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| Anna Hazare - The Social Worker |
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Anna Hazare was born in a poor family. His father Baburao Hazare
was an unskilled labourer and his grandfather worked for the army. His grandfather
was deployed in Bhingar which made Baburao and family to move to Bhingar, where
Anna was born. Anna'a grandfather died in 1945 but the family continued to stay
in Bhingar until 1952 when Anna's father resigned from his job and returned to Ralegan
Siddhi. Anna had completed his education up to fourth standard and also had six
younger siblings. The family's financial situation was tough. Baburao's sister,
who was childless offered to take care of Anna and took him to Mumbai . Anna's father
had trouble making ends meet and eventually had to sell off his farmland making
life tough for the family. This forced Anna who was in Mumbai and just completed
his seventh grade in school to take up a job. Anna worked for a florist at Dadar,
Mumbai earning about forty rupees a month. He eventually started his own flower
shop. Two of his brothers came to Mumbai to join him in his business, increasing
the family earnings soon to about 700-800 rupees a month.
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In a couple of years Anna fell into bad company and started
wasting his time and money on vices. He also started getting involved in brawls
and fights, especially when he found some simple person being harassed by goons.
He became irregular in sending money to his family. The word went around in Ralegan
that he had become a bad character himself. In one such fight, Anna bashed up a
person rather badly. Fearing arrest, he avoided coming to his regular work and residence
for some time. During this period April 1960 he appeared in Army recruitment
interviews and was selected to join the Indian Army . For his initial training, he
was sent to Aurangabad. After training, he was posted in Punjab as a truck driver.
Being far away from home and separated from all his friends, Anna felt lonely. He
also had bouts of depression and a feeling of aimlessness in life. He had once resolved
to end his life and even wrote a suicide note.
However, on further reflection, he
realised that his suicide may affect the marriage prospects of his younger sister.
Therefore, he decided to postpone the implementation of his resolution until his
sister got married. In the meantime, some events gave his life a new direction.
During the Indo-Pak war of 1965 , he was driving a military vehicle somewhere on
the western front when he saw a Pakistani plane flying low overhead. He and his
colleagues jumped out of the vehicle and took shelter in the nearby bushes, lying
flat on the ground. The truck was blown up and all his colleagues were killed, but
Anna escaped unhurt. In yet another incident, Anna had a near escape when he was
posted in Nagaland. One night, underground Nagas attacked the military post and
killed all the inmates. Anna had gone out to answer nature's call at that time and,
hence, he was the lone survivor. These two events had a deep impact on Anna's mind.
He realised that his life was not to be wasted and he came to believe that God considered
his life to be precious. Otherwise, he thought, he could have had died along with
his colleagues in either of these incidents.
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He wanted his native village, Ralegan Siddhi ,
to improve, but did not know how and where to start. He used to come to his village
on vacation and spend endless days sitting on the rocks at the outskirts of the
village. Having spent most of his life in Mumbai and in the Army, he did not have
many friends in the village. Moreover, the people of Ralegan who had known him as
an angry young man from the days when he used to sell flowers outside Dadar station,
were unaware of the transformation that had taken place in the personality of Anna
Hazare. In 1971, Anna was transferred to Mumbai. From Mumbai he started visiting
the village regularly. From 1971 to 1974 his interaction with the village people
increased. He also spent about Rs. 3000 for giving a face lift to the Padmavati
temple with a coat of oil paint. He also developed good relations with the village
youth. In 1974, he was transferred to Jammu. In 1975, he completed fifteen years
of service in Army, a statutory requirement for being entitled to a pension. He
sought retirement and, finally, in August 1975 , he got relieved from the Army and
came back to Ralegan Siddhi for good.
Anna utilized individual centred Gandhian
methods for bringing about moral pressure on the people. When the high school was
started in Ralegan Siddhi, and the state government was not ready to sanction grant
to the school, Anna quietly started his fast outside the Zilla Parishad's office.
When the village people came to know of it they also joined him in hundreds. The
state government had to yield to their demand. In another instance, when a couple
of families continued to leave their cattle free for grazing in spite of explaining
to them the importance of stopping open grazing and of taking up massive tree plantation
programme, Anna and some youth members went on fast for two days to make the people
understand the seriousness of the ban on open grazing.
