Anna superfast arrives

In victory, more than ever before in his memorable 12-day-long fight for a Jan Lokpal, Anna was a figure of humility. As he took the mike at 9.10 pm, clutching the prime minister`s letter that had been just read out to the crowd by science and technology minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, he credited the public for the momentous win. Then, turning to the subject uppermost on everyone`s mind, he sought the crowd`s "permission" to end his fast on Sunday morning."Tomorrow morning, with your permission, I would like to break my fast at 10 am in your august presence,`` he said.
It was a moment of unalloyed relief and joy, as everyone from Anna`s supporters to till-recently-critical ministers and even stiff-lipped TV anchors could not suppress their smiles, happy for the 74-year-old who had bent the government with only strict self denial and steely conviction. When Anna finally breaks his fast on Sunday morning, he will have gone without a morsel for twelve-and-a-half days.
While all were keen to see Anna end his fast on Saturday evening itself, his refusal to do so surprised many. Confidants later explained that he never ends a fast after sunset.
On the ground, the 40,000-strong crowd — it had more than doubled in an hour — burst into celebration. Supporters pushed at barricades to enter the enclosed area and had to be held back by a human chain of volunteers. Tricolours swayed, songs were sung, there were impromptu jigs, and the most wide-eyed were little kids watching the show perched on their parents` shoulders. By late night, the centre of celebration had shifted to India Gate, however, reports of revelry came in from all parts of the city and the NCR.
Anna, although pleased with Parliament`s response to his demands, thought the battle was only half-won: " Yeh adhi cheez jori hai ,`` he said. Surprisingly, his key aide Arvind Kejriwal, who throughout these 12 days was the most difficult to please, urged supporters to turn up in large numbers on Sunday. "Enjoy, be jubilant, but be peaceful in your celebrations,`` he said. On the stage, Anna`s core team members kept hugging each other. Most also touched his feet.
As the initial thrill wore away, Kejriwal again advised circumspection, mentioning the government`s previous `betrayals`. However, for Anna`s supporters at the Maidan, the Bill was as good as in the bag. "Definitely," said Pritpal Singh of Lajpat Nagar, "you see the pressure here? If the Bill doesn`t go through, crowds will spin out of control. The Bill will go through".
"It`s fantastic, mind-blowing," said Antesh Jha, who had come from Patna for the big moment. Conceding "It`s a half victory", he said, "but these are constitutional procedures and they take time". Krishna Bhardwaj, 54, who had been coming to the grounds daily from Gannaur near Sonepat, said, "My son, a software engineer based in the US, took a long leave and came here to join. We are going to celebrate here tomorrow as well as in Gannaur, when we return". "Congress and BJP have accepted that Anna was right all along. Anna is not just a leader, he is our answer to all evils,`` said Divyanshi Saxena, a student of Hindu College.