Mumbai: Hazare, Ramdev flavour of Ganpati season

Mumbai: In keeping with the trend of highlighting a socially relevant topic every year, this time Ganpati mandals have taken up the fight against corruption by Anna Hazare and Baba Ramdev as their festival theme. Mandal organisers across the city have asked artisans to make models of the social activist and the yoga guru for their pandals. Satish Taru, a well-known sculptor who owns a studio in Kasba Peth, has created life-size statues of Hazare and Baba Ramdev.

"Hazare and Baba Ramdev are the real heroes and they have a special place in people's heart. Both of these statues were highly appreciated by the members of Ganpati mandals. Both the statues have been booked and I am expecting at least 10 more such orders for the festival," he said.

Vijay Maral, president of Ajantha Mitra Mandal near Shaniwar Wada, said: "We are spending Rs 60,000 to recreate the scene depicting Hazare's fight against corruption and insistence on a Lokpal Bill. Our decorations will also have statues of Arun Kesrimal, Kiran Bedi and those who are with Hazare in the agitation."

Suresh Jadhav, coordinator of Baba Ramdev's Bharat Swabhiman Trust in the city, said the members of the trust were also spreading the message of anti-corruption during the Ganpati festival.

"Hazare and Ramdev Baba are fighting against the one-sided draft of the Lokpal Bill. We are distributing pictures of Hazare and Baba together to the Ganesh mandals with this message. This year, several mandal organisers have agreed to use this as the social message. We have decided to felicitate such mandals," Jadhav said.

30 mandals to go for Anna theme

Anand Saraf, a scholar, said: "This year the issue is fight against corruption. Hazare has already become an icon in the city and many Ganesh mandals will display scenes portraying Hazare's demonstration against the government at Jantar Mantar in Delhi. As per my information, about 30 mandals will use the fight against corruption as their theme. They will also use the statues of Hazare and Baba Ramdev to promote it."

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