Thaindian News

Lucknow, April 9 (IANS) People burst crackers, danced to the beat of drums and blew conches here Saturday after veteran social activist Anna Hazare ended his 97-hour fast following assurances from the government that it would introduce a more stringent anti-graft law in the monsoon session of parliament.

The three social activists who were on a parallel hunger strike here as a show of support to Hazare, also called off their fast. Akhilesh Saxena, Indu Singh and Munna Lal were on a hunger strike since April 5 at Jhulelal Park near the Lucknow University.

“It’s a time to celebrate…We have made the government realise what public power is all about,” Saxena, the co-ordinator of Uttar Pradesh RTI Council, told reporters.

“We all have to thank Anna, who showed us the way to fight corruption. In the form of Anna, India has got a modern day Mahatma Gandhi, who will help in the formation of a corruption-free India,” he added.

Students, teachers, doctors and other professionals, who had been participating in peaceful demonstrations at Jhulelal Park in support of Hazare, distributed sweets and congratulated one another for participating in the campaign.

Several youths burst crackers and also danced to the beat of drums to celebrate what they termed a “national victory.”

Ecstatic shouts of ‘Anna nahin ye aandhi hai, aaj ke yug ka Gandhi hai (He is a storm, a modern day Mahatma Gandhi)’, ‘Anna hum tumhare saath hai (Anna we are with you),’ reverberated at the Jhulelal park.

A group of priests, who also converged at Jhulela Park, blew conches.

“We have done it…It’s the victory of entire nation. If we would follow the path shown by Anna, we one day would definitely weed out corruption from the country,” Lucknow University student Vikas Babu said.