Om puri Said "Sorry"

Om Puri doesn’t think our politicians are naalayak and ganwaar anymore. The 60-year-old actor, who is facing a privilege motion in Parliament over use of derogatory language against politicians at his recent pro-Anna speech at the Ramlila Maidan, on Sunday apologised for his choice of words describing parliamentarians.

Puri said he should have used “appropriate language,” and said the remarks were made in the “heat of the moment”. He however denied that he had made the caustic comments in an inebriated state.

Lok Sabha MPs, a privilege notice against Om Puri and Kiran Bedi

Lok Sabha MPs, too, moved a privilege notice on Monday against Bollywood actor Om Puri and former IPS office Kiran Bedi for mocking and lampooning members of Parliament during the Lokpal stir at the Ramlila Maidan. A similar notice had been moved by some Rajya Sabha MPs against Om Puri on.

Saturday. The actor has apologised while Ms Bedi tweeted that she would not apologise and was ready to face “any punishment”.
Speaker Meira Kumar informed the Lok Sabha on Monday that she had received notices from several MPs against Ms Bedi and Mr Puri and that the matter is under her consideration. Rajya Sabha members urged the vice-chairman to forward the notice against Om Puri to the privileges committee.
The SP’s Ram Gopal Yadav and JD(U)’s Shiva-nand Tiwari as well as BSP MP S.C. Mishra were among those who pressed for the forwarding of the notice.
Raising the issue during Zero Hour, Mr Yadav sought strict action against Om Puri for showing disrespect to Parliament and its members. Mr Khan assured the House that the matter is under the consideration of the Chair and the sense of the House will be conveyed to the Chairman.
Mr Yadav’s retort to Om Puri’s barbs was: “Mughal emperor Akbar was illiterate, Microsoft founder Bill Gates is a college dropout and Dhirubhai Ambani had only school education. But can we rule out their contributions? We were called illiterates, ill-mannered and what not by those making speeches... They not only insulted us but Parliament too...”

Babies Anna

The Anna-naming fever seems to be particularly high in Bihar and MP, where as many as 200 babies have been named after him. In Darbhanga, Bihar, nearly 100 infants were named Anna in the past one week. Surprisingly, even girls are being named Anna.

According to sources, in the last one week, four women admitted in the maternity ward of Lok Nayak Hospital have named their newborns after Anna Hazare. A source at Vinayak Hospital says that between August 16 to 22, out of the five deliveries that took place in the hospital, three newborns were named Anna on their birth certificates.

According to sources, ever since Anna went on his anshan, many parents, cutting across caste, creed and gender have taken a fancy to naming their babies after the Gandhian. In Damoh district in Madhya Pradesh, 22 newborns have been named after the anti-corruption crusader.

Kailash Kher said “Main Bhi Anna”

He surely knows how to strike the right chords when it comes to establishing a connect with his audience. And Kailash Kher's latest composition "Ambar Tak Naara Gunjega", dedicated to Anna Hazare only corroborates the fact. Kher, who was in neighbouring Kanpur recently to perform for an event, shares how he came to be associated with the anti-corruption movement. "I am really happy with the way "Ambar Tak Naara Gunjega" has been received by listeners. I met Annaji in April in Delhi during his first fast. I was extremely influenced by his ideology and decided to compose a song dedicated to him," says Kailash. The singer also performed at the Ramlila Maidan in Delhi last week in support of Anna. "The worst affected from corruption is the common man. Annaji's movement mobilised the entire country to stand up and fight against corruption," says Kailash. 

“Dinesh Yadav” Hour before died

New Delhi An hour before he died, Dinesh Yadav kept mumbling about Anna Hazare and wanted to know if someone from the camp of the activist had come inquiring about him, his brother said.

Yadav (34), father of five who set himself ablaze near Kisan Ghat last week shouting “Anna Zindabad”, succumbed to burn injuries around 8 am on Monday at the Lok Nayak Hospital in Central Delhi. He had suffered 90 per cent burns. Yadav whose village does not have electricity or a television set had read about Hazare’s agitation in a local newspaper and came to Delhi on his own to show solidarity.

