Anna Hazare: The man who can't be ignored

skeletor

skeletor

Chosen of the Omnissiah
PUNE: He calls himself a fakir — a man who has no family, no property and no bank balance. He lives in a 10ft x 10ft spartan room attached to the Yadavbaba temple in Ahmednagar's Ralegan Siddhi village, 110km from Pune and wears only khadi.

But when 71-year-old Kisan Baburao Hazare alias Anna starts an agitation, every leader from Mumbai to Delhi sits up and takes notice. Even his detractors and politicians who hate his guts, grudgingly accept he is the only person who has the power to mobilize common people across the country and shake up a government. His small frail body has taken several blows from the countless agitations, tours and hunger strikes he has undertaken since he came in public life in 1975.

"I am not scared of death. I have no family to cry over me and if I die while doing something for the country I would be happy. We need to start a second freedom movement to get rid of corruption, red tapism, delays in government offices, frequent transfers of honest officials and lack of transparency," he says. Anna lost his mother Laxmibai in 2002 and has two married sisters — one in Mumbai and another in Sangamner who worry everytime their "stubborn brother starts an indefinite hunger strike".

However Anna has chosen to firmly stay away from any family ties and never visits his sisters. "I do have a home in Ralegan Siddhi but I have never set foot inside it in the last four decades," he once said.

He was born on January 15, 1940 in Bhingar village of Ahmednagar district to a family of an unskilled labourer who owned five acres of cultivable land. Adverse conditions pushed their family into the grip of poverty and in 1952 Hazare moved into his ancestral home in Ralegan Siddhi. He was brought up by a childless aunt who funded his education in Mumbai but financial instability pushed him into selling flowers for a living and he had to quit studies after Class VII.

Soon after, he joined the Army and trained as a truck driver but his days were spent reading books on the philosophy of Swami Vivekananda, Mahatma Gandhi and Acharya Vinoba Bhave.

That turned him to social work. Two near-fatal mishaps in the 1965 war with Pakistan changed his outlook towards life and seeking voluntary retirement from the Army, he returned to Ralegan Siddhi in 1975 which was then in the grip of drought, poverty, crimes and alcoholism.

He used his savings for developmental work of the village. "I asked them to take an oath banning liquor, excessive grazing by cattle and felling of trees. Another oath was to have small families with men undergoing vasectomy," he recalled during an interaction.

He motivated villagers into voluntary labour. Canals and bunds were built to hold rainwater which solved the water scarcity problem and also increased irrigation possibilities in the village.

His achievements have won him many awards like the Indira Priyadarshini Vrikshamitra award, the Krishi Bhushana award, the Padma Shree, Padma Bhushan and the Ramon Magsaysay award. Care International of the USA, Transparency International, Seoul (South Korea) also felicitated him.
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Anna Hazare: The man who can't be ignored - The Times of India
 
Faun

Faun

Wahahaha~!
Staff member
Give you feedback here to the PM.
Prime Minister's Office

Crappy site but still one of the medium to reach PM.
 
pauldmps

pauldmps

Banned
So how many of you have joined their campaign ?

I urge everyone to join their Facebook group: India Against Corruption | Facebook

Also Chetan Bhagat has launched "Mera Neta Chor hai" campaign in support of Anna Hazare.
Mera Neta Chor Hai | Chetan Bhagat
 
Faun

Faun

Wahahaha~!
Staff member
flood the channels with "mera neta chor hai", keep the status everywhere...on websites, blogs, social networking status, user status....frikkin everywhere. Graffiti on walls.
 
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Garbage

Garbage

God of Mistakes...
I am from Ahmednagar. And I know Anna Hazare since my childhood. He is an awesome man... He has transferred Ralegan-Siddhi to a very nice village.

India is lucky to have people like these.
 
R

rajeevk

Journeyman
After foreign countries like Egypt and Libya it's our time to get rid of corruption. If some body has taken the step we must join him.
 
Vyom

Vyom

The Power of x480
Staff member
Admin
Finally somebody have listened up:
Sonia Gandhi appeals to Anna Hazare to end fast
 
Faun

Faun

Wahahaha~!
Staff member
^^but still they are vague about civil body inclusion, damn buggers want to choose Pranab Mukharjee.

