78 Facts About Anna Hazare

Kisan Baburao "Anna" Hazare is an Indian social activist who led movements to promote rural development, increase government transparency, and investigate and punish corruption in public life.

Anna Hazare contributed to the development and structuring of Ralegan Siddhi, a village in Parner taluka of Ahmednagar district, Maharashtra, India.

Anna Hazare started a hunger strike on 5 April 2011 to exert pressure on the Indian government to enact a stringent anti-corruption law, The Lokpal Bill, 2011 as envisaged in the Jan Lokpal Bill, for the institution of an ombudsman with the power to deal with corruption in public places.

Also in 2011, Anna Hazare was ranked as the most influential person in Mumbai by a national daily newspaper.

Anna Hazare 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.

Kisan Baburao Anna Hazare was born on 15 June 1937 in Bhingar, near Ahmednagar.

Anna Hazare was the eldest son of Baburao Hazare and Laxmi Bai.

Anna Hazare later adopted the name Anna, which in Marathi means "elder person" or "father".

Anna Hazare's father worked as an unskilled labourer in Ayurveda Ashram Pharmacy and struggled to support the family financially.

Anna Hazare started selling flowers at the Dadar railway station in Mumbai and eventually managed to own two flower shops in the city.

Anna Hazare became involved in vigilantism, joining groups who acted to prevent landlords' thugs from intimidating the poor out of their shelter.

Anna Hazare was drafted into the Indian Army in April 1960, where he initially worked as an army truck driver and was later attested as a soldier.

Anna Hazare considered suicide at one point but instead turned to pondering the meaning of life and death.

Anna Hazare spent his spare time reading the works of Swami Vivekananda, Gandhi, and Vinoba Bhave.

Anna Hazare interpreted his survival as a further sign that his life was intended to be dedicated to service.

Anna Hazare had another escape in Nagaland, where one night, underground Naga rebels attacked his post and killed all the inmates.

Anna Hazare had a miraculous escape as he had gone out to return nature's call and hence turned out to be the lone survivor.

Anna Hazare was relatively wealthy because of the gratuity from his army service.

Anna Hazare set about using that money to restore a run-down, vandalised village temple as a focal point for the community.

Anna Hazare justified this punishment by stating that "rural India was a harsh society", and that.

In 1980, Anna Hazare started the Grain Bank at the temple, with the objective of providing food security to needy farmers during times of drought or crop failure.

Ralegan Siddhi is located in the foothills, so Anna Hazare persuaded villagers to construct a watershed embankment and associated works to stop water and allow it to percolate and increase the ground water level and improve irrigation in the area.

Anna Hazare has helped farmers of more than 70 villages in drought-prone regions in the state of Maharashtra since 1975.

Anna Hazare campaigned between 1998 and 2006 for amending the Gram Sabha Act, so that villagers have a say in the village's development.

In 1991 Anna Hazare launched the Bhrashtachar Virodhi Jan Andolan, a popular movement to fight against corruption in Ralegaon Siddhi.

In May 1997 Hazare protested alleged malpractice in the purchase of powerlooms by the Vasantrao Naik Bhathya Vimukt Jhtra Governor P C Alexander.

On 4 November 1997 Gholap filed a defamation suit against Anna Hazare for accusing him of corruption.

Anna Hazare was arrested in April 1998 and was released on a personal bond of 5,000.

On 9 September 1998 Anna Hazare was imprisoned in the Yerawada Jail to serve a three-month sentence mandated by the Mumbai Metropolitan Court.

Anna Hazare wrote a letter to then chief minister Manohar Joshi demanding Gholap's removal for his role in alleged malpractices in the Awami Merchant Bank.

Anna Hazare started his fast unto death on 9 August 2003.

Anna Hazare ended his fast on 17 August 2003 after then chief minister Sushil Kumar Shinde formed a one-man commission headed by the retired justice P B Sawant to probe his charges.

Three trusts headed by Anna Hazare were indicted in the P B Sawant commission report.

Anna Hazare began his fast unto death on 9 August 2006 in Alandi against the proposed amendment.

Anna Hazare ended his fast on 19 August 2006, after the government agreed to change its earlier decision.

Anna Hazare fought for a law whereby a government servant must clear files within a specified time, and transfers must take place only after three years.

Anna Hazare opposed the government's policy to promote making liquor from food grain.

Anna Hazare argued that Maharashtra had to import food, so producing liquor from food grain was inappropriate.

Hazare began fasting at Shirdi, but on 21 March 2010 the government promised to review the policy and Anna ended his 5-day fast.

Anna Hazare sued Maharashtra over the policy in the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court.

