Anna’s fast enters fourth day, Kejriwal warns against forced hospitalisation

Aug 1, New Delhi: Activist Anna Hazare, 75, is in on the fourth day of his hunger strike against corruption at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar. Four hundred of Team Anna supporters including Team member Arvind Kejriwal, who’ve been fasting for a week have warned against being forcibly hospitalised even as their health deteriorates.

Amid growing health concerns over those fasting, the 75-year-old Gandhian ruled out any talks with the government and expressed readiness to return Padma Bhushan award bestowed on him, even as government showed no signs of initiating negotiations with his team.

Doctors on Wednesday said that the condition of Kejriwal was serious but not alarming. According to the morning health update, Kejriwal is weak. A meeting to find a way out from the health concerns is underway between Team Anna members.

Even as the Team Anna’s fast entered the seventh day and the health condition of two of the members worsened after fasting for seven days, there were no signs of government initiating a dialogue with Team Anna to end the crisis.

The government says that it’s upto his supporters to convince him to end his fast. “Those that gave permission for the camp at Jantar Mantar will decide how to deal with issues like deteriorating health,” said government sources, who also ruled out any backroom discussions with Anna and his aides.

Government, on its part, said the Prime Minister’s Office has written two letters to Hazare under the advise of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

“What is stated in the letter is the government’s position to the best of my knowledge,” Home Minister P Chidambaram told reporters.

The day also saw doctors advising Arvind Kejriwal and Gopal Rai, who are fasting for the past seven days, to get hospitalised as their health condition worsened, a request rejected by both saying they were “not cowards who will give up because of health concerns”.

“I am warning the government not to try to arrest us and force us to go to hospital,” Kejriwal said. Political statements from the dais came from Kiran Bedi and Kumar Vishwas, with one taking on UPA in a veiled manner and the other attacking BJP in the open.

“This mission will not stop till the 2014 elections, till the time new and apt people come in power. We have to go till end which is 2014 when people with Anna’s blessings will come to power.

The health of all those fasting has been a cause of worry for the people who have been associated with the campaign against corruption. Bollywood actor, Anupam Kher, who has been part of the Anna movement, took to Twitter on Wednesday to express his concern. “I m Worried for d health of people fasting at JantarMantar & other places. They are doing it for us. Question is what are we doing for them? (sic)” he tweeted.

Anna is holding fast-unto-death since Sunday to press the Centre for early passage of strong and effective Lokpal bill to combat corruption in the country. Ignoring an appeal from his close aides, Anna on Sunday joined three of his team members in their indefinite fast in New Delhi.

This is the fourth indefinite fast by Hazare since April last year. The April fast was followed by one in Ramlila Maidan here in August and in Mumbai in December. The last agitation by Anna in December had to be cut short after his health took a turn for the worse. In between, he had single-day fasts in Delhi thrice, in June and December last year and March this year.

News Gathered by India News

Posted by Preeti on Wednesday, August 1st, 2012. Filed under India News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.