In the light sunshine of a winter noon,workmen put up yet another tent at the Ramlila Maidan. Seen from the podium,the empty ground seems vast. On December 27,it will be filled to the capacity once again,for the last time this year. Three days before a parallel sit-in by Anna Hazare supporters kicked off,the Maidan wore a different look. Near the podium,where medical camps had been set up during Annas fast,a few boys played cricket. In another corner,where cameramen spent sleepless nights during various agitations,some men sat chatting. Outside the side gate,where OB vans were once stationed,a drug addict knelt as he injected a friend behind the knee. Nestled in the no mans land between Old Delhi and a swankier New Delhi,and claimed by neither,Ramlila Maidan has over the years transformed from an open space for local residents to a place from where voices of protest can reach the corridors of power. The ground was named after what used to be its biggest event of the year,the Ramlila enactment during Dussehra. This year,however,the Dussehra celebration was a minor spectacle. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress chairperson Sonia Gandhi were at the Maidan for Dussehra,but that is just for passing reference. The stars were those who dropped in before the festival. Baba Ramdevs yoga camp On June 4,yoga guru Baba Ramdev began his campaign against corruption and black money. Ahead of the event,the shabby ground had been cleaned and dressed in saffron-and-white. There were elaborate facilities in place for the followers ceiling fans in the tents,RO filters for drinking water,toilets,doctors on standby and even a special media enclosure with Internet. Ramdevs fast ended,well,pretty fast. Delhi Police personnel were given orders to evict the protesters,who,the authorities said,had assembled in numbers beyond permitted. As his followers faced police action,Ramdev tried to flee dressed as a woman. He was arrested and sent back to Haridwar. The chaotic night ended with injuries to more than 60 followers. One of the injured,Rajbala,later died. The Anna Show On August 20,Anna Hazare and his supporters thronged the Maidan,after the Delhi Police denied him permission to hold a protest at Jai Prakash Narayan Park. As Hazare fasted for 12 full days,the Maidan turned into a fair ground of sorts. There was Anna merchandise on sale,food stalls were set up and donation counters installed. Anna cap adorned nearly every head at the venue and the chant of Anna tum sangarsh karo,hum tumharein saath hein (Continue with the protest Anna,we are with you) almost turned into an anthem. After Hazare broke his fast on August 27,much to the relief of the government,the Ramlila Maidan returned to its keeper the Municipal Corporation of Delhi. For the civic agencys employees,the uphill task of cleaning the ground had just begun.
