Anna Hazare – the Man of the Times …
The Year 2011 seems to be the Year of the People. It saw the Arab World in turmoil courtesy the dissatisfied ordinary citizen. Among others there was Egypt whose people ousted Hosni Mumbarak and ended his thirty year rule.
In India it seems that the Time of Anna Hazare, who epitomizes RK Laxman’s humble citizen, has arrived. He seems even more relevant than Gandhi!
The guy was a truck driver in the Army and so is in sharp contrast to recent Army Chiefs who have been arraigned for moral turpitude amounting to corruption!
The current crises which put him on the National Stage is the fact that the Indian Anti Corruption Bill has been hanging fire since 1969 when the Rajya Sabha rejected it. Now on 5 April, Anna Hazare initiated a movement for passing a stronger anti-corruption bill. When his demand was summarily rejected by the Prime Minister, he began his fast.
This attracted attention very quickly and soon became a National Phenomenon cutting across all barriers – courtesy the media , the internet and the youth. Thousands, including the rich and famous, joined the protest and over a hundred joined in the fast.
On April 8. the Government relented because of the popular mood and agreed to his demand. So, who is this Anna Hazare?
He is essentially of the Gandhian mould having faith a plenty in the human race. Apart from the Padmabhushan and Padmashri Awards, he was bestowed the World Bank 2008 Award for Outstanding Public Service. The citation reads -
“Hazare created a thriving model village in Ralegan Siddhi, which lies in the impoverished region of Maharashtra. He also championed the Right to Information and the Fight Against Corruption”.
According to Anna Hazare, “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.”
This briefly then is Anna’s story.
In 1940, Anna was born into the family of an impoverished unskilled daily wage labourer who fought a losing battle trying to retain his meager land holding. By nature socially aware, he was involved in brawls with antisocial elements. He subsequently became a truck driver in the Indian Army.and during the Indo-Pakistan War of 1965, he was the sole survivor in an exchange of fire.
He has been inspired and has become a social activist courtesy the writings of Vivekananda,Gandhi and Vinoba Bhave.
He began improvements in his village by addressing himself to improving agriculture by water harvesting and preventing soil erosion. Contour trenches and gully plugs were constructed along the hill slopes. Grass, shrubs and 3 lakh trees were planted along the hillside. There was afforestation, nullah bunds, underground check dams and cemented bandhs at strategic locations.
The Watershed Development programme became a huge success and helped increase the fortunes of farmers as they now had a reliable source of water. Ralegan has also experimented with drip and bi-valve irrigation in a big way. Papaya, lemon and chillies have been planted on a plot of 80 acres entirely irrigated by the drip irrigation system. Cultivation of water-intensive crops like sugar cane was banned. Crops such as pulses, oilseeds 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. He has helped farmers of more than 70 villages in the drought-prone regions of Maharashtra.
He also addressed dairy improvement and brought in better pedigrees to raise dairy prospects. Today around 2500 litres per day is sent to a co-operative dairy in Ahmednagar.
Side by side he fought against alcoholism, which was banned and he helped change the marriage celebrations thereby vastly reducing expenditure on that account.
Due to his efforts in July 2009, the state government issued a government resolution amending the Bombay Prohibition Act. 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.
Along with the removal of alcohol from the village, it was decided to ban the sale of tobacco, cigarettes and beedies. In order to implement this resolution, the youth group performed a Holi and burnt the tobacco items. There is not a single shop in Ralegaon Siddhi selling cigarettes or bidis.
He also worked to increase literacy rates and education levels. In 1976 they started a pre school for the primary school and a high school in 1979. The villagers formed a Trust to take over the function of the village school which was in a bad state due to government neglect and teachers who were moonlighting.
The trust obtained a government grant of 4 lakhs and a new school building was built in two months with volunteer effort and money obtained via the grant. A new hostel was constructed to house 200 students from poorer sections of society. A girl became the first female in the village to complete her SSC in 1982. Since then the school has a hostel for 150 boarders.
The social barriers that existed due to the caste system have been broken down by the villagers and people of all castes celebrate events together. The dalits have been integrated into the social and economic life and Houses for Harijans and Dalits have been built and they are helped to repay their loans to free them from their indebtedness.
Contrast this with the National Reservation Policy and the desire of the whole of India to be declared ‘scheduled caste/tribe’ so that the privileges and perks are a birth right!
The rural poor get into a debt trap due to the heavy marriage expense, which is a social obligation. Hazare helped start collective marriage celebrations wherein there is one feast cooked and served by a Tarun Mandal.
Anna campaigned between 1998 and 2006 for amending the Gram Sabha Act, so that the people (meaning the the villagers) have a say in the development works in their village. When the state government refused to bend to his demand, it had to give in due to public pressure.
Projects and development activities are undertaken only after they are discussed in the Gram Sabha. All decisions like Nasbandi, Nasabandi(bans on alcohol), Kurhadbandi (bans on tree felling), Charai bandi(bans on grazing), and Shramdan were taken in the Gram Sabha.
There are also several registered societies that take care of various projects and activities of the village. Each society presents its annual report and statement of accounts in the Gram Sabha every year.
The Sant Yadavbaba Shikshan Prasarak Mandali monitors the educational activities. The Vivid karyakari society gives assistance and provides guidance to farmers regarding fertilizers, seeds, organic farming, financial assistance, etc. Sri Sant Yadavbaba Doodh Utpadhak Sahakari sansta gives guidance regarding the dairy business. Seven Co-operative irrigation society provides water to the farmers from cooperative wells. Mahila Sarvage Utkarsh Mandal attends the welfare needs of the women.
Right to Information
In the early 2000s, Anna Hazare led a movement in Maharashtra, which forced the Government to repeal the earlier weak act and pass a stronger Maharashtra Right to Information Act. This Act was later considered as the base document for the Right to Information Act, enacted by Government.
Fight Against Corruption
Hazare protested against the alleged malpractices in the purchase of powerlooms by the Social Welfare minister of the Shiv Sena and his wife. He forwarded documentary evidences to the Maharashtra Governor The Minister filed a defamation suit against Hazare who was awarded three months imprisonment. The ensuing public protests ensured his release.
In 2003, corruption charges were raised by Hazare against four ministers of the Congress-NCP. A One Man Commission held three of them guilty and they resigned.
Hazare’s Favourite Observaions
Ban on consumption and sale of alcohol lays the foundation of rural development.
It is impossible to change the village without transforming the individual. Similarly it is impossible to transform the country without changing its villages.
The work of social transformation is neither easy nor impossible.
Indulgence causes disease whereas sacrifice leads to accomplishment.
It is experience that gives the direction but it is youth that gives the drive to every plan.
[...] and has become a social activist courtesy the writings of Vivekananda,Gandhi and Vinoba Bhave. READ MORE… Like this:LikeBe the first to like this [...]
Anna Hazare – the Man of the Times « e-PaperView
August 19, 2011