NEW DELHI // It is difficult to recognise this as the movement that last summer attracted tens of thousands of protesters and sparked demonstrations in more than a dozen cities across India.
Today, the crowds that once rallied behind the anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare are now in the hundreds or less. His dwindling influence is lampooned in the press. Rifts are beginning to show in his movement, India Against Corruption.
"Last year, it was a powerful moment, but this year, it feels like something is missing," Gourav Jain, 19, an engineering student, said on Friday.
On the grounds of Jantar Mantar, a New Delhi monument where Mr Hazare's organization began its latest fasting protest against corruption last week, only small knots of people have gathered over the past four days.
The energy at the site seemed low earlier in the week and, even at its peak, the desultory crowd was only made up of a few hundred people. Many of them were volunteers from India Against Corruption. Some vendors were selling replicas of Mr Hazare's trademark white cap for five rupees apiece, but few were buying.
Mr Hazare is not taking part in the fast this time but three other leaders of his group sit on a six-metre-long dais, on an indefinite fast. Another 400 people are fasting around the country, a handout claimed.
"Our protest is not [for] gathering crowds but [to attract] people who are passionate to work for the society and country," he told the IANS news service on Friday.
A year ago, Mr Hazare's rallies were to demand the creation of a Jan Lokpal, an independent government agency that would investigate government corruption. A bill to create the agency has been mired in parliamentary procedure and political debate since early 2011.
But, as Mr Hazare has piled protest upon protest over the past year, the law of diminishing returns seems to have kicked in.
Mr Jain went to the Ramlila Grounds in New Delhi four or five times last year with a group friends to join the crowds of protesters, but he has not visited Jantar Mantar as yet this year.
"Maybe I'll go tomorrow or the day after tomorrow," he said. "But I think people are losing interest. More than a year has gone by since the first protest, but nothing is happening. No action is being taken by the government."
In a television interview on Friday, Kiran Bedi, a longtime member of Mr Hazare's team, said: "I think the novelty is gone, because this is the fourth time Anna is on a fast. Anna is becoming more predictable, the movement is becoming more predictable, it's true."
Indian newspapers have also noticed the increasing inefficacy of Mr Hazare's instrument of protest: the fast.
In an editorial cartoon in The Hindu, a beleaguered Mr Hazare thinks to himself: "I keep fasting. But it's the audience that thins down."
In a bid to reignite its campaign, India Against Corruption has accused 15 ministers in the government, including the prime minister, Manmohan Singh, of "serious charges of corruption".
"We demand setting up a special investigative team for probing the charges against these ministers," reads a news release Friday from India Against Corruption.
On Wednesday, the first day of the protest, leaders of India Against Corruption began by accusing Pranab Mukherjee, the newly elected president, of corruption.
"Had the Lokpal been there, Mukherjee would not have been the president," Arvind Kejriwal, a former civil servant and one of the pillars of the organization said at Jantar Mantar. Mr Kejriwal, who is fasting, has accused Mr Mukherjee of being complicit in a 2005 Scorpene submarine deal between India and France, which allegedly earned Congress party politicians a four per cent commission on the 188-billion-rupee (Dh12.5bn) deal.
But now, Mr Kejriwal said, the allegations against Mr Mukherjee could not be probed because "the constitution provides immunity to the president from an investigation".
"The Congress has put the chadar (veil) of the constitution on the president."
Mr Hazare has not been as blunt in his remarks against Mr Mukherjee, hinting at a split between him and his team on this issue.
"I congratulate him," Mr Hazare told the Press Trust of India after Mr Mukherjee's inauguration on Wednesday. When he was asked about Mr Kejriwal's allegations, Mr Hazare said: "I do not want to speak about it."
ssubramanian@thenational.ae
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Ordinary Virtues: Moral Order in a Divided World by Michael Ignatieff
Harvard University Press
Ovo's tips to find extra heat
- Open your curtains when it’s sunny
- Keep your oven open after cooking
- Have a cuddle with pets and loved ones to help stay cosy
- Eat ginger but avoid chilli as it makes you sweat
- Put on extra layers
- Do a few star jumps
- Avoid alcohol
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Company%20profile
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Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
THREE
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A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
UAE%20v%20West%20Indies
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'Skin'
Dir: Guy Nattiv
Starring: Jamie Bell, Danielle McDonald, Bill Camp, Vera Farmiga
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
RESULTS
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Company%20Profile
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The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
Sreesanth's India bowling career
Tests 27, Wickets 87, Average 37.59, Best 5-40
ODIs 53, Wickets 75, Average 33.44, Best 6-55
T20Is 10, Wickets 7, Average 41.14, Best 2-12
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Company%20profile
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
'HIJRAH%3A%20IN%20THE%20FOOTSTEPS%20OF%20THE%20PROPHET'
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Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
DMZ facts
- The DMZ was created as a buffer after the 1950-53 Korean War.
- It runs 248 kilometers across the Korean Peninsula and is 4km wide.
- The zone is jointly overseen by the US-led United Nations Command and North Korea.
- It is littered with an estimated 2 million mines, tank traps, razor wire fences and guard posts.
- Donald Trump and Kim Jong-Un met at a building in Panmunjom, where an armistice was signed to stop the Korean War.
- Panmunjom is 52km north of the Korean capital Seoul and 147km south of Pyongyang, North Korea’s capital.
- Former US president Bill Clinton visited Panmunjom in 1993, while Ronald Reagan visited the DMZ in 1983, George W. Bush in 2002 and Barack Obama visited a nearby military camp in 2012.
- Mr Trump planned to visit in November 2017, but heavy fog that prevented his helicopter from landing.
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-finals, first leg
Liverpool v Roma
When: April 24, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Anfield, Liverpool
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome