The day when Anna Hazare started his second freedom struggle in India on April 5, 2011, not many of us were aware about him and his motive behind his fast. Within the small span of five day this Gandhi follower became the role model of 121 Crores Indians and put Government of India on back foot to accept the Janlokpal in its maiden format to change their old teeth less puppet Lokpal.
A revolution Ahead
The war that Anna Hazare started to fight with the government authorities was meant to wage a war against corruption in India. The fast until death was started at Jantar Mantar to force the government to form a joint committee with equal numbers of representatives of the Government and the civil society. The bill was supposed to be the most stringent weapon against the profound corruption in every segment of society. Son of an unskilled laborer Baburao Hazare and Laxmi Bai Hazare, Anna Hazare left his education when he was in class 5th due to the poverty.
Trendsetter at Home
A great admirer of Swami Vivekananda, Anna Hazare worked as a driver in the Indian Army and during this tenure he was posted to several states like Sikkim, Bhutan, Jammu-Kashmir, Assam, and Mizoram. After Indo-Pak war he left the army job and returned to his ancestral village Ralegaon Siddhi where emerging social problems were on the peak with mere 400 to 500 mm of annual rainfall and weirs to retain rainwater. Anna took inspiration from a rain water harvesting program and implemented it in Ralegaon Siddhi and in no time it became the first role model from the worst village to an ideal village.
Contributions That Count
Anna did a lot for the civil society and became the symbol of revolutionary changes in the Indian political and civil system at every level. Let’s enlist some of his hand outs to the society.
• In 1991 he came forward with Bhrashtachar Virodhi Jan Aandolan (BVJA) or public movement against corruption
• To oppose the infused corruption in the system Anna returned the Padmashree Award to Vriksha Mitra Award to the Government of India.
• Hazare raised issues of massive land purchase by a Shivsena’ s leader in September 1996
• In 1997 Anna invited the masses in Azad Maidan in Mumbai to create awareness about RTI amongst the youth.
• In 2003 Anna Hazare raised corruption charges against some ministers and MPs Congress-NCP government and on 23 February 2005, Suresh Jain, Nawab Malik and Padmasinh Patil. Suresh Jain and Nawab Malik resigned from the cabinet.
History has a lot to say for Anna Hazare. His current agitation at Jantar Mantar has shown his popularity and credibility in the masses whether Children, Youngsters, Women and men. The support he got from the masses in his agitations and movements, reminds us the legendary leadership of none other than Mahatma Gandhi.
A number of awards and recognitions that he achieved endorse incredible thought process of this larger than life personality.
1. Indira Priyadarshini Vrikshamitra award by the Government of India
2. Krishi Bhushana award by the Government of Maharashtra.
3. Padmashri award, by the Government of India
4. Padmabhushan award, by the Government of India
5. World Bank's 2008 Jit Gill Memorial Award for Outstanding Public Service
A revolution Ahead
The war that Anna Hazare started to fight with the government authorities was meant to wage a war against corruption in India. The fast until death was started at Jantar Mantar to force the government to form a joint committee with equal numbers of representatives of the Government and the civil society. The bill was supposed to be the most stringent weapon against the profound corruption in every segment of society. Son of an unskilled laborer Baburao Hazare and Laxmi Bai Hazare, Anna Hazare left his education when he was in class 5th due to the poverty.
Trendsetter at Home
A great admirer of Swami Vivekananda, Anna Hazare worked as a driver in the Indian Army and during this tenure he was posted to several states like Sikkim, Bhutan, Jammu-Kashmir, Assam, and Mizoram. After Indo-Pak war he left the army job and returned to his ancestral village Ralegaon Siddhi where emerging social problems were on the peak with mere 400 to 500 mm of annual rainfall and weirs to retain rainwater. Anna took inspiration from a rain water harvesting program and implemented it in Ralegaon Siddhi and in no time it became the first role model from the worst village to an ideal village.
Contributions That Count
Anna did a lot for the civil society and became the symbol of revolutionary changes in the Indian political and civil system at every level. Let’s enlist some of his hand outs to the society.
• In 1991 he came forward with Bhrashtachar Virodhi Jan Aandolan (BVJA) or public movement against corruption
• To oppose the infused corruption in the system Anna returned the Padmashree Award to Vriksha Mitra Award to the Government of India.
• Hazare raised issues of massive land purchase by a Shivsena’ s leader in September 1996
• In 1997 Anna invited the masses in Azad Maidan in Mumbai to create awareness about RTI amongst the youth.
• In 2003 Anna Hazare raised corruption charges against some ministers and MPs Congress-NCP government and on 23 February 2005, Suresh Jain, Nawab Malik and Padmasinh Patil. Suresh Jain and Nawab Malik resigned from the cabinet.
History has a lot to say for Anna Hazare. His current agitation at Jantar Mantar has shown his popularity and credibility in the masses whether Children, Youngsters, Women and men. The support he got from the masses in his agitations and movements, reminds us the legendary leadership of none other than Mahatma Gandhi.
A number of awards and recognitions that he achieved endorse incredible thought process of this larger than life personality.
1. Indira Priyadarshini Vrikshamitra award by the Government of India
2. Krishi Bhushana award by the Government of Maharashtra.
3. Padmashri award, by the Government of India
4. Padmabhushan award, by the Government of India
5. World Bank's 2008 Jit Gill Memorial Award for Outstanding Public Service