Anna gets support from city's students, elders

MUMBAI: From college students to senior citizens, Mumbaikars braved a clammy Sunday to come out in support of anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare, who began an indefinite fast at Jantar Mantar in Delhi. What started off at 11am as just four supporters with megaphone exhorting the crowd to join "India's second freedom struggle", swelled to around 600 by 2pm when actor Anupam Kher joined the group at Andheri station.By 7pm, when the motorcade of supporters who had taken out a rally to Azad Maidan ended, the crowd had touched 2,000 people.
"I shall support Team Anna any number of times, and keep supporting Anna and IAC in their fight against corruption. I am happy that so many people came out on a Sunday to support our rally, together we can make a change for good," Kher told the crowd.
Bharti Singh, a 64-year-old grandmother, said, "I am here because I want to ensure my grandchildren get a better India. Both the Congress and BJP are corrupt. Anna is doing the right thing by going after them."
Meena Iyer, a political science student, said, "The Congress is only concerned with Rahul Gandhi's well-being while the entire nation is in shambles. Where is he now while farmers in Maharashtra are suffering a drought?"
But Martina Santos, a tourist from Brazil, thought it was a riot. "I thought there was going to be trouble, but then they told me there was nothing to fear as Anna Hazare was a peaceful freedom fighter," she said.
The rally created its share of traffic snarls with BEST buses lining up to leave the depot. "Sundays are usually easy days but today seems to be a mess," said a bus driver.
Around 7pm, when the motorcade along with over a 100 bikers reached Azad Maidan near CST, the crowd thronged the traffic junction in front of the BMC headquarters. Police were forced to step in and usher the supporters into Azad Maidan to clear the street. A senior traffic police official said, "They are blinded by their passion, they think we are working against them but all we are doing is maintaining the peace. If we do not keep them under control it will cause an inconvenience to other Mumbaikars."