Anna-Ramdev agitation: Cause, not leaders, brings crowd together

NEW DELHI: Joining forces to step up pressure on the government to bring back the black money stashed abroad and pass an effective anti-corruption bill, veteran social activist Anna Hazare and Baba Ramdev sat on a daylong fast together on Parliament Street on Sunday. While supporters from the two camps did not intermingle much, they brushed aside apprehensions about the alliance and insisted they had been united by a common cause.
For Ravi Mohan, a mechanical engineer, the cause took precedence over who led it. “It is not about Anna or Ramdev. It is about the people of India. It is raining scams here. The worst part is that once these corrupt politicians are out of jail, they head to the Parliament the very next day,” he said.
“Anna is leading a huge campaign that will change India, while Baba Ramdev’s campaign against black money is just a part of it. Both are important but Baba should learn from Anna and his team who have more knowledge and skill to deal with such issues,” Mohan said.
While there was much camaraderie on display between the two leaders, the lines separating their camps remained distinct with followers supporting their respective leaders. However, there were a few exceptions with some people who came to support both. Most people welcomed the alliance and felt it would help in the fight against graft, but many felt that corruption was something that affected them on a daily basis and needed to be addressed first.
Nidhi Bahugana (45), a homemaker, felt the issue of graft needed more attention as it affected people directly.
“Anna has a vision and a concrete plan of action, whereas Ramdev is all rhetorical in his approach and unable to convey an understanding of the issue,” she said. Though she, too, supported the alliance. “While Anna Hazare could have been able to pull off a fast all by himself, Ramdev’s presence and fan following increases the clamour for change,” she said.
Raghuvir Chyandra felt the same. “We support Anna Hazare completely. But Baba Ramdev and Anna’s coming together is like adding sugar to milk. This alliance will bring down the government,” he said.