Anna supporters started gathering in huge numbers from early morning on Sunday to witness the 74-year-old Gandhian breaking his historical fast after 13 days. At 10.15 am, two eight-year-old girls named Ikrah and Simran served coconut water and honey to Anna Hazare and he broke his fast. Anna’s supporters soon erupted in cheers with the slogan “Anna Hazare Zindabad’ reverberating all over the ground.
After drinking coconut water, Anna thanked his supporters and dedicated the “half victory” to them.
“I have only suspended my agitation. I will not rest until all the changes that I look to are achieved. This is the victory of the people of India. We have claimed only half victory, our battle will continue,” Anna told his supporters.
The press reporters gathered around the girls Ikrah and Simran for interview.
The supporters and volunteers were seen dancing, singing and waving tricolour all over the ground.
The celebrations soon spilled over to adjacent roads and streets.
Tears of happiness were seen flowing down the cheeks of many volunteers and Anna supporters when the social activist praised them.
“On days when I used to sleep here and sometimes get up at 3 am, I used to see several volunteers on the stairs near the dais. When I used to ask them to sleep, they would say ‘No, we want to protect our Anna’, that was their spirit,” he said, leaving scores of supporters and volunteers celebrating with wet eyes.
A convoy of two ambulances and five cars was waiting for Anna to take him to hospital. Because of bad health conditions, the doctors did not allow Anna to visit Rajghat. He was immediately taken to the Medanta — The Medicity in Gurgaon and a huge crowd of supporters followed him to the hospital.