This protest is not a WWF match: Anupam Kher

Bollywood veteran actor Anupam Kher visited Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority to express his support to Team Anna and passage of Jan Lokpal Bill. Rediff.com's Toral Varia Deshpande speaks to Anupam Kher.

India Against Corruption, the Non-Governmental Organisation spearheading Anna Hazare's proposed fast was expecting a much higher turnout of supporters at the venue. However, the numbers are not really up to expectations. What do you have to say about that? Is mumbai not coming out in Anna's support?

See, an issue like this should not depend on number games. This is a different way of making people who are very close to this cause very defensive. I don't think it's about the numbers.

It's not a World Wrestling Federation match. The point is that it's a very important issue and I don't think it should be judged by the number of people who are turning out.

Remember that those who have turned up have come because of their passion and belief in the cause, and not because they have been brought here in buses and truckloads from places where people don't know what's being talked about.

I think this is a very negative way of looking at things.

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Lets talk about the various issues that have been tossed up during this whole debate -- the quota politics or even the political debate that's being going on –do you think this is one of the ways to scuttle the Bill? Or even scuttle the process?

I am not an authority on what is exactly happening in the political circuit or Parliament. But yes, as a common man, it does appear to me like that. From the moment I joined the movement at the Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, the issue really is unbelievable corruption and we are looking for a Bill which will deal with it.

The change will not happen overnight. It's going to take years and years of hard work. But I am an optimist and I believe in that it is happening. I was watching the Lok Sabha session today and unfortunately, I felt that they were not discussing the issue adequately.

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Considering that Team Anna is adamant on what they want, The Congress sticking to its own guns, the fact that Sonia Gandhi herself has said that they are willing to fight for the Bill. Do you really think this battle will be resolved? Do you think people's voice will win over the voice of Parliament? 

I don't see it as a battle of this nature, but yes unfortunately it's coming across like that. I feel that we should be thankful to Anna Hazare and his team for focussing on the whole issue like this.

The fact that we are standing here and talking is proof that Anna has narrowed down what you people call the battleground between good and not so good.

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There are many who say that it will be only fair for Team Anna to give a chance to the parliamentary process. In that context, do you think they should continue protesting?

Of course. Totally. Some ears are deaf and they need loud banging. We have to keep the pressure on.

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