Kisan Baburao Hazare (born 15 June 1937), popularly known as Anna Hazare is an Indian social activist and a prominent leader in the 2011 Indian anti-corruption movement, using nonviolent methods following the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi. Hazare also contributed to the
development and structuring of Ralegan Siddhi, a village in Parner taluka of Ahmednagar district, Maharashtra, India. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan—the third- highest civilian award—by the Government of India in 1992 for his efforts in establishing this village as a model for others. Anna Hazare started an indefinite hunger strike on 5 April 2011 to exert pressure on the Indian government to
enact a stringent anti-corruption law
as envisaged in the Jan Lokpal Bill, for the institution of an ombudsman with the power to deal with corruption in
public places. The fast led to nation-
wide protests in support of Hazare.
The fast ended on 9 April 2011, a day
after the government accepted
Hazare's demands. The government issued a gazette notification on the
formation of a joint committee,
consisting of government and civil
society representatives, to draft the legislation. Anna has been ranked as the most
influential person in Mumbai by a national daily newspaper.He has faced criticism for his authoritarian
views on justice, including death as
punishment for corrupt public officials
and his alleged support for forced vasectomies as a method of family planning.
Early Life:
Kisan Hazare was born on 15 June 1937 (some sources say 1940) in Bhingar, near to Ahmednagar. The eldest son, with two sisters and four brothers, the
later adoption of the name Anna
reflects the Marathi word for "elder
brother". His father worked in a
pharmacy and struggled to support
the family financially. In time, the family moved to their ancestral village
of Ralegan Siddhi, where they owned
a small amount of agricultural land. A
relative took on the burden of
providing Kisan with an education,
taking him to Mumbai because the village had no primary school. The
relative became unable financially to
continue the support and Kisan's
schooling ended in the Standard
Seventh grade; his siblings were not schooled at all.He started selling flowers at the Dadar railway station in Mumbai and was able eventually to own two flower shops in the city.He also became involved in vigilantism,
joining groups who acted to prevent
the poor from being bullied out of
their shelters by thugs in the employ of landlords.The Indo-China War of 1962 caused
the Indian Army to commence emergency recruitment measures.
Hazare was recruited in April 1963,
despite not meeting the physical
requirements, and was attested as a
soldier on 16 November of that year
after undertaking training at Aurangabad.During the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, Hazare was posted at the border in the Khem Karan sector. He was the sole survivor of an enemy
attack - variously claimed to have
been a bomb, an aerial assault and an
exchange of fire at the border - while he was driving a truck.The experiences of this time, coupled with
the poverty from which he had come,
affected him. He had considered
suicide at one point but now turned to
pondering the meaning of life and death.He has said of the truck attack that "[It] sent me thinking. I felt
that God wanted me to stay alive for
some reason. I was re-born in the
battlefield of Khem Karan. And I
decided to dedicate my new life to serving people."During the mid-1970s, Hazare
survived a road accident while driving
for the army. He interpreted his
survival as a further sign that his life
was intended to be dedicated to the service of the community.Despite subsequent allegations that he had
deserted from the army, official
records show that he was honourably
discharged in 1975 after completing his 12 years of service.
development and structuring of Ralegan Siddhi, a village in Parner taluka of Ahmednagar district, Maharashtra, India. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan—the third- highest civilian award—by the Government of India in 1992 for his efforts in establishing this village as a model for others. Anna Hazare started an indefinite hunger strike on 5 April 2011 to exert pressure on the Indian government to
enact a stringent anti-corruption law
as envisaged in the Jan Lokpal Bill, for the institution of an ombudsman with the power to deal with corruption in
public places. The fast led to nation-
wide protests in support of Hazare.
The fast ended on 9 April 2011, a day
after the government accepted
Hazare's demands. The government issued a gazette notification on the
formation of a joint committee,
consisting of government and civil
society representatives, to draft the legislation. Anna has been ranked as the most
influential person in Mumbai by a national daily newspaper.He has faced criticism for his authoritarian
views on justice, including death as
punishment for corrupt public officials
and his alleged support for forced vasectomies as a method of family planning.
Early Life:
Kisan Hazare was born on 15 June 1937 (some sources say 1940) in Bhingar, near to Ahmednagar. The eldest son, with two sisters and four brothers, the
later adoption of the name Anna
reflects the Marathi word for "elder
brother". His father worked in a
pharmacy and struggled to support
the family financially. In time, the family moved to their ancestral village
of Ralegan Siddhi, where they owned
a small amount of agricultural land. A
relative took on the burden of
providing Kisan with an education,
taking him to Mumbai because the village had no primary school. The
relative became unable financially to
continue the support and Kisan's
schooling ended in the Standard
Seventh grade; his siblings were not schooled at all.He started selling flowers at the Dadar railway station in Mumbai and was able eventually to own two flower shops in the city.He also became involved in vigilantism,
joining groups who acted to prevent
the poor from being bullied out of
their shelters by thugs in the employ of landlords.The Indo-China War of 1962 caused
the Indian Army to commence emergency recruitment measures.
Hazare was recruited in April 1963,
despite not meeting the physical
requirements, and was attested as a
soldier on 16 November of that year
after undertaking training at Aurangabad.During the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, Hazare was posted at the border in the Khem Karan sector. He was the sole survivor of an enemy
attack - variously claimed to have
been a bomb, an aerial assault and an
exchange of fire at the border - while he was driving a truck.The experiences of this time, coupled with
the poverty from which he had come,
affected him. He had considered
suicide at one point but now turned to
pondering the meaning of life and death.He has said of the truck attack that "[It] sent me thinking. I felt
that God wanted me to stay alive for
some reason. I was re-born in the
battlefield of Khem Karan. And I
decided to dedicate my new life to serving people."During the mid-1970s, Hazare
survived a road accident while driving
for the army. He interpreted his
survival as a further sign that his life
was intended to be dedicated to the service of the community.Despite subsequent allegations that he had
deserted from the army, official
records show that he was honourably
discharged in 1975 after completing his 12 years of service.
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