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Anna Hazare: modern day Gandhi incarnate
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Visits
398
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Visits
398
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Visits
398
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August 26, 2011
Kisan Baburao Hazare, popularly known as Anna Hazare, was born on June 15, 1937. He is an Indian social activist who is recognized for his participation 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 a hunger strike on 5 April 2011 to exert pressure on the government to enact a strict 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 offices. The fast led to nation-wide protests in support of Hazare. The fast ended on 9 April 2011, the day after the government accepted Hazare's demands. The government issued a gazette notification on the formation of a joint committee, constituted of government and civil society representatives, to draft the legislation.
From constantly creating news events for live TV and relaying Anna's message through Twitter and Facebook, Team Anna has set the news agenda, with the government trying desperately to catch up. Kisan Baburao Hazare or Anna Hazare, the 74-year-old anti-corruption crusader, has become a media phenomenon. A highly successful media campaign on social networking sites has built the image of the 21st century Gandhi for the media age.
When TV cameras could not reach him in jail, Team Anna released a YouTube video, showing just how well Team Anna had learnt to manage 24x7 media's thirst for constant information.
Anna's campaign has been among the top ten trending topics in India over the past few days. At one point, three crore people rang up and left missed calls. The "India against Corruption" page on Facebook clocked with more than three lakh supporters. Their website presents Anna's stand versus the government in simple terms.
As the UPA struggles with a communication deficit, Team Anna is on TV, on the net, on the mobile phone, on T-shirts and in blanket coverage in newspapers. No wonder that today Anna Hazare is the Mahatma of mass media.
After the success of 74 old Indian civil rights activists, in Pakistan, the anti-corruption sentiments are also awakening. According to reports, Pakistani rights activist Ansar Burney also intended to launch a campaign against corruption and terrorism in the country after Eid-ul-Fitr, mirroring an anti-graft drive by Anna Hazare in India that has gained thousands of followers.
He said that his campaign will "expose the corrupt, whether they are in politics, our bureaucracy, education institutions, law-enforcement agencies, businesses, charities, sports or even the judiciary”. He alleged that politicians had "joined hands and completely plundered this country to the brink of destruction".
Although, Pakistan and India are facing almost the same problems of terrorism and rising inflation, there is a basic difference in the political and judicial arena of both the countries.
In India, courts authoritatively summon politicians, army chiefs and any influential person no matter in what cases they are wanted by the courts. But unfortunately, in Pakistan, our judiciary's verdicts are disobeyed and thrown in the dustbins.
Our institutions have failed badly. Only civil society can save this country from corruption, injustices, lawlessness, poverty, unemployment and internal and external threats. We see the dual standards of our political leadership. In the name of national reconciliation, political parties of opposite ideologies are making alliances with the government for their vested interests. On the other hand, there is no zero tolerance approach of opposition parties like PML (N); recently, its lawmaker Anjum Aqeel Khan was arrested in connection with a land scam of National Police Foundation, but since he is one of the financers of the party, therefore, the PML (N) leadership refrained from taking any rigid and strict disciplinary action against him.
Imran Khan, on the other hand, is also criticizing the government on various issues, but he has also failed to impress the nation on the issue of his anti-corruption campaign. In such a situation, if Ansar Burney expressed the resolve to initiate an anti-corruption drive on Anna’s pattern, it will not be an easy task for him. But if he succeeded to motivate the civil society, particularly the youth, it certainly would be a noble service to the nation.
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