His family said that even minutes before his death, he kept repeating how he wished to speak to the activist. “In his semi-conscious state, he told me that he was dying and was pained that nobody had come to visit him till then. He said he had given up his life but nobody was bothered. Even at 7 am, he was mumbling that he wanted to meet Hazare or any of his team members,” said Yadav’s younger brother Mithilesh.

While Team Anna claimed they had been in regular touch with Yadav’s family and doctors, his family members denied it. Theatre director and Hazare aide Arvind Gaur came to meet Yadav’s family at the mortuary in the afternoon and promised all help.

“Our team members were in regular touch with doctors treating Dinesh. He was an emotional, young boy, has five children and we are sympathetic about what happened. His family is taking his body to Patna and we have arranged an ambulance. I feel it is our moral responsibility to help his family members now. We will do whatever we can,” Gaur said.

Yadav’s brother Amarjeet confirmed that Team Anna had paid for the expenses of the ambulance, but denied that Hazare’s supporters were in touch with them. “This was the first time that anybody from Anna’s team spoke to us. We had never received any call or message from them until now,” he said.

Personal Life

Anna Hazare is unmarried. He lives in a small room attached to the Sant Yadavbaba temple in Ralegan Siddhi since 1975. He never visited his home though it is in same village. On April 16, 2011, he declared his bank balance of 67,183 (US$1,500) and 1,500 (US$30) as money in hand. He owns 0.07 hectares of family land in Ralegan Siddhi which is being used by his brothers. Two other pieces of land donated to him by the Indian Army and by a villager have been donated by him for village use. He receives only a pension from the Indian army as Income.

Indefinite Fast

On July 28, 2011 the union cabinet on approved a draft of the Lokpal Bill, which keeps the Prime Minister, judiciary and lower bureaucracy out of the ambit of the proposed corruption ombudsman Lokpal.Hazare rejected the government version by describing it as “cruel joke’’ and wrote a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, and told him his decision to go on an indefinite fast from August 16, 2011 at Jantar Mantar if the government introduced its own version of the bill in Parliament without taking suggestions from civil society members.

Why are you (government) sending the wrong draft? We have faith in Parliament. But first send the right draft, our agitation is against government, not Parliament. The government has overlooked many points. How will it fight corruption by excluding government employees, CBI and prime minister from the Lokpal's purview? We were told that both the drafts would be sent to the Cabinet. But only the government's draft was sent. This is a deceitful government. They are lying. How will they run the country? Now I have no trust in this government. If it is really serious about fighting corruption, why is it not bringing government employees and CBI under Lokpal?- Anna Hazare

Within twenty four hours of cabinet's endorsement of a weak Lokpal Bill, over ten thousand peoples from across the country sent faxes directly to the government demanding a bill with stronger provisions. The Mumbai Taxi Men’s Union, comprises over 30,000 taxi drivers have extended their full support to Hazare’s fast by keeping all taxis off the roads on August 16, 2011.  Lawyers of Allahabad High Courtdescribed Lokpal Bill proposed by the government as against the interest of the country and pledged their support to Hazare by hunger strike at Allahabad on August 16, 2011. On July 30, 2011 Vishwa Hindu Parishad supported Hazare's indefinite fast by saying movement for an effective anti-corruption ombudsman needs the backing of people.

On August 1, Public interest litigation was filled in the Supreme Court of India by Hemant Patil, a Maharashtra-based social worker and businessman, to restrain Hazare from going on his proposed indefinite fast. The petitioner demanded to prohibit the fast alleging that Hazare's demands are unconstitutional and amount to interference in legislative process.

