Hazare's 15-day fast from today at Ramlila Maidan

Undertaking on peace, crowd size; govt says crackdown if public order threatened.

Social activist Anna Hazare will continue his fast for the next 15 days at Ramlila Maidan in central Delhi from tomorrow, in support of his anti-corruption campaign. However, the duration would also depend on the advice of doctors, his supporter, former police officer Kiran Bedi said on Thursday.

This means a scaling down of the plan to fast unto death to ensure his version of the Lok Pal Bill was adopted by Parliament. Hazare, it may be recalled, began his hunger strike from Tuesday, shortly after he was taken into custody for planning to do so. He has been taking only water in jail, from where he was released on a decision by the Union government.

With the government’s Lok Pal Bill already with a standing committee of Parliament and the agitators’ version, the Jan Lok Pal Bill, likely to be introduced as a Private Members’ Bill on Friday, it is not entirely clear what Hazare and his associates are fasting for.

All day on Thursday, Hazare supporters were at Ramlila Maidan, trying to get the park, which is covered with slush, cleaned and have a stage and tents put up to enable Hazare to sit and address supporters when necessary.(Click here for THE WAR AGAINST GRAFT)

His health, his supporters said, is of prime concern. So from fasting unto death, his original rallying cry, they now say a team of doctors, both private and government, will be in attendance to monitor his health.

Union home secretary RK Singh said permission for Hazare’s fast and rally were not unconditional. If the government apprehended a threat to public order at any time, the crowds would be evicted.

"None of the conditions we had earlier opposed relating to the number of people to be allowed at the protest venue and parking of vehicles were included in the Delhi Police's permission for the 15-day fast by Anna, which is a very good and sensible sign," said Bedi.

The police have made heavy security arrangements at the venue. A two-page undertaking to signed by Hazare himself and supporters such as Bedi has been given to the police, saying they would abide by existing rules and regulations and the crowd would not exceed the capacity of the ground, which is around 25,000 people.

The undertaking also said that if any clause of it was violated, they would be liable to be prosecuted.

Hazare’s supporters have said that their protests will only end after the Government agrees to a strong Lok Pal bill in Parliament.

"We are always open to discussions but the Government has to produce a strong bill. It has to withdraw this bill (the one introduced) and produce a strong one. Ultimately, it is for Parliament to make the law, but it has to listen to the people and this bill (Jan Lokpal Bill) is what people want," said senior lawyer and former Union law minister Shanti Bhushan.