Anna Hazare. (1937-
The elected persons have
tasted easy money. They are not willing to give away the smooth life. The
people have to throw them out. They will
never go by themselves.
Kisan Bapat Baburao Hazare, popularly known as Anna Hazare, is a social activist,
who is especially recognized for his contribution to the development of,
Religan Siddhi village in Ahmednagar district, and his efforts for establishing
it as a model village, for which he was awarded Padma-Shree in 1990 and
Padma-Bhushana in the year 1992.
Anna
Hazare had started a 'fast unto death' to exert pressure on the Government of
India to enact a strong anti-corruption act as envisaged in the Lok Pal bill, a
law that will establish machinery that will have the power to deal with
corruption in public offices. No one in
power is interested in a Lokpal. All is
a time-pass game for them. Singapore
passed such bill many years back and now Singapore has progressed enormously. Why India can not do it? Answer is
simple. Those in power never want it.
During his days in the Army in the 1960s as a truck driver, he
spent a lot of time reading about Swami Vivekananda, Mahatma Gandhi and Acharya
Vinoba Bhave. He participated in the 1965-Indo-Pak war. Thereafter he retired
from army service.
Anna returned to Ralegan Siddhi village in 1975, after seeking
voluntary retirement from the Army and was faced with a village in the grip of
drought, poverty, crimes and alcoholism. He inspired villagers to join him in
building canals and bunds to hold rainwater which increased irrigation
possibilities in the village.
The only family members he has are two married sisters. One
lives in Mumbai and another in Sangamner in Ahmednagar district. His mother
Laxmibai died in 2002. He is a bachelor
not married.
After Mahatma Gandhi, Anna is among those who have used hunger
strike as a potent weapon. In 1995, Hazare's fast led to exit of two state
Cabinet Ministers, labelled as corrupt by the Gandhian and the Sena-BJP
government was forced to drop them.
Anna Hazare did not spare the Congress-NCP regime either and in
2003, went on hunger strike against four ministers, Sureshdada Jain, Nawab
Malik, Vijaykumar Gavit and Padamsinh Patiln, alleging they indulged in massive
corruption.
He also initiated a campaign for a legislation on the right to
information. Anna's persistent attack on those corrupt also earned him foes. In
2009, two persons arrested for killing Congress leader Pawanraje Nimbalkar said
there was a contract given out to kill him.
IT IS OUR DUTY TO SUPPORT ANNA HAZARE. LONG LIVE ANNA.
No comments:
Post a Comment