Hazare may end silence in 3-4 days

Anna Hazare, who has been in 'silent mode' for the past fortnight since his team members got enmeshed in a series of controversies, may break his 'maun vrat' (vow of silence) in the next couple of days as he wants to hold "open discussions" with his supporters.

The 74-year-old activist today said he wants to start on a tour of different states after ending his fast and hopes to "gather energy" from his supporters to get the Jan Lokpal bill passed and then to fight for electoral reforms including 'Right to Reject' and 'Right to Recall'.

"The thought of giving up on my 'maun vrat' is playing in my mind. In the next 3 to 4 days I might end my 'maun vrat'," Hazare said in his latest blog posting 'Straight from the Heart'.

"Crores of people have turned to reading my blog all over the world hence I think it would only seem appropriate that I end my 'maun' and hold open discussions with them," he said.

Hazare conveyed his intention to break his vow of silence a day after his key aides Arvind Kejriwal, Prashant Bhushan and Kiran Bedi met him in Ralegan Siddhi and decided to write a Constitution for its anti-corruption movement and revamp the Core Committee after that.

Four days ago, Hazare had said in his blog that his health still does not permit him to give up his vow as verbal communication was leaving him very weak.

Hazare said he will also embark on a tour to meet all those young men and women, farmers, working class people and school children who were a part of this movement against corruption and "at times even went to jail for the sake of the cause".