Interview/ Anna Hazare, activist
Anna Hazare gained national attention through his anti-corruption campaign in the run-up to the 2014 elections. Now, at 88, his words no longer have the edge they once had. In an exclusive interview with the Malayala Manorama, Hazare shared his views about current politics, and said both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi were power-hungry. Modi, though, according to him, “has done some good things”.
Edited excerpts:
Q/ How do you view the time gone by?
A/ When I decided to dedicate my life to social service, I thought I would start from my own village. Ralegan-Siddhi was plagued by poverty and scarcity of drinking water. Rainwater harvesting was done first. In a few years, there was water for meeting agricultural and domestic needs of villagers. As the water supply improved, so did agriculture and cattle-rearing. The poor village became gradually prosperous. My concept was: develop the village first, and then the country. It was in the second phase that the battle against corruption began.
Q/ How effective do you believe that battle was?
A/ I could spread awareness against corruption and mobilise people to join the anti-corruption battle. It was my fight in Maharashtra for the right to information that laid the foundation for the Right to Information Act. Wasn’t it the agitation I started in a small way that resulted in lokpal and lokayukta [laws]?
Q/ General V.K. Singh, Arvind Kejriwal, Kiran Bedi…. Many people who joined you in the fight against corruption are with the BJP. One started his own party and became chief minister.
A/ Some who joined me had dreams of attaining prominent positions. For some, it was a gateway to politics. I never had any such aims. I live contentedly in my own village.
Q/ It was after Kejriwal’s arrest that, after a long time, you made a public statement.
A/ From the time we began interacting closely, I was not fully impressed with his behaviour and speech. Kejriwal’s goal was not the nation’s development, but acquiring power and status. It is paradoxical that someone who was with me in the anti-corruption movement has now been arrested in a corruption case. The same person who was with me in the fight against liquor is now behind bars in a liquor policy case. You reap what you sow.
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Q/ Hasn’t Kejriwal done anything good?
A/ Many good things were done in the field of education. Then the focus shifted.
Q/ Develop villages to develop the country―that is your view. Did you follow Rahul Gandhi’s journey through villages?
A/ Isn’t the objective of his journey to obtain power? Such journeys succeed only when the sole objective is to serve people.
Q/ How do you evaluate the Modi government?
A/ He has done some good things. But even he is power-hungry.
Q/ Has there been no corruption after Modi came to power? There was no response from you in the electoral bond issue.
A/ I am 88 now. I don’t have the vigour I had 14 years ago. The electoral bond issue needs to be studied in detail.
(Before more questions regarding the Centre could be asked, Hazare’s staff intervened and said the interview was over.)