End of hunger strike after meeting demands

On 8 April 2011 the Government of India accepted all demands of the movement. On 9 April 2011 it issued a notification in the Gazette of India on formation of a joint committee. It accepted the formula that there be a politician Chairman and an activist, non-politician Co-Chairman. According to the notification, Pranab Mukherjee will be the Chairman of the draft committee while Shanti Bhushan will be the co-chairman. “The Joint Drafting Committee shall consist of five nominee ministers of the Government of India and five nominees of the civil society. The five nominee Ministers of the Government of India are Pranab Mukherjee, Union Minister of Finance, P. Chidambaram, Union Minister of Home Affairs, M. Veerappa Moily, Union Minister of Law and Justice, Kapil Sibal, Union Minister of Human Resource and Development and Minister of Communication and Information Technology and Salman Khursheed, Union Minister of Water Resources and Minister of Minority Affairs. The five nominees of the civil society are Anna Hazare, N. Santosh Hegde, Shanti Bhushan Senior Advocate,Prashant Bhushan, Advocate and Arvind Kejriwal.

On the morning of 9 April 2011 Hazare ended his 98-hour hunger strike by first offering lemon juice to some of his supporters who were fasting with him. Hazare then broke his fast by consuming some lemon juice. He addressed the people and set a deadline of 15 August 2011 to pass the Lokpal Bill in the Indian Parliament.

"Real fight begins now. We have a lot of struggle ahead of us in drafting the new legislation, We have shown the world in just five days that we are united for the cause of the nation. The youth power in this movement is a sign of hope."

Anna Hazare said that if the bill does not pass he will call for a mass nation-wide agitation. He called his movement as "second struggle for independence" and he will continue the fight. 

Fast unto Jantar Mantar

Hazare began his fast unto death on 5 April 2011 at Jantar Mantar in Delhi to press for the demand to form a joint committee of the representatives of the Government and the civil society to draft a stronger anti-corruption bill with stronger penal actions and more independence to the Lokpal and Lokayuktas (Ombudsmen in the states), after his demand was rejected by the Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh. He stated, "I will fast until Jan Lokpal Bill is passed".

The movement attracted attention in the media, and thousands of supporters. Almost 150 people reportedly joined Hazare in his fast. Social activists, including Medha Patkar, Arvind Kejriwal, former IPS officer Kiran Bedi, and Jayaprakash Narayan lent their support to Hazare's hunger strike and anti-corruption campaign. People have shown support in Internet social media such as Twitter and Facebook. Online Signature Campaigns like avaaz got 6.5lakh signatures in just 36 hours. In addition to spiritual leaders Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Swami Ramdev, Swami Agnivesh and former Indian cricketer Kapil Dev, many celebrities showed their public support through Twitter. Hazare decided that he would not allow any politician to sit with him in this movement. Politicians like Uma Bharti and Om Prakash Chautala were shooed away by the protesters when they came to visit the site where the protest was taking place. On 6 April 2011 Sharad Pawarresigned from the group of ministers formed for reviewing the draft Lokpal bill 2010. 

Anti-corruption protests in Maharashtra

In 1991 Hazare launched the Bhrashtachar Virodhi Jan Aandolan (BVJA) (People's Movement against Corruption), a popular movement to fight against corruption in Ralegaon Siddhi. In the same year he protested against the collusion between 40 forest officials and timber merchants. This protest resulted in the transfer and suspension of these officials.

In May 1997 Hazare protested against alleged malpractices in the purchase of powerlooms by the Vasantrao Naik Bhathya Vimukt Jhtra Governor P. C. Alexander. On 4 November 1997 Gholap filed a defamation suit against Hazare for accusing him of corruption. He was arrested in April 1998 and was released on a personal bond of 5,000 (US$110). On 9 September 1998 Hazare was imprisoned in the Yerawada Jail to serve a three-month sentence mandated by the Mumbai Metropolitan Court. The sentencing came as a huge shock at that time to all social activists. Leaders of all political parties except the BJP and the Shiv Sena came in support of him. Later, due to public protests, the Government of Maharashtra ordered his release from the jail. After release, Hazare wrote a letter to then chief minister Manohar Joshidemanding Gholap's removal for his role in alleged malpractices in the Awami Merchant Bank. Gholap resigned from the cabinet on 27 April 1999.

