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New
Delhi:
Scores of youngsters look busy and hassled, a few are working on
their laptops. A short young woman instructs a fellow volunteer to
get food for all of them. It is a small band busy managing the
Anna Hazare show at the Ramlila ground here.
From food, ambulance, security, crowd management, maintaining
links with the media, and transcribing speeches -- the 100 plus
volunteers from India Against Corruption (IAC) group are the
lifeline behind the 74-year-old Gandhian activist's fast that has
gripped the world's attention.
With the hunger strike entering the sixth day Sunday, the
volunteers say they have a lot to tackle. And with thousands of
young and old packing the Ramlila ground, some go without sleep at
night.
"We are ready to run from pillar to post. Our leader Hazareji is
not 74, he is 14 years old and the battery of this movement,"
IAC's media manager Aswathi Muralidharan, who has not gone home
for many days, told IANS.
Agrees her colleague Sneha Kothwale, a 23-year old graduate of
journalism from Delhi University who prepares power point
presentation and other inputs for the media.
"It is like connecting the dots. We have the task of pooling in
all the resources, coordinating with the media, people, even those
who do not know anything about the movement," she explained.
The face of the Hazare campaign for a Jan Lokpal Bill -- as
opposed to the government-sponsored one -- is of course a group of
half a dozen who are the Gandhian's closest aides.
This includes RTI activist Arvind Kejriwal, former police officer
Kiran Bedi, lawyers Shanti Bhushan and Prashant Bhushan, and
social activist Swami Agnivesh.
But with most of them detained or jailed Aug 16 along with Hazare,
it was left to the younger lot to keep the flag flying.
Kejriwal said it was this team that provides oxygen to the
campaign against corruption. "It is the volunteers who have been
managing it from the scratch."
Almost all volunteers are in their 20s. Many have been associated
with Kejriwal, a Magsaysay award winner.
Some volunteers admit they strayed into the campaign only because
of Hazare.
"Earlier my parents used to ask me to choose a stable career as
this (activism) would not get me a salary or name," Sneha told
IANS.
"But the April fast by Hazareji was a life changing moment. My
parents never said a single word to me about this work after
that," she said.
Her reference was to the five-day hunger strike by Hazare here
that ignited nationwide passions and forced the government to talk
to him about an anti-corruption legislation.
There is plenty of work to be done -- day and night.
All developments related to the Lokpal Bill is monitored. The
media is regularly briefed. Hazare's health needs to be checked.
There are logistic issues to be tackled -- managing the sprawling
Ramlila ground, arranging food for the thousands who throng the
venue, providing security, accepting donations, and so on.
The IAC relies a lot on other volunteers to provide security to
Hazare. Police frisk everyone entering the ground, even people
like Kejriwal.
Kumar Vishwas, who said he is a poet by profession, addresses the
crowds.
"My job is to write speeches. Throughout the day, I address the
people and motivate them to support the movement in every possible
way," he said.
Hazare began his fast Tuesday when he was taken to the Tihar Jail.
He was in prison until Friday when he shifted to the Ramlila
ground.
"This is going to be our home for the next 15 days. The leader is
younger than us," quipped Sneha.
(Madhulika Sonkar can be contacted at madhulika.s@ians.in)
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