Author: Anna Hazare
Publication: NDTV.com
Date: October 21, 2011
URL: http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/anna-blogs-my-untold-story-for-respected-enemies-142928?pfrom=home-otherstories
For the last few years people have been talking
incoherently about my organization and me. So the common man should be made
aware of ground realities as they are being misled. Hence, I am trying to
clear some misconceptions here.
In the year1962 China attacked India causing
loss to human lives and financial loss. With the aim of doing service to the
country I joined army in the year 1963. In my twelve years of army service
I had to put up a fight against 11 army officers for the soldiers lodging,
boarding and other questions. Following this I occupied a special place in
the heart of the soldiers and they gave me a pen name 'Shastriji'.
In my 12 years of service I spent most of
my time on the border. I served on border of Sikkim, Bhutan and Nepal and
in Leh, Ladakh, Kashmir, Mizoram, Bengal, Assam and ice-capped regions of
Himalaya. As I always put up a fight for the good of the soldiers I was purposefully
sent to remote areas. But this did not deter me from my goal, which was service
to the nation and failed to break my spirit. In spite of the hardships and
troubles, it was clear in my mind that I was doing this for my country and
after 12 years of service I got the right to pension. The role of 'Jai Jawan'
was for my country and now to fulfill my role of 'Jai Kisaan' I took voluntary
retirement from the army.
After my retirement from the army when I returned
home I was appalled to find my village Ralegan Siddhi in pitiable state. My
village was struck by famine so there was water and food shortage and nearly
80% people went to sleep on empty stomachs. Villagers travelled 4 to 5 kilometers
in search of work so that they can have a decent meal. As there was no source
of income people resorted to making country liquor. Due to these liquor shops
atmosphere in the village was contaminated.
It pained to see my village reduced to this
state. I decided to pull out my village from this cycle of destruction. With
the help of the villagers I was able to shut down the liquor shops. I created
jobs for the villagers so there could be some source of income available for
them. I started water-shed development projects thus changing geographical
conditions of the village and bringing about economic and social change. In
the village where there were once 30 to 35 liquor shops now you will not find
a single shop selling cigarettes, Gutka, tobacco or bidi. The village that
was once famous for its liquor now exports nearly 5000 liters of milk. In
the past, 300 acres of land would yield one crop at the most but now after
implementing water-shed development project a 1500 acre land now yields two
crops.
Ralegan Siddhi has become independent and
self-sufficient. Today you will not find a single person hungry instead milk,
vegetables and food-grains are being exported. Now it is difficult to find
farm hands. Initially school was till 4rth standard but now children in the
village can avail of higher education like art, commerce and science. For
the education purpose eight farmers donated 12 acres of their land to the
trust as gift. Schools, hostels, temples amounting to crores of rupees have
been built by the villagers on their own. Not a single penny has been taken
as a donation from an industrialist residing outside the village or from abroad.
School children have brought laurels back home in sports at the district,
state and national level. They have even represented India at international
level in sports.
1975 marked the beginning of development projects
and with the help of the villagers it was a huge success but corruption started
eating at its roots and even one paisa out of ten paisa did not reach the
village project. Hence since 1990 I am fighting against corruption with the
hope that someday it will be curbed. Taking my fight a step ahead in 1997
I established the 'Anti-Corruption Jan Andolan' because I believe that to
speed up structural development in the country and to stop corruption are
the same side of two coins. These two things go hand-in-hand is my belief
after many years of experience and will mark a bright future for our nation
and society at large hence I am working simultaneously on both. In order to
fulfill my commitments I have formed various trusts but many a times there
are people who hurl accusations and counter-accusations in spite of the good
work being done thus misleading people.
On 27th April 1997, some Ministers from the
coalition government accused our Hind Swaraj Trust of being involved in corruption.
On 10th May 1997 I went on fast demanding an enquiry against the corruption
charges leveled on our Trust. Then Chief-Minister Shri. Manohar Joshi through
a charitable officer sat up an enquiry on the trust and later on 19.05.1997
declared that Hind Swaraj Trust had no irregularities as such nor were they
responsible for any corrupt activities.
When coalition government was in power I had
exposed some of the ministers and they had to resign under corruption charges.
I was put in jail thereafter by the government. But later on they were forced
to release me and pardon my sentence due to the mounting pressure from all
over Maharashtra as people voiced their discontent against my arrest.