In 2003 corruption charges were raised by Hazare against four NCP ministers of the Congress-NCP government. He started his fast unto death on 9 August 2003. He ended his fast on 17 August 2003 after then chief minister Sushil Kumar Shinde formed a one-man commission headed by the retired justice P. B. Sawant to probe his charges.^[44] The P. B. Sawant commission report, submitted on 23 February 2005, indicted Sureshdada Jain, Nawab Malik, and Padmasinh Patil. The report exonerated Vijaykumar Gavit. Suresh Jain and Nawab Malik resigned from the cabinet in March 2005.

Three trusts headed by Anna Hazare were also indicted in the P. B. Sawant commission report. 220,000 (US$4,910) spent by the Hind Swaraj Trust for Anna Hazare's birthday celebrations was concluded by the commission as illegal and amounting to a corrupt practice, though Abhay Firodia, an industrialist subsequently donated 248,000 (US$5,530) to the trust for that purpose. The setting apart of 11 acres of its land by the trust in favour of the Zilla Parishad without obtaining permission from the charity commissioner was concluded as a case of maladministration. The commission also concluded that the maintenance of accounts of the Bhrashtachar Virodhi Janandolan Trustafter 10 November 2001 had not been according to the rules and 46,374 (US$1,030) spent by the Sant Yadavbaba Shikshan Prasarak Mandal Trust for renovating a temple was in contravention to its object of imparting secular education.

Started Gram Sabha on Gandhian philosophy

The Gandhian philosophy on rural development considers the Gram Sabha as an important democratic institution for collective decision making in the villages of India. Hazare campaigned between 1998 and 2006 for amending the Gram Sabha Act, so that the villagers have a say in the development works in their village. The state government initially refused, but eventually gave in due to public pressure. As per the amendments, it is mandatory to seek the sanction of the Gram Sabha (an assembly of all village adults, and not just the few elected representatives in the gram panchayat) for expenditures on development works in the village. In case of expenditure without the sanction of the Gram Sabha, 20% of Gram Sabha members can lodge a complaint to the chief executive officer of the zilla parishad (the district-level governing body) with their signatures. The chief executive officer is required to visit the village and conduct an inquiry within 30 days and submit a report to the divisional commissioner, who has the power to remove the sarpanch or deputy sarpanch and dismiss the gram sevak involved. Hazare was not satisfied as the amended Act did not include the right to recall a sarpanch. He insisted that this should be included and the state government relented.

“	Anna is a shining example of creativity and service by an ex-Serviceman.	”
—Field Marshal K.M. Cariappa (in 1991)

In Ralegan Siddhi, Gram Sabha meetings are held periodically to discuss issues relating to the welfare of the village. Projects like watershed development activities are undertaken only after they are discussed in the Gram Sabha. All decisions like Nashabandi (bans on alcohol), Kurhadbandi (bans on tree felling), Charai bandi (bans on grazing), and Shramdanwere taken in the Gram Sabha. Decisions are taken in a simple majority consensus. The decision of the Gram Sabha is accepted as final.

In addition to the panchayat, there are several registered societies that take care of various projects and activities of the village. Each society presents an annual report and statement of accounts in the Gram Sabha. The Sant Yadavbaba Shikshan Prasarak Mandal monitors the educational activities. The Vividh Karyakari Society gives assistance and provides guidance to farmers regarding fertilizers, seeds, organic farming, and financial assistance. The Sri Sant Yadavbaba Doodh Utpadhak Sahakari Sanstha gives guidance regarding the dairy business. Seven co-operative irrigation societies provide water to the farmers from cooperative wells. The Mahila Sarvage Utkarsh Mandal attends to the welfare needs of women.

