A the stroke of 10.20 am, when Anna Hazare ended his 13-day-long fast at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi, it was time for jubilation at Freedom Park in Bengaluru where campaigners who had joined the anti-corruption movement, cheered and hugged each other in a spirit of celebration.
The mood was ecstatic and Freedom Park turned into a sea of Tricolour with protesters waving flags and dancing to the tunes of popular numbers Chak De! India and Jai Ho. The protesters, who has been on a fast for the last 13 days, broke their fast feeding sweets and liquids to each other even as thousands others took out a victory march on the streets.
The campaigners held large Tricolours — one which measured 100-feet in length — and marched towards K.R. Circle on Seshadri Road. Sunday witnessed a mixed crowd, including a large numbers of children accompanying their parents, at the venue. Even as the victory celebrations were going on, several groups marched in from different parts of Bengaluru to Freedom Park till Sunday afternoon. “This is the best day of my life. I always wanted to be part of this movement and I took a whole week off from work to be here,” said Sanjana Shetty, a BPO employee. Several others, who had joined the movement felt that the last few days were best moments of their life. “The atmosphere here is thrilling and one cannot miss such movements. This is the first people’s victory after Independ-ence,” said Anuj M., a businessman. Several campaigners, including former Lokayukta Justice N. Santosh Hegde, addressed the gathering before the crowds left the venue for the march.