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blackmail, I'll do it again: Anna Hazare - The Times of India

/timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/specials/anna-hazare-the-guest-editor/top-headlines/If-its-blackmail-Ill-do-it-again-Anna-Hazare/articleshow/8002705.cms[4/20/2011 11:07

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f it's blackmail, I'll do it again: Anna HazareNN | Apr 17, 2011, 02.26am IST

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UPA | Ralegan Siddhi | Narendra Modi | Gram Sabha | Corruption | Anna Hazare

Up close, Anna Hazare makes for an unlikely 

firebrand. He's gentle and smiles a lot, even - in

fact, especially - if someone is asking him a hostile

question. At 73, he doesn't hear too well, and

frequently needs to have queries repeated to him,

often in Marathi.

 As he sat down in the TOI editor's room, rifled

through the day's edition, commented on the TOI-

Crest cover story on social activism, and got into a

free-wheeling discussion with the journalists of 

several issues, it was apparent that technical

details about law or administration don't interest

him much; he tends to turn monosyllabic when

they come up.

 When he does speak at length - typically on big-

picture issues like corruption, rural development

or decentralization - his voice acquires an intensity 

ven as it takes on a sing-song cadence. His wisdom is folksy, and there's an almost childlike

nnocence and spontaneity to many of his statements.

ample this: Many people have accused him of blackmailing the government through his fast, we

sked. "Yes, so?" he shot back. "As long as I'm alive and as long as it benefits the people, I'll keep

lackmailing the government. What's the problem?" he chortled gleefully.

He also readily acknowledged that he himself didn't anticipate the kind of popular upsurge that he

aw during his Delhi fast for the Jan Lokpal Bill. "I still don't understand it...if my fast had

ontinued for three more days, the government would have fallen," he declared matter-of-factly.

From someone else, that might have seemed like boasting. In his case, it's simple: he truly 

elieves it.

ust as he believes that corruption has reached a point where it was affecting one and all, the rich

nd the poor. "The government, too, seems to know this. It sensed the depth of popular emotions

n the issue raised by us and quickly agreed to our demand for a joint drafting committee for the

Bill."

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blackmail, I'll do it again: Anna Hazare - The Times of India

/timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/specials/anna-hazare-the-guest-editor/top-headlines/If-its-blackmail-Ill-do-it-again-Anna-Hazare/articleshow/8002705.cms[4/20/2011 11:07

Ask him about the failings of the present system and he quickly brings up a subject dear to his

eart -- rural reforms. "We focus on the Lok Sabha and the Vidhan Sabha but have completely 

mitted the Gram Sabha. In fact, that's where the real power should lie. Just as ministers are

ccountable to the legislature at both the central and state level, the sarpanch and deputy 

arpanch should be accountable to the Gram Sabha. Decentralization is going to be my next big

ocus area."

He proudly talks about the changes he brought about in his own village, Ralegan Siddhi. "There

sed to be 40 liquor vends there. Now, it has been 13 years since someone smoked or drank there.

Almost 80% of people there used to go hungry. Now, we export vegetables. There wasn't enoughwater to irrigate 300 acres. So, we took up rainwater harvesting and now grow crops twice a year

ver 1,500 acres."

All this wasn't done through any major government expenditure, or investment by some

illionaire," he points out. "It just shows you what can be achieved through genuine autonomy. I

elieve our urban-centric development model is flawed. We need to rethink economic policy to

ocus on villages."

nevitably, the conversation veered towards his controversial praise of Gujarat chief minister

Narendra Modi. "I was quoted out of context," he replied. "I was asked a question about rural

evelopment under Modi and Nitish Kumar and I said that I have heard that they have done good

work. But I also clearly said that I am against communalism and anything that divides the

ation."

Since then, I have received many letters and emails saying there is corruption and

mismanagement in Gujarat's rural development programme," he added. "I don't know if there is

ny truth to this. But if there is, then I withdraw my statement praising Modi."

n that case, what did he feel about B S Yeddyurappa? Anna wasn't aware of the controversy 

urrounding the Karnataka CM, and had to be briefed on it at some length by fellow activist

Arvind Kejriwal. The moment Kejriwal stopped, Anna had a response ready. "Apni pehli sabha

wahi bithayenge (we'll have our first session there"), he quipped. That's bad news for the CM.