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Ralegan Siddhi was one of the worst victims,
hopeless social and economic situation and irresponsible village leadership before
1975 when Kisan Baburao Hazare , affectionately know as Anna Hazare served in Indian
army, until he retired voluntarily in 1975. His close brush with death in the 1965
war changed the course of his life. He decided to dedicate himself to work for the
welfare of others and returned to work for the betterment of his own village, starting
with the re-building of the temple. Anna Hazare believes that religion has a strong
influence on people. He says: God is everywhere but a child is first introduced
to him in the temple. It is here that he receives education on the important values
and morals of life. In a broader sense, the village itself is a temple where people
serve and pray and learn the meaning of life.
The dilapidate condition of the
temple in Ralegan Siddhi, from where wood had been used to fuel the liquor dens,
symbolized to Anna the condition of the village . Since the temple represents the
cultural heart of a community, Anna felt that renovation of the temple would be
the best way to demonstrate his unselfish motives and created an interest in his
activities. With his provident fund of Rs.20, 000+/-, Anna began the Renovation.
Inspired by his selfless devotion, first the youth, then the rest of villagers slowly
began to rally around him. Villagers, especially the youth group began gathering
here everyday to discuss their problems and matters related to the welfare of village.
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In year 1932 Ralegan Siddhi got its first
formal school, a single class room primary school. In the year 1962 , the villagers
via community volunteer effort added more classrooms. By the year 1971 out of estimated
population of 1209 only 30.43% were literate.72 women and 290 men). Boys moved
to nearby towns of Shirur and Parner to pursue higher education. But due to socio-economic
conditions girls couldn't do the same and were limited to primary education. Anna
Hazare along with the youth of Ralegan siddhi worked to increase literacy rates
and education levels. In year 1976 they started pre school to the primary school
and a high school in 1979. The villagers started taking active interest in the village
school and formed Sant Yadav Baba Shikshan Prasarak Mandal(trust) which was registered
in 1979. The trust decide to take over the function of the village school which
was in bad state due to government neglect and also lack of interest on behalf of
teachers who were moonlighting. The trust got a government grant to the amount of
4 lakhs was got for the school building using NREP. A new school building was built
in next 2 months with volunteer efforts and the money got via grant. A new hostel
was also constructed to house 200 students from weaker sections of the society.
After opening of the school in the village, a girl student from Ralegan Siddhi completed
her S.S.C in 1982 for the first time. Since then the school has been instrumental
in bringing in lots of changes to the village.
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The Gram sabha is an important forum for collective decision making in the villages.
If villagers are involved in planning and decision making process, they are more
open to any changes taking place in the village. In Ralegan Siddhi, the Gram Sabha
meetings are held periodically to discuss issues relating to the welfare of village.
Projects like Watershed development activities are undertaken only after they are
discussed in the Gram Sabha. All decision like Nasbandi, Nasabandi, Kurhadbandi,
Charai bandi, Shramdan were taken in the Gram Sabha. Decisions are taken in a simple
majority consensus. In case of difference of opinion the majority consensus becomes
acceptable. The decision of the Gram Sabha is accepted as final. In addition to
panchayat, there are 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
welfare needs of the women.
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Today Anna has almost acquired the stature of a saint. He donated his land for the
hostel building. He gives his pension money to the village fund. A confirmed bachelor,
he lives in the village temple with a bare minimum of personal belongings. He eats
simple food normally cooked for the hostel boys. Both his parents and brothers stay
in the village but they are no different from him than any other family in the village.
This moral authority growing out of his selfless life has made him an unquestioned
leader of the village. Anna's moral code of conduct is also quite strict. Anna believes
that punishment is an essential component of the process to bring about conformity
to social morality. When a child stole a fruit from a tree on the common lands,
he was tied to a pole and the fruits were kept before him to teach him a moral lesson.
The fruit bearing trees are not protected by any watchman. Not a single fruit is
stolen and ripe fruits are distributed to balwadi children and the school children.
Public beating was used not to create terror but to bring public shame on the defaulter
so that he/she exercises more self-control. People are proud of Ralegan's achievements
and they have a share and a stake in its glory. Therefore they would not do anything
which will hurt Anna or bring a bad name to the village.
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In order to foster a sense of unity in the village, the Ralegan Siddhi family celebrate
a village annual birthday on 2 October of every year. On that day:
1.The eldest male villager is honoured as father of the village.
2.The eldest female villager is honoured as the mother of the village.
3.New clothes are stitched for every infant born in
the village during the past year, irrespective of the child's caste or religion.
4.New brides who have come to the village during the past year are welcomed with the
traditional offering of coconut, as they are the daughters-in-law of the village.
5.Students who have been successful in education are honoured.
6. Youth from the village
who have achieved something special are honoured.
7.All villagers gather in the evening
during this occasion and have dinner together to celebrate the event.
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