With Anna Hazare on Saturday saying that doubts have arisen over whether the Lokpal bill will be passed by December 23, his volunteers in Mumbai are gearing up for his proposed indefinite fast on December 27. This agitation will see initiatives such as “Anna badges and masks” as Christmas trees ornaments along with utilisation of local trains as “Jan Lokpal Express trains” to spread awareness about the cause.
India Against Corruption (IAC) volunteers have started preparing stretches of the MMRDA ground, where the fast is likely to be conducted and have also decided the location of stage, VIP enclosures and seating arrangements. As around one to two lakh people are expected to attend the agitation, the pressure to ensure security checks will be a massive undertaking. “The arrangements will be better than at the Ramlila agitation. Each person will have to go the security checks. We are working on the arrangements such as accommodation for Anna, setting up toilets and VIP enclosures,” said Ruben Mascarenhas, youth coordinator of IAC. While MMRDA ground has been deemed a suitable option by the IAC, a nod from the authority is yet awaited. “There are four venues in the ground, out of which two are vacant. We are seeking just one venue,” said Mayank Gandhi, Mumbai coordinator of IAC.
However, MMRDA ground can prove to be a costly affair, as rough estimate suggests that 30,000 square metre space will cost up to `1.8 lakh per day. “There are citizens and donors, who are coming forward to help us. Although we did not want to use the public money, we have no option left,” said an IAC volunteer. To create awareness about the Jan Lokpal bill, IAC said that they would opt for initiatives such as an online campaign. One such will be the “Seven Days for Nation” call on social networking sites, wherein volunteers will ask people to keep aside their work for seven days.