He was also quick to point out that in Maharashtra, he had protested against UPA and NDA 

overnments alike. "If one graduated in corruption, the other did a PhD in it," he joked.

ronically, the man who looks like a doting grandfather chose to stay single all his life to focus on

ocial service. So, we asked him if he thought young people should emulate his austere, bachelor

festyle.

Not at all," he responded. "I always tell youngsters, `Earn money but honestly and legitimately.

f you acquire more than you need, spend some on a good purpose. Marry, have children and

make them socially aware citizens. Adhering to a vow of celibacy is like walking on a knife's edge.

After all, even Vishwamitra succumbed to Menaka's charms. My only objection to having a family 

s that it can make a man very selfish, like the person who says that I don't care if your beard is on

ire but I must have my bidi."

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denies he has links with RSS - The Times of India

/timesofindia.indiatimes.com/anna-hazare-the-guest-editor/top-headlines/Anna-denies-he-has-links-with-RSS/articleshow/8002673.cms[4/20/2011 11:15:28 AM]

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Anna denies he has links with RSSNN | Apr 17, 2011, 02.18am IST

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Shiv Sena-BJP Government | RSS | Anna Hazare

NEW DELHI: Anna Hazare has denied the charge

of being a closet RSS man, asserting that he had

doggedly campaigned against the Shiv Sena-BJP

government in Maharashtra as the saffron

coalition overtook their predecessors on the count

of corruption.

"While their predecessors were only graduates in

corruption, the Sena-BJP alliance turned out to be

people with doctorate in the field," Anna said in

his inimitable style.

He also announced that in the light of indictment

of the BJP government in Karnataka, he would

launch the second phase of his campaign focusing

on right to recall of elected village level

representatives from the southern state.

The anti-corruption campaigner also defended

himself strongly against the charge that he, while

praising Narendra Modi's achievement in curbing

corruption and rural development, had glossed

over the charge that the Modi government

connived in the worst communal riots in the

country post-independence.

Hazare said that the remarks at stake were in

esponse to a question and was limited to Modi government's reported achievements in the fields

f rural development, denying that he gave a "clean chit" to the BJP leader with regard to his

andling of communal riots. "Quite to the contrary, I had in the same statement also said that

hose who engineer communal disturbances are guilty of seeking to dismember the country. This,

owever, was never reported by media," said the Gandhian from Maharashtra.

During his interaction with TOI, Hazare repeatedly equated communalists with those who could

e accused of breaking up the country.

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Anna Hazare has denied the charge of being a closet RSS

man. (TOI photo)

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denies he has links with RSS - The Times of India

/timesofindia indiatimes com/anna-hazare-the-guest-editor/top-headlines/Anna-denies-he-has-links-with-RSS/articleshow/8002673 cms[4/20/2011 11:15:28 AM]

He said that if he had refrained from holding Modi personally responsible for the unprecedented

ommunal violence, it was only because he lacked proof to back up the charge. The anti-

orruption crusader cited the 11 defamation suits pending against him to stress why he was

eterred from repeating the charge of complicity in the anti-Muslim violence.

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Readers' opinions (10 ) Post a Comment

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Kumar (Hyd) 

Its all part of Congress Game... They are trying to divide people by cast feeling....

Initially BJP tried to play with cast feeling, people kicked them... And now Congress

is doing the same, might be they also wants kick from people... Just know about

Anna history and his economical stage... You see for what he is fighting for and

support for that... Moreover he joined all indians together, thats the main trouble

Congress is seeing now...

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ANS (INDIA) 

So Anna Hazare still needs proof of Modi's role in communal violence in Gujrat. Do

we still have to tell you who is propping up Anna Hazare from behind and who has

finanaced Hazare's Tamamsha to which congress party foolishly succumbed.

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Kumar (Hyd) replies to ANS 

Do you know what u r writing ? Politicians will trying to divert the

issue... You go through his profile... Anna is concentrating on Lokpal

Bill, then decentralization (Grama Sabha), Right To recall... Google it

these are the most important acts to improve contry... May be u r

some Congress chemcha

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If it's blackmail, I'll do it again:

 Anna Hazare

`I’m not prejudiced against

Pawar’