From the rostrum of a pandal, erected specially for him by villagers, Hazare defended his comrade, Arvind Kejriwal who been slapped a notice by the Income-Tax department, stating, “They (government) is deliberately digging up buried corpses..this kind of gimmickry will not have any effect on the movement.”
Packed with villagers and mediapersons, Shantivan, the ground where the felicitation was organised by the Gram Sabha, Hazare threatened the government saying: “It seems that we will have to again revise our struggle strategy because in order to snuff out this agitation they will keep on indulging in these antics.”
Chidambaram a ‘liar’
Hazare in his speech also denounced Union Home Minister P Chidambaram, terming him as “a liar.” “The Home Minister does not speak the truth. And I think the fight against corruption which is not just confined to siphoning money but also exploitation of women, Dalits and poor people will continue for 15 years or more.”
“This kind of witch-hunt (referring to Kejriwal’s I-T notice, Bhushan’s land controversy and Kiran Bedi facing a privilege motion) is bound to crop up when one is carrying out struggle against corrupt elements,” he said, adding that the youth should remember the sacrifice of martyrs like Bhagat Singh, Sukhdeo and Rajguru who laid down their lives unflinchingly.
“I am inspired by martyrs and when I see young people carrying the Tricolour roaring slogans…I feel optimistic about the future of India,” he exclaimed.
On a lighter note, he said while he never felt weak when he was fasting, since coming back to his village and meeting people he has started feeling weak. “But one cannot become weak in the struggle. Some of us have to sacrifice in order to see that future generations prosper and the country can prosper only when poor and downtrodden people get justice and are uplifted.”
The anti-corruption crusader accused of being elitist and casteist, reiterated his views and pro-Dalit and pro-poor stance.
“A real revolution and freedom can come only when a person has a change in heart. I am sure the strength I got was God’s wish and I still wonder as to how a person like me who is just a “fakir,” can become an icon. I am just an ordinary man. It is people’s strength that has made the government tremble and therein lies the seed of democracy.”