In the year 2003, I had strong proof that
Shri. Suresh Jain and some Ministers were involved in corrupt activities.
I tried to convey this to the government through letters. After trying to
communicate with them through letters for over 10 to 15 times I went on fast
on 9th August 2003. The Ministers too went on fast insisting that if an enquiry
is set up on the Ministers then Anna Hazare should also go through the same.
Maharashtra Government on 9th September, 2003
set up an enquiry committee headed by retired Supreme Court judge Hon. Shri.
P.B.Sawant. I along with four other Ministers faced the enquiry committee.
For the next one and a half years the enquiry committee's work would begin
at 11 in the morning and end at 5 in the evening.
As the Sawant Committee's enquiry progressed
some of the Ministers demanded permission to be granted to have a look at
our Trust papers. On 9/6/2005, the enquiry committee had this request put
up to us and we readily agreed to show our papers to the Ministers. On behalf
of the Ministers, a team of six Chartered Accountants came over to our village
and for six days minutely scrutinized the papers. Nearly papers measuring
a half-full tempo were xeroxed but not even a 100 rupee worth corruption was
found and neither any irregularity was cited in the trust's work.
Sawant Committee submitted its report to the
Government on 23rd Feb 2005. Of the Ministers found guilty Shri. Vijaykumar
Gavit was set free as his offense was less compared to the others. The Committee
explained in detail how Shri. Suresh Jain, Shri. Padmasinh Patil and Nawab
Malik were involved in corrupt activities. Our Trust was called up for minor
irregularity and for not submitting papers on time.
As the three Ministers were pronounced guilty
by Sawant Committee on 10th March 2005 they were asked to resign.
In order to prove the innocence of the Ministers
found guilty by Sawant Committee, the Government on 25.4.2005 appointed Sukhthankar
Committee to begin its probe. The Sukhthankar Committee submitted its report
on 22nd Sept 2005 and found one of the Ministers guilty. I along with the
rest of the three Ministers was proved innocent and set free.
We urged the Government not to take the judgment
submitted by Sukhthankar Committee prima facie as it had flaunted all rules.
Even the High Court directed the Government to follow the report submitted
by Sawant Committee but the government did not pay heed to our request so
on 25th December 2005 we went on fast. On 3rd Jan 2006, the government assured
us they will form a committee headed by Advocate general hence we broke our
fast. But as no action was taken we once again decided to go on fast on 2nd
October 2009 with the demand that based on Sawant Committee's report including
us everyone should be thoroughly scrutinized. Maharashtra's Home Minister
directed the Director General of Police to conduct an enquiry as per Sawant
Committee's report and on 9.10.2009 we were given a letter stating the same.
We broke our fast. In spite of pursuing the matter to such an extent the Government
did not bother to take any action on the tainted ministers but in fact supported
them. On 10th October 2011 I wrote a letter to Hon. Chief- Minister Prithviraj
Chavan that as per the P.B.Sawant Committee's report an enquiry should be
initiated on us and the said Ministers or else I will be forced to begin my
agitation.
The accused Ministers have filed cases against
me in various courts in Maharashtra their aim being to keep me busy in court
cases. But my lawyer friends are fighting these cases for me without charging
a single rupee.
Recently on 14th September 2011, Manish Tiwari
quoting from the irregularity found by Sawant Committee report accused me
of being corrupt and said 'Anna Hazare is steeped in corruption from head
to toe'. I sent a legal notice to him through my lawyer for maligning my name
and he in return has apologized in writing admitting his mistake for the same.
Throughout my entire life I have been very particular and not let anyone slander
my character.
There are many people out there who throw
accusations and counter-accusations on our organizations but fail to see our
work and contribution done for the betterment of the society and the nation.
People from all over India and abroad visit a tiny village like Ralegan Sidddhi
to have a glimpse of our development activities. Till today 6 lac people have
paid us a visit and taken inspiration from us. Five people have done their
PH.D on our village's development.
Government felicitated me with Padmahree &
Padmbhushan. It is unfortunate that some people tend to ignore these positive
realities. The color of goggles you wear will color the world for you. Those
people having doubts regarding the activities carried out by our trusts can
personally have a look and we will help in clearing all your doubts. But I
feel one should for no reason not indulge in incoherent discussions.
Inquilab Zindabad! Vande Mataram! Bharat Mata
ki Jai! Jai Hind!
K. B. Hazare (Anna)
- Blog courtesy: annahazaresays.wordpress.com