In 2011, Anna Hazare participated in the satyagraha movement campaigning for a stronger anti-corruption Lokpal bill in the Indian parliament.

Anna Hazare began an "indefinite fast" on 5 April 2011 at Jantar Mantar in Delhi as part of the campaign to form a joint committee of government and civil society representatives.

Anna Hazare wanted this committee to draft a bill with more stringent penal provisions and gave more independence to the Lokpal and Lokayuktas.

Anna Hazare decided that he would not allow any politician to sit with him.

Anna Hazare addressed the people and set a deadline of 15 August 2011 to pass the bill.

Anna Hazare said that if the bill did not pass he would call for a mass nation-wide agitation.

Anna Hazare called his movement a "second struggle for independence" and he will continue the fight.

Anna Hazare threatened on 28 July 2012 to proceed with his fast-unto-death on the Jan Lokpal Bill issue.

Anna Hazare stated that country's future is not safe in the hands of Congress and BJP and he would campaign in the coming elections for those with clean background.

On 2 August 2012 Anna Hazare said that there was nothing wrong with forming a new political party but, he would neither join the party nor contest elections.

On 8 June at Rajghat, describing his movement as the second freedom struggle, Anna Hazare criticised the Government for trying to discredit the drafting committee and threatened to go on indefinite fast again starting 16 August 2011 if the Lokpal Bill had not passed.

Anna Hazare criticised the Government for putting hurdles in front of the Bill and for maligning the civil society members.

Anna Hazare rejected the government version by describing it as "cruel joke".

Anna Hazare wrote a letter to Singh announcing his decision to begin an indefinite fast from 16 August 2011 at Jantar Mantar, if the government introduced its own version of the bill without taking suggestions from civil society members.

On 1 August 2011, Public interest litigation was filed in the Supreme Court of India by Hemant Patil, a Maharashtra-based social worker and businessman, to restrain Anna Hazare, alleging that Anna Hazare's demands were unconstitutional and amounted to interference in the legislative process.

On 16 August 2011, Anna Hazare was arrested, four hours before the planned indefinite hunger strike.

Anna Hazare [Hazare] has the right to protest and dissent.

Anna Hazare was admitted to Medanta Medicity, Gurgaon for post-fast care.

Anna Hazare had lost 7.5 kilograms and was very dehydrated after the 288-hour fast.

Kiran Bedi recommended that the "I am Anna Hazare" topi be displayed whenever someone asked for a bribe.

On 27 December 2011, Anna Hazare began a 3-day hunger strike at MMRDA grounds, Bandra Kurla Complex, to demand a stronger Lokpal bill than was in debate.

In 2011, Anna Hazare demanded an amendment to the electoral law to incorporate the option of None of the above in the electronic voting machines during the Indian elections.

On 31 March 2013 Anna Hazare started Jantantra Yatra from the city of Amritsar.

Anna Hazare is expecting to address various issues, including electoral reforms such as the right to reject a candidate.

Anna Hazare held the Prime Minister of India responsible for the atrocities and termed the police action as an attempt to stifle democracy.

On 9 August 2013, Anna Hazare's office announced his anti-corruption organisation Bhrashtachar Virodhi Jan Andolan is no longer tackling corruption issues at a personal or social level.

Anna Hazare has been accused of being an agent of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh a right-wing Hindu body.

Singh charged Anna Hazare with having links with late RSS leader Nanaji Deshmukh with whom he worked as a secretary.

In May 2011, during his visit to Gujarat, Anna Hazare changed his view and criticised Modi for rampant corruption.

Anna Hazare commented that the media had projected an incorrect image of Vibrant Gujarat.

Subsequently, Anna Hazare declared that Modi is not a suitable candidate for the position of Prime Minister.

Anna Hazare criticised Modi for not doing enough to curb corruption and his unwillingness to set up a Lokayukta in Gujarat.

Anna Hazare dared the government to file a First Information Report against him to prove the charges.

Anna Hazare exposed corruption in cooperative sugar factories in Maharashtra, including one controlled by Dr Padamsinh Bajirao Patil, a member of Parliament of 15th Lok Sabha and higher-ranking Leader of Nationalist Congress Party from Osmanabad.

On 26 September 2009 Anna Hazare lodged his own complaint at Parner police station of Ahmednagar District in Maharashtra against Patil.

Anna Hazare has lived in a small room attached to the Sant Yadavbaba temple in Ralegan Siddhi since 1975.

Anna Hazare owns 0.07 hectares of family land in Ralegan Siddhi, which is being used by his brothers.

Anna Hazare donated for village use two other pieces of land donated to him by the Indian Army and by a villager.