Chandrashekhar Azad: If I die, my corpse will fight the BJP

A leader who has been a member of the Women Commission and has contested election on Samajwadi Party ticket arrives in the afternoon to meet Chandrashekhar. Chandrashekhar looks tired. His eyes are swollen.

Seeing the youths around him who are clad in black she says, “Oh, the people of my team are present here. He was my PSO and your PA was once my PA.” Chandrashekhar presses his lips, looks behind and says, “he is not my PSO, he is my brother. And that is not my PA but is my sister’s son.” The young man standing behind swells with pride and the youth standing before him has tears in his eyes.

Chandrashekhar who slept last night around 1.30 pm when his supporters and party workers urged him to has been surrounded by the workers right since 6 am. The youths are present in large numbers. Jaikaran Singh is 86 years old and a Gujjar. He is an influential farmer of Hansapur and has come to meet Chandrashekhar. He pats Chandrashekhar’s head and says, “ Son, you have a lot of courage.”

Chandrashekhar Azad is wearing a black hooded jacket and tells us that one of his admirers gifted him this in America. Since 8 am, journalists from various media houses have been coming to meet him. They want to know about his future plans but Chandrashekhar who has by now matured as a political leader says only one thing, that we are with those who protect and stand by the Constitution of India.

In room number 213 of the Anand Hospital, Meerut a large TV set is on in front of Chandrashekhar’s bed. Some news channel is running the headline “Chandrashekhar spoils the impact of coalition’

Mannu of Bhim Army draws his attention towards this news but Chandrashekhar is more interested in another news about a fire in a factory in the Brahmpuri area. He asks one of his comrades Praveen Gautam, “please find out brother, why is a fire breaking out in Meerut time and again?”

Many influential people are arriving at the hospital to meet Chandrashekhar. A youth dressed in police uniform says, “Chandrashekhar Bhai, I have great respect for you in my heart.”

Chandrashekhar was leading the Bahujan Hunkar Rally when his health deteriorated and he was admitted to the hospital. According to the doctor Aditya, his blood is quite thick and he has been advised to donate blood every month. If he doesn’t donate it on time, his blood pressure shoots. On Wednesday, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi came to meet him without any prior schedule. Everyone is talking about it today. “I am very thankful to her and I respect her a lot,” he says.

Chandrashekhar is still quite busy organising the final phase of Bahujan Hunkar Rally at Jantar Mantar on March 15, although the office bearers of his party have constantly been advising him to take rest. But Chandrashekhar says, “This Hunkar rally will wake up many people and the colour blue will flood Delhi.

The BJP government is anti-Bahujan and anti-Constitution and we are going to overthrow this government. If I couldn’t reach Jantar Mantar then my dead body will go there and fight the BJP government,” he says

Chandrashekhar wants to defeat Modi because “he has failed on every front, right from the national to the international. He has only spread animosity and hatred in the country. Bhim Army is a mission and we are making an effort to make society aware. We don’t want to trample over people with force but want to fight to earn respect and dignity for them.”

Many people from other parties are also looking for future possibilities in Bhim Army. A former MP from Meerut has expressed desire to hold Bhim Army meetings across the state. The OBC and minority branches of Bhim Army are being formed for this purpose.

Chandrashekhar’s close aide Kunwar Devendra Singh says, “Bhim Army talks about ‘Bahujan’ and is striving for the interests and betterment of the Bahujans. Chandrashekhar has understood the mood and psyche of the masses very well. He is quite young and has very clear future plans.”

Chandrashekhar says, “I am not ambitious at all. I do not give any attention to any kind of temptations. I am raising my voice for society. Those who have been oppressing and suppressing the Dalits and minorities, I want to respond to them in their language. And I have faith in the Constitution.”