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| A kid supporting Anna wearing a Gandhi Cap |
I could not control my craze...Since about a week I was watching the same stuff on TV. Whenever I watch any news channel, I find the innocent man lying on a white cushion with a couple of round pillows around, a few coolers and fan surrounding him. Of-course he is none other than the brave, courageous old man, Anna Hazare who has created another movement in the entire nation. And when there is a camera panning, I find thousands of people sitting in the ground, shouting slogans, waving tri-colours and clapping at any announcement or speech from the dais. It was a regular feature. All my colleagues visited the place. I found all wearing a cap written “Main Anna Hun”...Every where I find the same topic...Anna did this, Anna did that and what not...So it was obvious in my part to get inspired to experience the same.
It was “Janmashtami”, i.e. Aug 22, 2011. A friend just came to see me at my office. All of a sudden I thought to visit that place “Ramlila Maidan”. We decided to visit the place and also decided to go by Metro. We started from Noida and headed towards Rajiv Chowk from where we had to change the Metro towards New Delhi railway station. In the Metro, I must have seen a lot of people wearing the same white “Gandhi “cap and “Main Anna hun” written over it. The nearer we become to the destination, the more crazy I was becoming to witness and experience the crowd LIVE. Finally we landed at New Delhi railway station. All of a sudden I noticed inside the station there were a lot of land marks board which was having the way to Ramlila Maidan. From the station it self I started experiencing the Anna wave. Almost 70% of the crowd in the station were having Anna cap, Tri-colour tattoo in their cheeks, Tri-colour in their hand.
After coming out from the New Delhi railway station, we headed towards the ground and all sides of the ground were blocked and we just took a route which was the only route opened on that evening. Oh my God! What was it? I could not believe. Even though there was a floating population in the ground, it was really crowded and the best part is at the entry point there was thorough checking by security personnel as if we are entering in to the Airport or any high security zone.
My colleagues were camping at the ground day and night to capture any occurrence. I got a call from one of my colleague and he guided me to come from the media entry side. Honestly, I was new to the ground. I could not find the ways...Just tried to go to the dais as closer as I can. I started walking from the wall side. What a surprise, people were so disciplined, every body was moving in a cue and different clusters were there. For sometime, I thought probably to enter into the main area, one needs to be in the cue and then can entry, but it was not like that.
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| Advertisements pasted in the wall |
I went straight towards the dash. Suddenly I noticed a gathering near the wall side. I also stopped there. Wow! Really the people have got the right place...I saw a lot of pictures pasted in the wall and I guessed those could be the pictures of Anna’s movement. But what a surprise, those were advertisement. Probably that part of the wall was advertisement wall. The advertisers must have found it the right place to advertise free of cost.
Then I proceeded further. I saw people in different clusters and hence I became anxious to know what is happening there. I went and found a group of kids painting the cheeks of others with tri-colour. It was heartening to see kids have so much love towards the nation. I just spent some time with those kids. Bunty, a 9 year old small kid replied me that he is there just to earn money. One day he saw so many crowds in the ground and people carrying Anna caps, Anna band, National flag etc. And hence he joined hands with some of his friends, collected some oil paints of three colours and found a place in one corner of the ground where he started requesting people to make tattoo of tri-colour, despite knowing any purpose of the gathering. Like Bunty, there was Nathu, Shamim, Guddu at other corners of the ground who was making tattoo at Rs. 5 per person. It was really amazing to hear the numbers from them. I also found people easily coming to them and making tattoo. Then I realised the scene of Cricket World Cup -2011. Then it was a support to team India and now the tattoo is to support team Anna.
While moving forward, I saw a lady with very dirty dress in her body sitting with different products. Near to him there was an old man with white dresses. I just simply sat down besides them and started talking to them. I saw the couple selling caps with Anna’s name, flags, wrist band in tri colours, badges, tri colour cap etc. Who so ever was passing that route stood for a moment paid Rs 10 and was picking any of the items? I asked them the reason of coming to the ground and the reason of selling those products. The answer was very simple...” we are here to support Anna”. Obviously my next question to them was what is Anna doing? Their answer was...hmm...” wohi na humare liye Anna ladh raha hey”. I asked what is the cause ? They answered, “Humein to pata nahi hey, aap bata dijiye...” after taking a pause they again said, “ haan Anna jo kar raha hey use humara bhrashtachar mit jayega na...isiliye hum yahan pe hey aur support kar rahe hein”. I was not surprised... any body in his place would have done that. Such a huge crowd, good opportunity to sell any product, who would like to lose the opportune moment ?
