Crowds flock to Indian hunger striker's village

Anti-corruption campaigner Anna Hazare's presence is everywhere in his home village, even if he is currently in a New Delhi park, fasting before a crowd of thousands. The 74-year-old's gaze confronts visitors to Ralegan Siddhi at every turn on giant banners hanging from the temple he built with his own money or off the tree in the central square where he once thrashed habitual drunkards. At the village store, a sticker of Anna is glued to the glass cabinet housing jars of pickle, shampoo and toothbrushes, while a photograph of him takes pride of place even above an idol of the elephant-headed god, Ganesha. In conversation, the man now known across India by his first name is spoken of in reverential tones, both for single-handedly turning around a village blighted by alcohol, poverty and drought and for highlighting top-level graft. On Monday, a public holiday for the Hindu festival of Janmashtami, the curious and committed flocked to Ralegan Siddhi, many simply to seek inspiration from the home of India's most famous activist. Men in white homespun cotton and Nehru caps sat alongside women in colourful saris, as motorcycle cavalcades of flag-waving riders from nearby villages roared in and hundreds more arrived hanging from the sides and roofs of trucks. "Bharatmata ki jai! (Hail Mother India!) Anna Hazare zindabad! (Long live Anna Hazare!)" they shouted, urging an end to corruption and changes to proposed legislation to tackle graft at the highest level. "I was looking to go to Delhi but didn't realise that Ralegan Siddhi was so close," admitted Bipin Mahawar, a 30-year-old investment banker who travelled the 73 kilometres (45 miles) to the village from the western city of Pune. "So, I decided to come here first to join Anna's movement. It's given me a sense of satisfaction," he told AFP. "Anna Hazare is a good man and a good character," added Ramesh Deshmukh, 64, from a village from near Nashik, about 160 kilometres northeast of Mumbai. "He's standing for humanity and using the principles of non-violence. What he's doing is important as it will impact on the villages. "Corruption is everywhere. This is the biggest movement since 1947, so you have to be part of it. I want to fight this also." For Rajendra Kumar Patidar, 59, Shyamlal Mukati, 56, and 63-year-old Jagdesh Patidar, Ralegan Siddhi was a brief stop en route from their farms near Indore, in neighbouring Madhya Pradesh state, to New Delhi. Like a pilgrimage, the farmers took the overnight bus to reach the village before catching the train for the 15-hour journey to the capital. "I am not wearing any slippers (sandals) or shoes while Anna is fasting," said Patidar, pointing at the cracked soles of his bare feet. "The country is absolutely riddled with corruption and the worst affected are the farmers and the villages. Anna represents the villagers and the workers. Every Indian has the responsibility to support him." Sahadu Jadhav, 54, remembered how the former army driver was as uncompromising in his fight against alcohol abuse as he is demanding changes to the proposed anti-graft legislation. "If someone was consistently drunk, he would tie them to the telegraph pole or the tree and thrash them," he recalled. Nalini Mann, who worked in Ralegan Siddhi in the 1970s during her nursing training, said she was impressed by the village's transformation. She and her husband, retired Indian army colonel A.S. Mann, said they were convinced the uncompromising Hazare would succeed in his latest endeavour. "I've never seen such large crowds and never seen anything so peaceful," said the 64-year-old former officer, from Ahmednagar 110 kilometres away. "That's the main thing about it. Not even a stone has been broken... Every town is mobilising." Shopkeeper Ganesh Awari, 25, nods at the television showing the latest scenes from New Delhi, disappointed he could not join the 200 or so villagers who have travelled to the capital. "When we see him on the television we feel very proud of him. He's standing up not just for the village but for the whole country," he said.