Collective Marrieges

Most rural poor get into a debt trap as they incur heavy expenses at the time of marriage of their daughter or son. It is an undesirable practice but has almost become a social obligation in India. Ralegan's people have started celebrating marriages collectively. Joint feasts are held, where the expenses are further reduced by the Tarun Mandal taking responsibility for cooking and serving the food. The vessels, the loudspeaker system, the mandap, and the decorations have also been bought by the Tarun Mandal members belonging to the oppressed castes. From 1976 to 1986, 424 marriages have been held under this system

Education

In 1932, Rajshree Siddhi got its first formal school, a single classroom primary school. In 1962, the villagers added more classrooms through community volunteer efforts. By 1971, out of an estimated population of 1,209, only 30.43% were literate (72 women and 290 men). Boys moved to the nearby towns of Shirur and Parner to pursue higher education, but due to socioeconomic conditions, girls could not do the same and were limited to primary education. Hazare, along with the youth of Ralegan Siddhi, worked to increase literacy rates and education levels. In 1976 they started a pre-school and a high school in 1979. The villagers formed a charitable trust, the Sant Yadavbaba Shikshan Prasarak Mandal, which was registered in 1979.

The trust obtained a government grant of 400,000 (US$8,920) for the school building using the National Rural Education Programme. This money funded a new school building that was built over the next two months using volunteer labour. A new hostel was constructed to house 200 students from poorer sections of society. After the opening of the school, a girl from Ralegan Siddhi became the first female in the village to complete her Secondary School Certificate in 1982. Since then the school has been instrumental in bringing in many of changes to the village. Traditional farming practices are taught in this school in addition to the government curriculum.

Anna's Milk Production

As a secondary occupation, milk production was promoted in Ralegan Siddhi. Purchase of new cattle and improvement of the existing breed with the help of artificial insemination and timely guidance and assistance by a veterinarian resulted in an improvement in the cattle stock. Milk production has increased. Crossbreed cows are replacing local ones which gave a lower milk yield. The number of milk cattle has also been growing, which resulted in growth from 100 litres (before 1975) to around 2,500 litres per day. The milk is sent to a co-operative dairy (Malganga Dairy) in Ahmednagar. Some milk is given to Balwadi (kindergarten) children and neighbouring villages under the child nutrition program sponsored by the Zilla Parishad.

From the surplus funds generated, the milk society bought a mini-truck and a thresher. The mini-truck is used to transport milk to Ahmednagar and to take vegetables and other produce directly to the market, thus eliminating intermediate agents. The thresher is rented out to farmers during the harvesting season.

Watershed development programmed

Ralegan is located in the foothills, so Hazare persuaded villagers to construct a watershed embankment to stop water and allow it to percolate and increase the ground water level and improve irrigation in the area. Residents of the village used shaman (voluntary labour) to build canals, small-scale check-dams, and percolation tanks in the nearby hills for watershed development. These efforts solved the problem of water scarcity in the village and made irrigation possible. The first embankment that was built using volunteer efforts developed a leak and had to be reconstructed, this time with government funding.

In order to conserve soil and water by checking runoff, contour trenches and gully plugs were constructed along the hill slopes. Grass, shrubs and about 3 Lakh ( 300,000 ) trees were planted along the hillside and the village. This process was supplemented by afforestation, nullah bunds, underground check dams, and cemented bandharas (small diversion weirs) at strategic locations. Ralegan has also experimented with drip and bi-valve irrigation. Papaya, lemon, and chillies have been planted on a plot of 80 acres (32 ha) entirely irrigated by the drip irrigation system. Cultivation of water-intensive crops like sugar cane was banned. Crops such as pulses, oil-seeds, and certain cash crops with low water requirements were grown. The farmers started growing high-yield varieties of crop and the cropping pattern of the village was changed. Hazare has helped farmers of more than 70 villages in drought-prone regions in the state of Maharashtra since 1975. When Hazare came in Ralegan Siddhi in 1975 only 70 acres (28 ha) of land was irrigated, Hazare converted it into about 2,500 acres (1,000 ha).

The Government of India plans to start a training centre in Ralegan Siddhi to understand and implement Hazare's watershed development model in other villages in the country.

