New Delhi, June 14: Born on June 15, 1937, in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra, farmer Baburao Hazare is widely known as Anna Hazare. He is a social activist who has successfully led numerous social reforms.
His movements have played a crucial role in rural development, enhancing transparency in government operations, and closely monitoring corruption and related activities. One of his most notable contributions was the push for the ‘Jan Lokpal Bill.’ This bill proposed the appointment of an ombudsman to investigate corruption cases in India and aimed to establish anti-corruption laws.
Anna Hazare initiated the ‘Anti-Corruption People’s Movement’ in 1991. He believed that government secrecy was the root cause of corruption.
He launched a historic struggle for the Right to Information in Maharashtra. His hunger strike in July 2003 forced the government to yield, laying the groundwork for the national ‘Right to Information Act, 2005.’ During this fight, Anna Hazare even spent time in Yerwada Jail.
On April 5, 2011, this elder began a hunger strike at Jantar Mantar for the ‘Jan Lokpal Bill.’ When the government arrested him and sent him to Tihar Jail, the streets of the nation filled with people wearing ‘I am Anna’ caps and waving tricolors.
His 13-day fast at Ram Lila Maidan compelled the Parliament to pass a ‘Sense of the House’ resolution, leading to the implementation of the ‘Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act’ on January 1, 2014.
While his associates chose to enter electoral politics after the movement, Anna Hazare remained steadfast in his ideological purity. He has consistently distanced himself from party politics. Whether standing up for farmers against the Land Acquisition Bill in 2015 or sharply criticizing his former team’s policy deviations regarding Delhi’s excise policy, Anna Hazare has demonstrated that moral values always take precedence over power for him.
Today, the Padma Bhushan and globally recognized Anna Hazare leads a simple life in a small room adjacent to the Sant Yadav Baba temple in his ancestral village, Ralegan Siddhi, in Ahmednagar district.
Leave a Comment