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Anna Hazare to launch right to information movement

Veteran social activist Anna Hazare on Tuesday announced that he would be launching a right to information movement against corruption, as social workers could not focus on development by themselves.

Speaking at a function held in his honour in New Delhi by the Co-operative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere, he said the role of a social reformer was not easy, and he should have the capacity to tolerate insults and hindrances.

Hazare, considered the architect of the path-breaking rural development project at his native village Ralegan Siddhi in Maharashtra, said the project had shown that a village could be self-sufficient and that development and conservation could take place side by side. Observing that cities were becoming congested because villagers had to migrate there in search of work, he said if people in rural areas could find employment in their own villages, they would not have to migrate.

Hazare said the programmes undertaken at Ralegan Siddhi included removal of alcoholism, removal of untouchability, group marriages, family planning, watershed development, water management, shramdan or the donation of voluntary labour for the community, tree plantation, training of youth, savings groups for women, health care and education.

The NGO also announced the conferment of the 1998 CARE International Humanitarian award on Hazare,

Hazare will be conferred the award at a special function in Washington on May 8 on the occasion of the 52nd anniversary of the NGO's existence. The award is given annually to recognise individuals whose life work demonstrates a profound and abiding commitment to improving human condition in the developing world.

Past recipients include SEWA founder Ela Bhatt, Ireland's president Mary Robinson, founder of the Grameen Bank Muhammad Yunus and South African President Nelson Mandela.

Asked to comment on the late prime minister Rajiv Gandhi's observation that out of each rupee of the government's development funds, only 15 paise reached the beneficiary, Hazare said NGOs were able to do a much better job in ensuring that the money reached the needy.

Earlier, CARE India's country director, Tom Alcedo, in his welcome address said the fact that Hazare was the second Indian to receive the award since its inception ten years ago signified the growing role of activists in the field of development in India.

UNI

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