Exit from Eden

Ravindra Jagannath Jadhav is office assistant to social activist Anna Hazare but he sees little glory in the job. ‘‘There are no j...

Ravindra Jagannath Jadhav is office assistant to social activist Anna Hazare but he sees little glory in the job. ‘‘There are no job opportunities nor is there any future at Ralegan Siddhi. Anna pays me a salary of Rs 1,200. Can I marry and set up house with such a small sum?’’ he asks. ‘‘There is no future here, we have to move.’’

And he’s not the only one who wants to move on. Ralegan Siddhi is full of young men who want to live their dreams elsewhere. Nearly twenty-six years after Anna Hazare transformed Ralegan Siddhi from a drought scarred village into a green paradise and a model for development, cracks are appearing in this copybook Eden.

‘‘But Anna is insistent that we stay in the village and look after it. What opportunities do we have here? Our parents agree with Anna and want us to remain in Ralegan Siddhi, but what about our dreams?’’ says a young villager.

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Some of this discontent stems from Anna’s ban on cable TV, alcohol and meat. ‘‘Cable TV opens our window to the world. It is not about dance and songs, there are so many educational programmes that will help us get a better perspective,’’ says another villager.

Taliban Siddhi? Anna’s Laws

» Ban on alcohol and non vegetarian food: ‘‘When you eat non vegetarian food you need alcohol,’’ says Anna Hazare.
» Ban on cable TV. Only DD-I and select Marathi channels are allowed: ‘‘People will stop working and only think of entertainment,’’ warns Anna.
» Ban on goats, cows and buffaloes grazing in the open. They have to be fed wherever they are tied. If they have to be taken around, their mouths should be covered so that they do not graze. ‘‘Grazing denudes the top cover and causes soil erosion.’’
» Ban on axes: ‘‘The people will not succumb to temptations to chop trees,’’ says Anna.
» Compulsory vasectomy: ‘‘Why should the onus of limiting the size of the family be only on the woman?’’

When Prashant Shinde, 24, an office manager for Anna’s projects, joined work some six months ago, he was not heeding any lofty call. He was hoping one of Anna’s many important visitors would give him a break. He is still waiting.

Anna’s family is not too happy with him either. Anna, who enlisted in the army during the Chinese aggression in 1962, returned to his village 13 years later. He left his family and started development projects in the village. He initiated water harvesting and reforestation plans that had NGOs flocking to Ralegan Siddhi. He fought corruption and became a middle class hero.

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But for his family he is simply the relative who does not acknowledge them. ‘‘We are in the same village but he never visits us. He has no love for the family. We are very worried about him,’’ says elder sister-in-law Kantabai Maruti Hazare.

Nephew Sunil Kashiram Hazare wants his uncle to be more of a family man. ‘‘After all we are his family. He should interact with us,’’ says Sunil.

It is also equally true that many use their proximity to Anna to their advantage. ‘‘I am aware of it. But what can I do?’’ says Anna. And despite all complaints, the villagers are happy to bask in Anna’s reflected glory. Everyone in Ralegan Siddhi is willing to pose for the cameras. But the picture is no longer perfect.

Interview | Anna Hazare

‘People do not have faith in my word’

Some call Anna Hazare the last Gandhian while others label him publicity hungry. In an interview with HAIMA DESHPANDE just before he left for Seoul to receive an award by Transparency International, Anna presented his defence.

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After a lull you suddenly challenged the state government with a list of `anti-corruption’ demands. But every six months you threaten to go on fast and then differ your decision.
When our organisation runs out of money we keep quiet, when we have money we start our anti-corruption crusade.

You are extremely media savvy.
The media is essential for the success of any campaign. People believe in it. I don’t go to the media, they come to me.

You are being called a motivated campaigner rather than a corruption crusader.
I have no vested interests, my sole intention is to expose corrupt people in high places.

Why are your public allegations mainly linked to political happenings in Maharashtra. For instance when Congressman Rohidas Patil was a contender to the chief minister’s chair at the time Vilasrao Dehmukh headed the government, you suddenly levelled charges against Patil.
When I have money I begin my work, when I don’t I have the money we keep quiet. We are still pursuing our charges against Rohidas Patil.

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Baba Adhav, Avinash Dharmadhikari and Pushpa Bhave have left you. Many were unhappy when you levelled personal charges against the BJPs Gopinath Munde.
When people do not attend meetings of the organisation regularly they must not hang on to positions.

People in Ralegan Siddhi are disillusioned with your movement. You are short of funds– how will you sustain your anti-corruption movement?
I am planning to start a corpus fund. Probably people do not have faith in my word and so are not coming forward to help. Motivation is linked to money, if I cannot give people money to be a part of the movement they will not be interested in it. That’s why the movement has not picked up.

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