“	It is not the water in the fields that brings true development, rather, it is water in the eyes, or compassion for fellow beings, that brings about real development.	”
—Anna Hazare

Start grain bank

In 1980, the Grain Bank was started by him at the temple, with the objective of providing food security to needful farmers during times of drought or crop failure. Rich farmers, or those with surplus grain production, could donate a quintal to the bank. In times of need, farmers could borrow the grain, but they had to return the same amount of grain they borrowed, plus an additional quintal as an interest. This ensured that nobody in the village ever went hungry or had to borrow money to buy grain. This also prevented distress sales of grain at lower prices at harvest time

Anna Organize Tarun Mandal

Anna Hazare recognized that without addressing the menace of alcoholism, no effective and sustainable reform was possible in the village. He organized the youth of the village into an organization named the Tarun Mandal (Youth Association). Hazare and the youth group decided to take up the issue of alcoholism. At a meeting conducted in the temple, the villagers resolved to close down liquor dens and ban alcohol in the village. Since these resolutions were made in the temple, they became in a sense religious commitments. Over thirty liquor brewing units were closed by their owners voluntarily. Those who did not succumb to social pressure were forced to close down their businesses when the youth group smashed up their liquor dens. The owners could not complain as their businesses were illegal. When some villagers were found to be drunk they were tied to poles/pillars of the temple and flogged, sometimes personally by Hazare. He justified this harsh punishment by stating in an interview to Reader's Digest in 1986 that “rural India was a harsh society”. 

Hazare said, “Doesn’t a mother administer bitter medicines to a sick child when she knows that the medicine can cure her child? The child may not like the medicine, but the mother does it only because she cares for the child. The alcoholics were punished so that their families would not be destroyed.

Hazare appealed to the government of Maharashtra to bring in a law whereby prohibition would come into force in a village if 25% of the women in the village demanded it. In July 2009 the state government issued a government resolution amending the Bombay Prohibition Act, 1949. As per the amendments, if at least 25% of women voters demand liquor prohibition through a written application to the state excise department, voting should be conducted through a secret ballot. If 50% of the voters vote against the sale of liquor, prohibition should be imposed in the village and the sale of liquor should be stopped. Similar action can be taken at the ward level in municipal areas. Another circular was issued making it mandatory to get the sanction of the Gram sabha (the local self government) for issuing new permits for the sale of liquor. In some instances, when women agitated against the sale of liquor, cases were filed against them. Hazare took up the issue again. In August 2009 the government issued another circular that sought withdrawal of cases against women who sought prohibition of liquor in their villages.

It was decided to ban the sale of tobacco, cigarettes, and beedies (a speciality cigarette) in the village. In order to implement this resolution, the youth group performed a unique "Holi" ceremony twenty two years ago. The festival of Holi is celebrated as a symbolic burning of evil. The youth group brought all the tobacco, cigarettes, and beedies from the shops in the village and burnt them in a ‘Holi’ fire. Tobacco, cigarettes, or beedies are no longer sold.

Relation of Ralegan Siddhi

In 1975 after a voluntary retirement from the Indian army, Hazare went to his native village Ralegan Siddhi, a village located in the acute drought-prone and rain-shadow zone of Parner Tehsil of Ahmadnagar district, in central Maharashtra. It was one of the many villages of India plagued by acute poverty, deprivation, a fragile ecosystem, neglect and hopelessness. Hazare made remarkable economic, social and community regeneration in Ralegan Siddhi. He reinforced the normative principles of human development – equity, efficiency, sustainability and people's participation and made Ralegan Siddhi an oasis of human-made regeneration in a human-made desert without any inputs of industrialisation and technology-oriented agriculture

“	The dream of India as a strong nation will not be realized without self-reliant, self-sufficient villages, this can be achieved only through social commitment and involvement of the common man.
—Anna Hazare

