on Sunday that the team hoped the standing committee would complete its work on the bill within a month and that the government would be gracious enough to extend the current session of Parliament to pass the bill.

Another key member Arvind Kejriwal said, “Not just us, the entire country would be watching every step of Parliament. We will continue the discussions. We would also go to standing committee, if needed.”

The government too was gearing up to tackle Hazare and his team. A source told DNA: “Some union ministers who took flak for their negative role during negotiations are now claiming that they have fooled Team Anna without giving anything to them.

“They are saying that the matter of Lokayuktas would be left to the states and they would devise separate mechanisms for the other two conditions.”

The government was preparing a strategy to thwart future attempts by Team Anna to use fast as a weapon to force the government to accept its demands, the source said.