Professionals, Indians from abroad among the 80 indefinite-fast volunteers

Amidst the sloganeering and shouting by enthusiastic supporters of jan lokpal bill and Anna Hazare, some 80 people are sitting quietly in a corner of Azad Maidan, on indefinite fast.

Amidst the sloganeering and shouting by enthusiastic supporters of jan lokpal bill and Anna Hazare, some 80 people are sitting quietly in a corner of Azad Maidan, on indefinite fast.

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Few of them are social workers or have ever been associated with any agitations.

They include software professionals, engineers, homemakers and Indians settled abroad.

Shailesh Saraf, 29, is the vice-president (equity research) in an investment bank in Hong Kong. “I have taken two weeks off and flown down to devote myself for this cause. This Bill is well-drafted and gives less discretionary power to the executing authority,” said the financial analyst who plans to extend his leave.

Medha Sawant, 45, leader (Integrated Management Services) for IBM GTC, Asia Pacific, took time off from her busy schedule. “I have prioritised this movement so I devote maximum time to it,” said Sawant who has returned to India after 15-year stay in the US.

Software engineer Nitin Mekhiya, 31, said: “After being part of several agitations in California I was inspired by Anna’s thought. So I decided to return home to support the cause and be part of that change,” he said.

Some of them were sitting on fast in April and have returned. Like cardiac surgeon Dr Ratna Magotra, 64. “We expected a strong Lokpal Bill to be introduced in Parliament, but the government brought a weak and ineffective Bill, so we are forced to repeat the protest,” said Magotra, who works at SR Mehta Cardiac Institute in Matunga.

Husband-wife Madhu, 41, and Anupam Padaya, 51, are also repeating their fast. “We have suffered a lot due to corruption. I was threatened and victimised for exposing irregularities in a public sector company. So when this agitation started I could relate to it and decided to join and stay along till the end,” said Anupam, ex-Air India employee.