Team Anna’s indefinite anshan at Jantar Mantar (August 1)

August 1, 2012

1st August 2012,New Delhi:As a week passed since the anshankaris started their indefinite fast, Team Anna stuck to their guns and the fasting members Anna Hazare, Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and Gopal Rai refused to give up on their fast.

A nationwide call was given to gherao houses of MPs and MLAs in a peaceful way by singing bhajans and undertaking relay fast in front of their houses. Another call was given to strike thalis with spoons for 15 minutes from 7-7.15pm to create enough noise for the ‘deaf’ govt to hear.

In his address in the morning, Arvind Kejriwal said, “there is a rumour that we might be forcibly shifted to hospital. I don’t think there is any reason to shift me to hospital. I think the people of this country are more worried about my health than P. Chidambaram. Some people are saying that what we are doing is equivalent to committing suicide. I would like to tell them this is not suicide, this is sacrifice for the country and there is a wide difference between the two. Our IPC was framed during the time of British with the aim of looting our country. Even then Gandhiji used to undertake very long fast. Then the British did not accuse them of committing suicide. I suspect their intentions now. It is being alleged that JP and Swamy Nityananda died under suspicious circumstances in hospital. My doctors are saying that apart from the weekness, I am fine, then why should I be taken to hospital forcibly?

Responding to it, Annaji said, “have you ever wondered why a person commits suicide? It is only when he is frustrated like our poor farmers. Here Arvind is sitting on a fast for sacrificing for our country. The Government is reacting like this because it is afraid. I will continue my fast till my last breath.” Delhi Police sent a letter today (a copy of which was circulated earlier) asking it to heed doctors’ advice and shift the anshankaris to the hospital. Reacting to this, Arvind Kejriwal said the doctors who were monitoring him had a different report and said they were out of danger. He questioned if this was a conspiracy by the government to break their fast.
For the first time today, the government also made an appeal to the anshankaris to end their fast. Police presence around Jantar Mantar also saw an increase. However, Kejriwal had earlier said that if the police came for him they should make sure that he is brought back from the hospital.

He also made it clear that the Team is not there to negotiate with the government. Kejriwal asked the people of India to come out in large numbers on to the street and sit on relay fasts outside the houses of their elected representatives. Soon after this call was given, people assembled outside the houses of elected representatives in Eta, Mathura and Shivpuri. A protest was also registered outside the house of Rajneeti Prasad who had torn the Lokpal Bill in Parliament.

Manish Sisodia said, “whenever the Govt wanted to suppress any movement they used Police force. Are the notices that are being sent to us daily made by Delhi Police? These are being sent by their political bosses. The same was done by the British.” Gopal Rai said, “who pays for the salaries of the police right from the constable to the highest level officers? It is the taxpayers. If they unnecessarily use force then we would be forced to show them that we would not wait for 2014 to throw them out.”
The health report of the anshankaris are as under:
Annaji: Pulse-79, BP-140/85, Sugar-85,  (ketone report not yet out)
Arvindji: Pulse-88, BP-108/68, Sugar-93, Ketone-2+
Manish: Pulse-76, BP-127/78, Sugar-82, (ketone report not yet out)
Gopalji: Pulse- 76, BP- 120/74, Sugar-102, Ketone-4+
In the evening, Singer Shibani Kashyap paid the fasting members a visit and appreciated their ‘strong will to clean up the country’.
In Mumbai, about 5000 people came to Azad Maidan with more than 30 groups representing the Associations, Trade unions, Village Panchayats, communities and institutions showed their support. Many eminent personalities visited the venue including Bollywood actors and entertainers actor Parmeet Seti, Archana Puran Singh, Vineet, Amit Sana and RJ Aditya.