A Salute to Mr. Anna Hazare

I used to be a regular on Pratigya forum and I liked the show because it was a show that was promoted as one with a social theme ? a medium to show how the female infanticide, domestic violence, tribal councils, eve teasing etc created horrible situations for the uneducated segments of society. But the more I saw the show I realized that it was too commercial and social message was lost in the sensationalism. I commented on this and others disagreed and I made a post about what I thought was the need for meaningful social change in India. This is an excerpt of that post.

"India has good laws and the necessary system and infrastructure to execute those laws but the law will only be truly effective when it is fortified and its performance is monitored and checked.

Why do I have more faith of getting justice in the West than in India as an average middle class Jane with no money or influence?

Because the western system is supported by key controls that FORCE it to work (to the degree that it does)

1. Accountability mechanisms like arms-length watchdogs. Bodies that are established to fight for the rights of citizens who are shunned or mistreated by the system

2. Legislation strengthening the power of NGO's and giving them teeth to fight injustice and TAKE ACTION against the abusers themselves rather than leaving it to the cops alone

3. A strong and influential media that uses the Freedom of Speech and Expression to the nth degree for all its worth.

These are just a few examples of controls that make law and order in the West work. When the system works and fair play for average citizens becomes an assumption not an expectation, that is when social evils, issues, stigmas take a blow.

In all my years in India, neither as a student or an employee or a citizen did I learn about any watchdogs or any legislation strengthening NGOs. In fact NGOs and Media have only become more visible in the last decade (and I am very happy about that). Even Freedom of Information legislation is relatively new.

The US faced a similar problem in the early 1900's and it took the McCarthy Era to fix it (to a major degree though not totally). An era where special taskforces were deployed to root out corruption with zero tolerance within the law enforcement and legal system

But then again would a solution that was good for a country of less than 30 Million work in an environment where there are over a Billion??? I think it would be very difficult to manage."

When I saw the article about Anna Hazare and his pledge and fast re the Lokpall Bill I was enthralled. Finally meaningful political and systemic change can have some foothold in India.

Context for those who are not aware of Anna Hazare and the Lokpall Bill ? source Wikepedia

Anna Hazare is a 71 year old Indian Social Activist working for social and economic change on issues related to education, alcoholism, removal of untouchability, milk production, collective marriages and gram sabhas.

n the early 2000s, Anna Hazare led a movement in Maharashtra state, which forced the Government of Maharashtra to repeal the earlier weak act and pass a stronger Maharashtra Right to Information Act. This Act was later considered as the base document for the Right to Information Act 2005 (RTI), enacted by the Union Government.

On 5 April 2011, Anna Hazare initiated a movement for passing a stronger anti-corruption Lokpal (ombudsman) bill in the Indian Parliament.

Hazare began a fast unto death from 5 April 2011 at Jantar Mantar in Delhi, to press for the demand to form a joint committee of the representatives of the Government and the civil society to draft a new bill with stronger penal actions and more independence to the Lokpal and Lokayuktas (Ombudsmen in the states), after his demand was rejected by the Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh. Before commencing his 'fast unto death' he stated, "I will fast until Jan Lokpal Bill is passed".

This movement has also been joined by many people providing their support in Internet social media such as twitter and facebook.

On 8 April 2011, the Government of India accepted all demands of the movement. On 9 April 2011 it issued a notification in the Gazette of India on formation of a joint committee. It accepted the formula that there be a politician chairman and an activist, non-politician Co-Chairman.

The Lokpall Bill may not be an overnight fix to our systemic and political ails but in the grand scheme of things and in the sentiment of Neil Armstrong ? One small step by Indians like Anna Hazare, one giant leap for India.

This thread is a tribute to Mr. Hazare and other unsung social activists in India. A salute from us for his true patriotism and his determination.

India needs more Anna Hazare's if we are going to organize ourselves to successfully maintain the mantel of "Economic Superpower" and "Global Leaders" in decades to come. We are on the cusp of global economic dominance (in a more comprehensive sense) and it is socio-political change like this that will propel us to that mantel with a solid socio-economic-political base

A poem dedicated to Mr. Hazare by forum member "sssshhh"

Jo na kar sake hazaaron, who kar sake Hazare

Advertisement mein kaha, khilana band pilana shuru, jaago re

Bina khaye piye hi Indians ko jaga sake Hazare

Dhoni ne liya cup haath mein, to Indians ki ummeed hui puri

Hazare ne liya cup muuh mein to Indians mein nai ummeed jag uthi!

