BANGALORE, INDIA: As the support for social activist Anna Hazare's anti-corruption movement is swelling by the day, both online and offline, so are the criticisms on the ways employed by him to get the Jan Lokpal Bill passed.
Just sample this. About 3.2 lakh supporters have thronged the India against Corruption page on Facebook, while more than 40,000 people 'liked' Hazare on the webpage.
Even as Hazare's fast entered the eighth day, with the crusader and his team camping at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan, there is no dearth of followers to the movement from all over the country, and even abroad.
In Bangalore alone, thousands of techies are joining the protests at the Freedom Park as well as taking out other rallies. New Delhi has been witnessing lakhs of people, especially youngsters, actively participating in the movement.
As if these figures are not enough, seven lakh have expressed solidarity with the movement by giving a missed call on 022-61550789. This was in reaction to a mass SMS alert that urged people to extend their support by calling the number, which wouldn't be tolled.
The common man may be happy to follow Hazare's lead, but fellow activist and writer Arundhati Roy, among others, has questioned his credentials as well as accused him of biased views and skewed stances. Also, politicians who are familiar with Hazare's ways, such as Sharad Pawar and Bal Thackeray, and most recently, Congress spokesperson Manish Tiwari, have vilified him.
And, in virtual world too the opposition to the Hazare movement is gaining strength. The Facebook group called "I hate Anna Hazare" has garnered the support of over 2,300 people. Many of those who oppose the movement feel that the Jan Lokpal Bill, which aims to prevent corruption, will create a “totalitarian monster”.
“I don't support Anna...but that does not mean that I support corruption. I just don't agree with Anna's method of blackmailing the government,” said an Orkut user.
That brings up the question: Is Hazare a noble crusader against graft and other social evils or just another activist hungry for the spotlight, as his opponents have termed?
A peek into his past might be of some help in drawing one's own conclusions about the man of the moment.
It was 20 years ago, the Gandhian activist floated his first movement against corruption - Bhrashtachar Virodhi Jan Aandolan (People's Movement against Corruption) - at Ralegan Siddhi in Ahmednagar district.
The same year, 1991, Hazare protested against an alleged nexus between 40 forest officials and timber merchants, which led to the transfer and suspension of the officials.
In 1995-96, he took the fight to two corrupt ministers in the Shiv Sena-BJP government in Maharashtra and accounted for their scalps.
In May 1997, Hazare voiced out against alleged malpractices in the purchase of power looms by then Maharashtra social welfare minister Babanrao Gholap. Later, Hazare also accused Gholap of some malpractices in the Awami Merchant Bank and made him resign by April 1999.
Six years later (2003), four ministers of the Congress-Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) government in Maharashtra fell on Hazare's radar and the coalition later initiated investigation against them. He fasted for four days against their alleged corruption, which drew support from hordes of state citizens. In March 2005, two of the four ministers, Sureshdada Jain and Nawab Malik tendered their resignation.
In the same decade, the Ex-Armyman urged the state to bring about a strong Right to Information (RTI) Act, which was later considered the base document for the RTI Act 2005 by the Centre, which also got the President's nod.
Apart from these movements, Hazare is also credited for making Ralegan Siddhi a model village, which was free of alcohol and self-sustained through a watershed development project.
Whether you agree with him or not, one thing is for sure. That his campaign has shed light on the magnitude of corruption in the country and the urgent need to fight it out.
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