Anna's Military Life

In 1962, events in South Asia meant that large-scale army recruitments were being undertaken. Despite not meeting the physical requirements, 25-year-old Hazare was selected, as emergency recruitment was taking place in the Indian Army. After training atAurangabad in Maharashtra he started his career in the Indian Army as a driver in 1963. During the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, Hazare was posted at the border in the Khem Karan sector. On 12 November 1965, Pakistan launched air attacks on Indian bases, and all of Hazare's comrades were killed; he was the only survivor of that convoy. It was a close save for Hazare as one bullet had passed by his head. He was driving a truck. This led him to dwell on the purpose and meaning of life and death. He came across a small booklet titled "Call to the youth for nation building" by Swami Vivekananda in a book stall at the New Delhi railway station. He realized that saints sacrificed their own happiness for that of others, and that he needed to work towards ameliorating the sufferings of the poor. He started to spend his spare time reading the works of Vivekananda, Gandhi, and Vinoba Bhave. During the mid-1970s, he again survived a road accident while driving. It was at that particular moment that Hazare took an oath to dedicate his life to the service of humanity, at the age of 38. In 1975, he left the army as soon as he become eligible for receiving pension.

Early Life

Kisan Hazare was born on 15 June 1937 in Bhaaingar, a small village near the city of Hinganghat, in Bombay Province (present-dayMaharashtra). Kisan's father, Baburao Hazare, worked as an unskilled labourer in Ayurveda Ashram Pharmacy. Kisan's grandfather was working for the army in Bhingar, when he was born. The grandfather died in 1945, but Baburao continued to stay at Bhingar. In 1952, Baburao resigned from his job and returned to his own village, Ralegan Siddhi. Kisan had six younger siblings and the family faced significant hardships. Kisan's childless aunt offered to look after him and his education, and took him to Mumbai. Kisan studied up to the seventh standard in Mumbai and then sought employment, due to the economic situation in his household. He started selling flowers at Dadar to support his family. He soon started his own shop and brought two of his brothers to Bombay. 

Anna Hazare

Anna Hazare was born on 15 January 1940 in  Ahmednagar district of  Maharashtra. He was a driver in Army and a very good reader. He took VRS in 1975 and came back at his village. He was actively involved in society. Anna was also arrested in  1998 by Maharastra goverment. In April 2011 he started campaign for Lokpal Bill movement. The idea of Janlokpal bill came as early1969. it is alwas denied by Government of India for last 42 years. it was interduced so many time in year 1971,1977,1985,1996,1998,2001,2005 and 2008.

Anna Hazare was also supported by  N. Santosh Hegde, a former justice of the Supreme Court , Prashant  Bhushan, a lawyer in the Supreme Court. They drafted a bill give the name jan Lokpal  Bill. Rulling party congress wanted to make a simple Lokpal Bill which has no use for general public but these are the people who think about the public. Lot of socila activist are with them like kiran Bedi, Swami Agnivesh etc. At this  moment  India is burning with corruption fire. Now many celebrities are with them  Siddharth Narayan,Shekhar Kapur,  Anupam Kher, Madhur Bhandarkar, Prakash Raj,Aamir Khan etc. He is on Fast until Death at new Delhi. Anna is very impress with Veer Shivaji. Anna also praise the Modi not for godhra incedent but the work he has done for Gujrat.  Some of the politetion are very against of Anna because of modi praise. In my point of view Anna praise every one else who worked for society.  He also praise for rahul Gandhi for his work. Now a days people expacting Gandhi in Anna Hazare. why people are behind him because he does’t belongs  to any party. Kiran Bedi is also with these civil society meambers. These are the people who gave the new hope to every class people. Our social infrastructure is so much corrupt, there for we are bind to give bribe. Some of the politetions says that we have so much problems in India and these problems can’t be solved by Jan Lokpal Bill. I say that all problem root is corruption. If Jan lokpal Bill came in force our 70 to 80 percent problem will be solved. Now time has come when Total Quality people are required in our society and they are linked with each others.

Awards
Padmashri in 1990.
Padmabhushan award in 1992.
Krishi Bhushana award by the Government of Maharashtra in 2008