Anna fast, Baba furious

While Hazare does a Gandhi again, Ramdev gives a call to arms

As Gandhian Anna Hazare began a day-long token fast at Rajghat on Wednesday to denounce police crackdown at Ramlila grounds on the wee hours of Sunday, yoga guru Ramdev threatened to raise an 11,000-strong force to deal with police and anti-social elements attempting to disrupt his movement.


Be ready for action: Baba Ramdev warned the government that next
time the protesters would be armed and ready to retaliate. file pic


Here for hazare: Anna Hazare (inset) addresses the audience at
Rajghat on Wednesday. PICs/Imtiyaz Khan

Clad in white, Hazare told his supporters: "We have started the second freedom movement to free society from corruption. Though our great ancestors got us independence in 1947, we are still not fully free as there remains a lot of injustice and corruption in society."

'British rule, yet again'
Criticising the government's crackdown on Baba Ramdev and his followers, Anna said it was gross injustice and an attempt to crush peoples' right to protest. He compared the present government with the British rule, and asked his supporters if there was any difference.

Sticking to Gandhian
principle of non-violence, Hazare asked his supporters to desist from violence. He said the government was powerful and would use brute force to crush the movement if any violence creeps into it. "If we keep our patience and stay focussed, the government will have to give in to our demands," he said. He said if the anti-graft Lokpal Bill was not passed by the government, he would launch an indefinite hunger strike from August 16, a day after India's Independence Day.

Ramdev's revenge
In stark contrast, in Haridwar, Baba Ramdev gave a call to arms. Still smarting from the police action against him and his supporters at Ramlila grounds, the Yoga guru warned the government that next time the protesters would be armed and ready to retaliate. The yoga teacher said: "Next time at Ramlila, it will be Ravanlila. Let's see who gets beaten up." Threatening an armed rebellion, Ramdev said he will raise a 11,000-strong force that will be trained to retaliate if authorities crack down on their anti-corruption campaign, evoking a stern response from the government which termed it "anti-national".

Baba Ramdev detailed the arms training plan: "Twenty youth from each region will come forward for the fight against corruption. These young people should be 35-40 years old. Not only men, young women must also join them. They must be dedicated, ready to make the ultimate sacrifice. They will be given arms training. We will build an army of 11,000 men and women."

"I appeal that 20 young men from every district should come here. We will train them in both shahstra (Vedas) and shastra (weapons)," Ramdev told his followers. The yoga guru said: "We will prepare 11,000 men and women so that next time we do not lose any battle at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi".

Sharp reaction
One of his followers said weapons would be used only in self-defence. He said that Ramdev, who has been fasting since Monday, was determined to stand up to the police if they again attacked him or his supporters.
Both the Government and the Congress reacted sharply to Ramdev's move. Home Minister P Chidambaram, when asked about Ramdev's call, said, "By making that statement, he has exposed his true colours and true intentions. Let him do so and the law will deal with that ufffd You have to observe some discipline."

"It is anti-national and we have to take action," said V Narayanswamy, Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office. Congress said Ramdev's call for an armed rebellion is a serious issue and hoped that the government will take appropriate action to uphold the Constitution and maintain law and order in the country.

Once again, for Anna
After the police crackdown at Ramlila grounds that saw many Baba Ramdev supporters get injured, Anna decided on June 5 to hold a protest. Although the protest was announced at a very short notice, and the location changed just a day before the protest was to take place, these did not deter people from different parts of the country from coming to the Capital to support their leader Anna. Jitendra Sahu (27) from Chhatisgarh said, "I was here for Baba Ramdev before. I also went to Haridwar but when I heard Annaji is going to keep a fast, I came back. I was also here when Anna protested for the first time at Jantar Mantar."
"Anna is doing all these for the people. He is the messiah of the common man," said Rakesh Meena (22). He added, "I did not know at first that the protest has been shifted to Rajghat. I went to Jantar Mantar first and there I came to know about the new venue. Also, it is unfair that we have to park our vehicles so far from here. First they asked me to park my car at the DTC depot nearby and later at some other place, but for Anna we will do anything." Hitesh Sharma (22) and Khilendra Sahu(23) arrived in Delhi two days back for an interview. As soon as they got to know that Anna is holding a protest, they came to support him. Lakshmi Rajan (59), a resident of Tami Enclave, Palam Road, came to Rajghat hoping Anna will help her.u00a0She said: "I owned a church which was destroyed in 1994 by some people. I am fighting a case that is pending in Tis Hazari court since 1995. I am here to request Anna sir to help me. The case may go on for ever and maybe I will die before a decision is taken."

Anna group distances itself
The Anna Hazare group on Wednesday distanced itself from Ramdev's decision to raise an armed force to resist any government crackdown on the anti-corruption movement, saying all protests have to be non-violent.
Civil rights activist Arvind Kejriwal and lawyer Prashant Bhushan, who are with Hazare in the joint drafting committee on Lokpal Bill, said all protests have to remain non-violent. "We do not support this (Ramdev's announcement of forming an armed wing). All protests have to be non-violent," Kejriwal said. Asked whether they will still remain associated with Ramdev despite his fresh move, Bhushan said the question was not whether they were with Ramdev or not but one has to protest against the assault on the fundamental and democratic rights of a person. "Hazare's fast was not in support of Ramdev but for the police assault on his protest. We respect the right of everyone to stage a protest," he said and termed the yoga guru's announcement of forming an armed wing as "very uncomfortable". On whether they were encouraging the "anarchism" propogated by Ramdev, Kejriwal said they were neither supporting Ramdev nor encouraging anarchism by anyone.