Three boys flee Delhi homes to meet Anna Hazare

Three boys from New Delhi fled their homes and travelled all the way to Ralegan Siddhi to meet the veteran Gandhian, Anna Hazare, last week.

Pabhat Bobby Kumar (13) a resident of Sadatpur, Chandan Biraju Matokumar (14) of Badabaug Stand, and Tannu Rajeev Kumar (16) from Bhagat Vihar, went last week to meet Hazare. Apparently, they were so inspired by the anti-corruption crusader during his fast at Ramlila Maidan that they decided to meet Hazare in his village.

An advocate and supporter of Hazare, Shyam Asawa, accidentally met the trio in Ralegan Siddhi. “These kids used to sell national flags at Ramlila Maidan when Anna was on fast and even heard his speeches. All three of them still remember what Anna spoke,” Asawa said.

The trio left Delhi by train and reached Mumbai and then arrived in Pune. At the Pune railway station they were robbed of their bags and set on foot to Ralegan Siddhi.

Spotted in a ‘Me Anna’ topi and Anna T-shirt, a milk tanker from
Parner stopped and gave them a lift to Hazare’s village.

They reached Ralegan Siddhi last Thursday, but could not meet the Gandhian as security was tight due to the Team Anna core committee meeting, and the village too was crowded. The hapless trio then approached Asawa’s wife to help them out. Later, Asawa took the children to Hazare.

Finally they met the Gandhian on Monday. “Anna couldn’t believe that these boys left their homes to be with him. He was surprised and shocked,” recalled Asawa.

“We shall stay here and work for you. Please don’t ask us to go home,” the boys pleaded with Hazare, which he politely refused, asking them to get back home and study.

Since the boys are minors, they were handed over to Parner police and through them to the Child Welfare Committee in Ahmednagar, who would hand them over to their counterparts in Delhi within the next few days.