Moving forward, i was not able to hear anything except “Anna tum Andhi ho, desh ki dusre Gandhi ho”, Anna tum age badho, “hum tumhare saath hey, Anna tum sngharsh karo”, “hum tumhare saath hey”...where ever I see, I would find a cluster of people, tri-colour in their hand and slogan...While approaching the dais, I found 5/6 Jimmy Jibs, a lot of cameras in a line facing the dais and my media friends camping there. I stayed and tried to listen what the experts from the dais are talking.
Demonstration, but not less than a celebration...
Fortunately or unfortunately, when I was there the famous singer Kailash Kher was singing a song. Oh My God, Live concert, free of cost...what else is needed ? I just had a 360 degree glance. In my eye range, I found every body was enjoying the song with chips in their hand. Really amazing scene...small kids dancing, youngsters prompting with Kher and others clapping with rythm...
After Kailash’s so-called concert got over, I moved here and there. In that area I could have fabulous fragrance...different kind of food available there. You want “Rajma, Rice”, it’s there...you want “Puri-bhaji”, it’s there...you want tea, coffee, biscuits, wafers, everything is available there. Suddenly I found special food available for those who observe fast on Roza, special sweets being distributed from Govindam on the occasion of Janmashtami. My God, what a nice place to enjoy. Then I went to the place where the food packets were distributed and found all those are free of cost. Who so ever is coming to participate the cause at Ramliala ground, gets free food, water, tea etc.
Suddenly I remember the Dussehra celebration at Ramlila ground. Probably after a couple of weeks the similar kind of gathering would be there in the ground. When there is Dussehra celebration, people from across Delhi go there with their kids, have foods from different stalls, purchase balloons or toys to the kids, see the Durga Maa idol, see Ravan, enjoy for 2/3 hours and then come back home. Believe you me, I feel exactly the same now. People coming from across Delhi, from out side Delhi with their kids, enjoying on the ground, having foods, purchasing caps, flags etc and showing Anna to their kids, listening musing and speeches and going back home. I did not find any major difference here from that of the Dussehra celebration in ramlila ground. Then suddenly I realised why did I come here? And I found it is that Anna celebration fervour which attracted me to that spot.
I found thousands of crowd and I could categorise them. One was highly educated crowd who know the cause and support it. There was another class who are youngsters and support the cause with enthusiasm. There was a huge crowd of middle class who know the fight is for Lokpal, but do not know what is it exactly and still they want to support as they understand it is a good cause. There was a teen ager class who were the part of this, probably because their parents, guardians are part of it and joining voice with them. Also i found another interesting crowd who were really innocent babies. They really do not know what is going on...Only they have remembered a name Anna and they got the pleasure to wear a cap, have a tri-colour in their hand and get ice-cream, chocolates in the ground. But suddenly I found another crowd who were really creating nuisance. I saw another young group gathering on the road, shouting slogans etc and were literally disturbing in nature. It was really a kind of road rage for a moment because of their activities.
Suddenly I met a lot of taxi drivers, Auto drivers standing there and shouting slogan. I met a couple of them. I wanted to know why are they wasting time and not doing business. Pooran Chand, an Auto driver replied me, “ Sir ji, hum to Anna ko support karte hein...kuchh nahi hoga to kumse kum bhrastachar mit jaane per, humko to puliswalon ko chanda to dena nahi padega na...hum jante hein ki iske karan humko auto mein ho sakta hey ki meter chalalna jaroori ho jayega, usmein humko nuksan ho sakta hey...magar use kuchh farak nahi padega...abhi jaise pulis wale humko kahin bhi pakad lete hein, galtiyan nikalte hein aur paisa mangte hein...wo to aur nahi hoga na “. The crux of his reply was no matter if they have to implement the meter system strictly, at least they would get respite from the police torture.
When i talked to the educated mass, I felt they really know the reason and fighting for a cause, when I talked to the kids, I understood they are enjoying in the name of Anna, when I talked to the youth mass, I could feel their aggression and readiness to fight for the cause, when I spoke to another crowd, I could feel they really support Anna, albeit don’t know any reason behind it. Similarly another crowd knew only the thing that they support Anna as it would remove corruption from the country.
I spent about 2/3 hours in the ground. Finally while coming back I tried to recollect the entire experience of mine. I realised Anna has really become a name for every one, Anna has become a brand, Anna has become a reason for everyone to gather and raise their voice against any wrong thing. Probably no body bothers what happens, what is the reason of this fight, campaign...but they want it to be successful keeping in mind that corruption will be eradicated.
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