For Tara Chand Rohala,ex-serviceman from Jhajjar in Haryana,the impulse to camp at Jantar Mantar was unambiguous: Because all 543 of them in Parliament are thieves. Amarjit Singh Bawa,who retired in 2002 from the Government of India Press on Minto Road in Delhi,came because the DDA sold us land in 1975 and now they have given over the land meant for a nursery school to a baraat ghar. I am a bona fide land-holder,and I have used the RTI. Subhash,a retired engineer,had joined the fast for a day because it is a question of the nation. And because they rejected my mediclaim when I was hospitalised. Rajneesh Datta,who works in a bank,brought with him five children from The Shri Ram School,Gurgaon. This is much better education than they can get, he said. Krishan Lal,a tailor from Sangam Vihar in Delhi,came because he is a follower of Ramdev. I do yoga. I still work,at 78. Kaushal Acharjee came from Faridabad because as a purchaser in a private company,he had seen corruption. I was inspired by Anna on TV. If everyone spends only one minute of their time here and goes away. Sangeeta Anand,from the Art of Living of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar who was said to have spoken to Anna on Skype from Germany last evening,was clear: This is patriotic. This is for the country,for the people. Not for politicians. And Ramnath Luthra,national spokesperson,Hindu Mahasabha,raged for TV crews,anyone,to hear: Inko kaato,peeto,cheelon ko khilao. Ye chor hain. The assembly at Jantar Mantar on Day 2 of Anna Hazares fast ran into several hundreds and was encircled and dwarfed by the teeming media OB vans. People had come from places in and outside Delhi,with reasons that ranged from personal encounters with corruption to encountering Anna on TV. Many spoke of a previous association with an organisation or movement - mostly Ramdevs yoga cult,but also Sri Sri Ravi Shankars Art of Living,Arvind Kejriwals Parivartan. The Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha announced its presence by fluttering saffron flags with a sword and swastika painted in blue,while the five-member group of grey-haired men belonging to the unknown Subhash Sewa Samiti who came from Shikohabad displayed a banner in flaming red. There were members of the Yamuna Satyagraha,the Desh Bachao Aandolan and the Delhi-based Action for Self Reliance and Alternatives or Asra. If there was something that appeared to unite these different people,mostly men,it was distrust of and outright antagonism for the politician and Parliament. They clapped when Anna,sitting on the white stage and framed by a white banner with a map of India on it adorned by a portrait of Bharat Mata,took the microphone to say that this was the first aandolan after JP and the Second War of Independence. I have faith, said Anna,this independence will give justice to the poor. In this country,some live to eat and others eat to live. This contradiction will be addressed. And when Rakesh Kumar Premil,who said he runs an anti-corruption outfit in Barabanki,recited a poem written for the occasion Jab rakshak hi bhakshak ban jaayein. one of those fasting alongwith Anna took the microphone to say that Our PM and President can watch 400 minutes of a cricket game. But they dont have four minutes for us. Manish Sisodia,who conducted proceedings from the stage,declared: If you (the politicians) dont talk about the Jan Lok Pal Bill,your politics will be finished! Politics! Anna told them he had agitated for 25 years and this was not his first fast. In Maharashtra,he said,they had taken out a Rs 30 lakh supari on him. He spoke about the power of non-violence. People tried to stop me,but eventually everyone had to bend before non-violence. He exhorted the youth to participate. And,unlike him,to marry and raise large families. I dont ask the young to follow me. I tell them,make your children karyakarta. Have large families instead of small. There is sadness and petty fights within the four walls of a small household. Look at me,I am experiencing the joy of a large family without being married. But they applauded most when Anna underlined his distrust: Our fight is against the corrupt mindset. Who is clean? Who can we trust? And when he reiterated his wish that politicians should not come to the assembly. If they must come,he said,they must sit among the people,not on the stage. Om Prakash Chautala was turned away,and so was Uma Bharti. The latter came back,sat for a few minutes,on the ground,her back to the podium,and went away,TV crews giving her the chase. Anna was gentler on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. He is a good man. He is not corrupt. But the remote control causes problems. For Anna,the solution was a coming together of people,mainly the young,across parties: If this struggle is successful,then all partisans should leave their parties and come together for the country. Among members of his audience,solutions ranged from another Gandhi to a few good men. Most had not read the Jan Lok Pal Bill. Writer Mannu Bhandari said what was needed was someone who could tap the anger in everyones mind. Now Anna has taken a step. Raji Seth,also a novelist,was apprehensive: But everything dies down after a few days.
