Anna counts on Pune activists

Noted social worker Anna Hazare has convened a meeting in Pune on Tuesday with selected activists and experts to come up with a comprehensive plan for re-establishing the peoples’ movement, which would also include furthering the Jan Lokpal bill issue, besides other issues.

With this aim, Hazare would be meeting Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti founder Narendra Dabholkar, environmental expert Madhav Gadgil, Avinash Dharmadhikari, Girish Prabhune, Sarvoday Sangh veteran Jayvant Mathkar and a few others in Pune on Tuesday afternoon.

Soon after this meeting, Anna would be flying to Delhi, where he would be meeting Arvind Kejriwal and other erstwhile Team Anna members on Wednesday.
Earlier, Anna had announced that he would not be part of the team to form a political party and would also refrain from joining any such effort. Anna had categorically stated that if Kejriwal is contemplating on forming a political party, he will have to rethink about Team Anna. And, a few days later, had disbanded Team Anna on August 6 and stated he was against forming a political party.

Anna’s decision to disband Team Anna had surprised many of his followers and its members. However, Anna had been steadfast in his comments on the blog, where he had written, “Team Anna was formed to agitate for a strong Lokpal Bill and curtains have been drawn on that movement. The existence of the Team is of no consequence. Thus, Team Anna is being disbanded.”

About Tuesday’s meeting, Anna’s close aide and activist Vishwabhar Choudhari said that Anna himself and a few others had spoken to various prominent people, including Abhay Bang, Dabholkar, Prakash Amte to discuss a range of issues.
Choudhari said, “Anna would be discussing with a few people on Tuesday in Pune and would then fly to Delhi. Anna will be preparing a comprehensive plan to chalk out a peoples’ movement.” Dabholkar told DNA that he had been invited by Hazare on Tuesday to discuss a few issues and he would be attending the meeting.

However, Suniti SR of National Alliance of Peoples’ Movements (NAPM) said, “I am out of town, and I have not received any letter from Hazare. However, I have received a phone call from his office about the meeting on September 18. Even though I cannot attend it, NAPM has always supported any agitation against corruption by anyone and our stand would continue.”