Thiru: May 2011

Thursday, May 05, 2011

Anna Hazare

Kisan Baburao Hazare (born 15 January 1940), popularly known as Anna Hazare, is an Indian social activist who is especially recognised for his contribution to the development of Ralegaon Siddhi, a village in Parner taluka of Ahmednagar district, Maharashtra, India and his efforts for establishing it as a model village, for which he was awarded the Padma Bhushan—the third-highest civilian award—by the Government of India in 1992.

On 5 April 2011 Hazare started a 'fast unto death' to exert pressure on the government of India to enact a strong anti-corruption act as envisaged in the Jan Lokpal Bill, a law to establish a Lokpal with the power to deal with corruption in public offices. The fast led to nationwide protests in support of Hazare. The fast ended on 9 April 2011, the day after all of Hazare's demands were agreed by the Government of India. The government issued a gazette notification on the formation of a joint committee (of government and civil society representatives) to draft an effective Lokpal Bill.

Awards

2011 – Rabindranath Tagore International Peace Prize, awarded by the Indian Institute of Planning and Management
2008 – On 15 April 2008 Hazare received the World Bank's 2008 Jit Gill Memorial Award for Outstanding Public Service: "Hazare created a thriving model village in Ralegaon Siddhi, in the impoverished Ahmednagar region of Maharashtra state, and championed the right to information and the fight against corruption."
1992 – Padma Bhushan award, by the Government of India
1990 – Padma Shri award, by the Government of India
1989 – Krishi Bhushana award by theGovernment of Maharashtra.
1986 – Indira Priyadarshini Vrikshamitra award by the Government of India on 19 November 1986 from the hands of Prime Minister of India Rajiv Gandhi.