3 teens leave Delhi homes, brave all odds to meet their hero in Ralegan Siddhi
Chandan, Pabhat and Tannu in Ralegaon Siddhi
Three teenagers left their homes in Delhi and travelled more than 1,250km to Ralegan Siddhi in Ahmednagar district to meet their inspiration — Anna Hazare.
This incident speaks volumes of the impact the anti-corruption crusader and his agitation has had on young minds. Pabhat Kumar, 13, Chandan Matokumar, 14, and Tannu Kumar, 16, live in the slums at Delhi.
"These children were selling flags at the Ramlila Maidan in Delhi when Hazare was on fast. They used to hear Anna speak and were inspired by him. I was amazed that even after a month they could recall Anna's speech verbatim," Shyam Asawa, an advocate and a Hazare supporter, told DNA.
While Chandan, who hails from Bihar, had not informed his parents before leaving home, Pabhat has lost his mother and Tannu is an orphan. The children hopped on a train to Mumbai, where they were directed to catch a train to Pune. At Pune station, they were robbed of their belongings.
Refusing to give up, they sought directions to Ralegan Siddhi and set off on foot. The driver of a milk van spotted the three teenagers in Anna T-shirts and 'Me Anna Hazare' caps and offered them a lift to the village. They reached Ralegan Siddhi on September 8, but as the core committee meetings were scheduled on September 10 and 11, there was tight security in the village and they could not meet their hero.
Among the several villagers the boys requested to lead them to Hazare was Asawa. "Initially, I did not take them seriously. But, they met my wife and narrated their story. I was deeply moved by this affection that Anna had unknowingly generated even among the youth. They spoke of Anna's ideas and views whenever they opened their mouths."
When they finally met Hazare on Monday, they were speechless for a few minutes. "Anna couldn't believe that the boys had left home to be with him. He was surprised and shocked," Asawa said.
The boys told Hazare that they wanted to stay with him and be a part of his movement. "We shall stay here and work for you. Please don't ask us to go home," they pleaded.
But, an overwhelmed Hazare told them to return home. "You have a duty to your family and village first. Learn, go to school and influence those around you," he advised them. The activist had a tough time explaining to them that they should go home. Since the boys are minors, they were handed over to Parner police and through them to Child Welfare Committee in Ahmednagar.
When the police reportedly were a little strict with the boys to get their addresses and phone numbers, one of them said: "Anna ne bola hai, police tang karegi, petengi, goli chalanyegi, par harna nahin. Jan andolan chalu rakhna (Anna has told us that the police will beat you, shoot at you, but don't give up. Keep up the protest")
On Tuesday, when the boys were brought to the shelter home, they refused to eat as they felt cheated for being sent home. The boys will be handed over to the child welfare committee in Delhi on Thursday after the police there trace their homes.
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