Gandhian

This frail 72-year-old, dressed in white and with a Gandhi cap, has become an icon for India's middle classes, now expressing their anger against a series of corruption scandals. He had undertaken a "fast unto death" to demand stringent anti-corruption laws and in particular a law to create an ombudsman to deal with allegations.

Born Kisan Bapat Baburao Hazare, he is well-known as a social activist in his home state of Maharashtra, where he turned his village of Ralegan Siddhi into an environmental prototype.Mr Hazare managed to motivate the villagers to build dams and percolation tanks, to conserve water and to plant thousands of trees. In less than a decade, Ralegan Siddhi had become a sustainable community so successful the state government officially adopted the Ralegan Siddhi model and replicated it in villages across Maharashtra.

It is this work that brought him national and international recognition by way of awards and gave him the credibility to pursue his campaign against corruption. The scandals prompted Indian social activist Anna Hazare to go on a four-day-long hunger strike to push for stringent new anti-corruption laws.There were demonstrations across India in support of his call and the government eventally agreed to his demands.

BBC News



India's economic growth has been phenomenal, but  corruption has  set pace with the economy. The recent scandals like Commonwealth games, 2G scandal just to name a couple are so big,  they are almost in the Bofors  territory. At one time  humility and kindness were sought after qualities, now its arrogance and greed. That is why we need more Harazes in India today.


Prabhakar