Anna Hazare holds strong on 5th day of his fast

New Delhi: The medical reports of Anna Hazare, Arvind Kejriwal, Gopal Rai and Manish Sisodia, following their examination by a panel of doctors on Wednesday led to an alarmed Delhi Police requesting Arvind Kejriwal, Gopal Rai and Manish Sisodia to immediately end their fast. According to them, "This team of doctors has advised that Shri Arvind Kejriwal, Shri Gopal Rai and Shri Manish Sisodia need immediate medical intervention of a hospital and should, therefore, be shifted to one." What stands out in the report and from the medical examinations on Thursday as well is that the doctors or the cops are not that alarmed by Anna Hazare's medical condition.

Arvind Kejriwal is 44 years old. Manish Sisodia is 40 and Gopal Rai is also pretty much in the same age group. So though the three have been fasting for longer (nine days now), one can't help but wonder as to what enables the 75-year-old Anna to go on. Anna Hazare's fast has entered its fifth day on Thursday. In August, 2011, Anna had fasted for 12 days.

Whether one supports Anna Hazare or not, one has to accept that without tremendous mental strength and conviction, it is pretty difficult to not just hold a long fast but address people on a daily basis to keep trhem motivated. Ever since he founded the Bhrashtachar Virodhi Jan Aandolan (BVJA) (People's Movement against Corruption), a popular movement to fight against corruption in Ralegaon Siddhi, Anna has fasted on many occasions to press home his demands. Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and Gopal Rai lag behind on the experience front.

The extent to which a human body and survive without food varies from individual to individual. Mahatma Gandhi has gone without food for as long as 21 days. Freedom fighter Jatindra Nath Das died after a 63-day fast while imprisoned in Lahore. Frank Stagg, a jailed Irish Republican Army member, also couldn't survive a 62-day hunger strike.

Doctors believe that most humans can live for up to eight weeks without consuming food, but as long as they drink water. People with extra body fat and/or general physical fitness have a better chance of surviving longer durations. Metabolism also plays a role; people with slower metabolism have a better chance of going on longer.