.

Please press "like" to show your support for Mr. Anna Hazare and the Jan Lokpall Bill (Ombudsman's bill) and let others know of this thread so they may support a long awaited and much desired social struggle in India. You are also free to leave your comments.

Thank you to everyone for their support😃😃😃😃😃. I have forwarded this link and the following message to Times of India, Indian Express, The Hindu, Avaaz.org, The Bill Drafting Joint Committee and Mr Hazare and Other Jan Lokpall Committee members (via their website) :

I am a simple Indian citizen who has been swept up with hope, excitement and patriotic emotion by the effort of Mr. Hazare and all the other committee members.

I expressed my sentiments and support at a popular forum of Indians called india-forums.com primarily a forum for entertainment topics.

Even on this forum in a span of 4 days, you and your efforts have received support and blessings from Indians of different ages and locations across the globe.

See the link here http://www.india-forums.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1657761

We hope and pray that your efforts will be successfl for each and everyone of us and that this effort will move our country forward in the right direction

Thank You

All Your Supporters at India Forums.

Thanks to Omana and Anu for contact information😃

We look with anticipation to see if the Indian parliament meets Mr. Hazare's deadline of August 15, 2011 to pass the bill

Jai Hind!!

Originally posted by: tina_1234

https://www.avaaz.org/en/stand_with_anna_hazare/?rc=fb

PLZZ SIGN..IT WONT TAKE MORE THN A MINUTE!!

just did

thanks

this link is brilliant

Everyone please post here to

Totally agree . Great Post .👍🏼

Thanks for sharing link...I just signed..

thanks guys for supporting.

It means much to me

I hope this thread picks up enough so that I can promote it

Hope, great post. i'm honored to lend support and encouragement for a great cause. 👍🏼

gr8 post Hope 👍🏼 I will jot the same thing which I wrote in PR forum tonite :

Hope we all can contribute to this massive campaign that has in a week or so taken the shape of a nationalist movement. Lets strive to free our country of corruption by saying no to corrupt officials, cops, bureaucrats etc and complain against such people. Few months back I lost my mobile phone and had to lodge a police complain in order to seal the sim, but the cop wanted bribe for the FIR, I said this is done its your job and if your not gonna do it I'll have to take this matter higher , he immediately relented. If we all pitch in and do our bit we can fight corruption.

I am sure there are numerous people with such incidents to share, if we can all rise and fight this disease together we can make a difference lets help social activist & revolutionary Anna Hazare by supporting this movement both at micro and macro level, lets report and communicate whenever we face corruption

Originally posted by: piya_10

gr8 post Hope 👍🏼 I will jot the same thing which I wrote in PR forum tonite :

Hope we all can contribute to this massive campaign that has in a week or so taken the shape of a nationalist movement. Lets strive to free our country of corruption by saying no to corrupt officials, cops, bureaucrats etc and complain against such people. Few months back I lost my mobile phone and had to lodge a police complain in order to seal the sim, but the cop wanted bribe for the FIR, I said this is done its your job and if your not gonna do it I'll have to take this matter higher , he immediately relented. If we all pitch in and do our bit we can fight corruption.

I am sure there are numerous people with such incidents to share, if we can all rise and fight this disease together we can make a difference lets help social activist & revolutionary Anna Hazare by supporting this movement both at micro and macro level, lets report and communicate whenever we face corruption

yes piya


every small action build's up the momentum


I as thrilled when my dad told me that freedom of information had reached India especially Maharashtra but he encountered problem when he tried to get some documents under the act and that was because the legislation is in place but there is no enforcement and no one to make the culprits accountable.

this is needed to bring in that exposure, visibility andaccountability.

even once it is passed it will be a struggle for years to use those teeth but atleast it is a step we can build on.

if it exists then national movements of a younger more professional generation like ours will demand its enforcement, don't you think?