Anna Hazare Mania

On 16^th August as declared by Anna Hazare that he will start his second hunger protest if government won’t table Jan Lokpal draft in the house during monsoon session, but before the start of parliament monsoon session government get improved their version of Lokpal draft from cabinet, thoroughly neglected Jan Lokpal draft, in spite of the fact that both version contained huge differences’ on lot of issues’, and then later on present its version in the house without civil society version or clauses’. All these developments furious Anna Hazare and his team, so from 16^th August onwards till date score of things unfold with pass of time, till date fight for final say on Lokpal draft between team Anna and government is on it appears that it is slightly tilt towards team Anna, but still they cannot claims that they are just reach the striking distance of their motive as far Jan Lokpal draft is concern. Brief profile of Team Anna Hazare members that represent as Civil Society members during dialogue phase with government to form Lokpal draft, are –

·        Anna Hazare -  Ex Army man, socialists, 74 years old, follower of Gandhi ideology, In the 1970s, Ralegaon Siddhi wasn't very different from hundreds of other villages in this arid part of Maharashtra's Ahmadnagar district. With water available only during the monsoons, its farmers could barely grow one crop a year, and 70 percent of the village's 315 families lived in abject poverty. Indeed, Ralegaon Siddhi's most distinctive feature was its 40 illicit distilleries that made the village a popular haunt for drunks and gamblers. Thefts and brawls were commonplace. Since he returned to Ralegaon Siddhi in 1975, Hazare has spearheaded a movement that has changed all this forever. Today, Ralegaon Siddhi is brisk and prosperous. He protests for Right to Information Act.

·        Arvind Kezeriwal - Arvind Kejriwal was born in Hissar, Haryana  in the year 1968, graduated from IIT Kharagpur as a Mechanical engineer in 1989. Later, he joined the Indian Revenue Service (IRS), a part of the Indian Civil Services in 1992, and was posted at the Income-tax Commissioner's Office in Delhi, social activist and crusader for greater transparency in Government, awarded Ramon Magsaysay Award for emergent leadership in 2006, for activating India's Right to Information movement at grassroots and social activities to empower the poorest citizens to fight corruption by holding the government answerable to the people, in February 2006, he resigned from the job, to work full-time at 'Parivartan', he campaigned for the Right to Information Act, which soon became a silent social movement.

·        Shanti Bhushan - born on 11 November 1925, senior advocate, Law Minister of India from 1977 to 1979 in the Morarji Desai Ministry, he was co president of Lokpal draft committee.

·        Prashant Bhushan - born on 1956, lawyer by profession, son of Shanti Bhushan, activist who always tries to help people by judiciary system. In his carrer of 15 years he has worked on around 500 PIL’s (Pubic interest Litigation).

·        Santosh Hegde - Born on 16 June, 1940, at Nitte Village of Karkala Taluk, Dakshina Kannada District, did his law degree from Government Law College, Bangalore, after completing his graduation in law, he joined the bar in January 1966. Santosh Hegde was appointed as the Advocate General of Karnataka in February 1984 to 1988. After retirement from the Supreme Court in June 2005, Justice Hegde was appointed as Chairperson, Telecom Disputes Settlement Appellate Tribunal, New Delhi on July 6, 2005 till 2^nd August 2006. Justice Santosh Hegde was appointed as Lokayukta of Karnataka State from 3 August 2006 for a 5 year term and recently retired from the post.

Other members of team Anna are-

·        Kiran Bedi

·        Swami Agnivesh

·        Manish Shishodiya

                                                            …………to be continue…..