"I plan to start an 'Asli Azadi Abhiyan' in 650 districts across the nation and will make a formal announcement about this on August 9 in Mumbai. We will run this campaign for the next 12 years as a second freedom struggle," Hazare said in a statement issued on Tuesday.
He appealed to people to join him and has expressed his eagerness to organize workshops for all those interested in participating in the new movement.
Along with his anti-corruption agenda, Anna has announced that he will also take up farmers' causes. "We call ourselves a nation of agriculturists, but farmers are committing suicides. We are going to take up issues like pensions for farmers and appropriate price for their produce," he said.
However, Hazare's aides are worried about the response to his appeal. One of his confidants admitted that Anna's flip-flop on politicians and the anti-corruption movement has dented his image. "A large chunk of the erstwhile Team Anna is with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), while others, like Kiran Bedi and General V K Singh, have openly endorsed the BJP. In fact, Singh is the BJP's Lok Sabha candidate. Supporters like Medha Patkar who were earlier with Anna will not join his new initiative," said a Hazare supporter.
Villagers in Ralegan Siddhi believe that Hazare's support to Mamata Banerjee and his immediate withdrawal of it has affected his image.
Requesting anonymity, a prominent social activist who was with Hazare during his Lokpal agitation, told TOI that the Gandhian might struggle to get a response similar to what he received during the India Against Corruption movement. "Certainly, there is a 'credibility crisis' with Anna. Since the anti-corruption movement, Anna has changed his stand on each and every issue. In fact, now people will not blindly come out in his support," the activist said.
But Hazare's close aide and activist Vishwambhar Choudhary is optimistic. "I hope that Anna will get the support of social activists who are interested in activism and not politics." However, Choudhary added that it would be difficult for him to join Anna because of "time constraints" and other responsibilities.
Hazare, however, remains unfazed. "We are building this new campaign with the help of honest people who want to keep themselves away from politics. I have addressed meetings in Delhi and Jaipur. I plan to organize similar meetings in 10 states to establish a network of activists," he said. He also criticized political parties for their use of "money power" in the Lok Sabha elections.
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