Some more info:



1. Who is Anna Hazare?

Anna Hazare is a 72 year young ex-Indian army man. Fought 1965 Indo-Pak War


2. What's so special about him?

He built a village Ralegaon Siddhi in Ahamad Nagar district, Maharashtra



3. So what?
This village is a self-sustained model village. Energy is produced in the village itself from solar power, biofuel and wind mills.

In 1975, it used to be a poverty clad village. Now it is one of the richest villages in India. It has become a model for self-sustained, eco-friendly & harmonic village.



In August 9, 2006 (Mumbai): Anna Hazare has begun an indefinite hunger strike to protest against changes to the RTI Act (To make RTI less powerful against politicians).



4. Ok,...?

This guy, Anna Hazare was awarded Padma Bhushan and is a known figure for his social activities.



5. Really, what is he fighting for?

He is supporting a cause, the amendment of a law to curb corruption in India.



6. How that can be possible?

He is advocating for a Bill, The Lok Pal Bill (The Citizen Ombudsman Bill) that will form an autonomous authority who will make politicians (ministers), bureaucrat (IAS/IPS) accountable for their deeds.


8. It's an entirely new thing right..?

In 1972, the bill was proposed by then Law minister Mr. Shanti Bhushan. Since then it has been neglected by the politicians and some are trying to change the bill to suit their theft (corruption).


7. Oh... He is going on a hunger strike for that whole thing of passing a Bill! How can that be possible in such a short span of time?

The first thing he is asking for is: the government should come forward and announce that the bill is going to be passed.

Next, they make a joint committee to DRAFT the LOK PAL BILL, 50% government participation and 50% public participation because you can't trust the government entirely for making such a bill which does not suit them.


8. Fine, What will happen when this bill is passed?

A Lok Pal will be appointed at the centre. He will have an autonomous charge; say like the Election Commission of India. In each and every state, Lokayukta will be appointed. The job is to bring all alleged party to trial in case of corruptions within 1 year. Within 2 years, the guilty will be punished. Not like Bofors scam or Bhopal Gas Tragedy case that has been going for last 25 years without any result.


9. Is he alone? Who else is there in the fight with Anna Hazare?

Baba Ramdev, Ex. IPS Kiran Bedi, Social Activist Swami Agnivesh, RTI activist Arvind Kejriwal and True Indian Citizens.

Prominent personalities like Kapil Dev, Aamir Khan are supporting his cause.


10. Ok, got it. What can I do?

Least you can do for the man willing to die for a cause that is entirely for you and your future is spread the message. How?



Word of mouth: talk about it to your family and friends. Make them understand what this is about.

Putting status messages, links, video, changing profile pictures on your social networking (facebook, orkut, gtalk, buzz etc).



At least we can support Anna Hazare and the cause for uprooting corruption from India. (You can give a missed call to 02261550789 to register your support, it's free)

At least we can hope that his Hunger Strike does not go in vain.

At least we can pray for his good health.

And at least have a positive attitude towards it. (I heard people say 'nothing can/will happen in India', do not be such pessimistic)



I am sending this out to all my contacts. My humble request to all is to do the same and spread the word.



For more information visit: Default Parallels Plesk Panel Page
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G

gopi_vbboy

Cyborg Agent
I am going tommorow to freedom park-Bangalore to support his campaign....light a candle! 6pm....anyone one coming?
 
Vyom

Vyom

The Power of x480
Staff member
Admin
^^ Many thanks Faun, for putting that quote. I am on to spreading this cause, in the best way possible by me.
PS, that number of mumbai, is coming as busy. But I wont stop trying until, a miss call is registered.

@Faun: The points are a little out of sync, in the quote.
Also, following is the Facebook note, which I drafted for these points, and I urge everyone to share the same.
11 points that everyone should know about Anna Hazare!
 
blademast3r

blademast3r

In the zone
All of us got together when india won the world cup.. Now lets get together once again and support a great cause.. Go Anna! We will defeat corruption
 
Faun

Faun

Wahahaha~!
Staff member
blademast3r said:
All of us got together when india won the world cup.. Now lets get together once again and support a great cause.. Go Anna! We will defeat corruption
Click to expand...

I hope people show atleast the same support as was for WC.

@Vineet signed the petition. And thanks for spreading the word :smile:
*secure.avaaz.org/en/stand_with_anna_hazare/
 
Stuge

Stuge

Youngling
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