From
Indian Army to one man army
When Anna Hazare narrowly escaped death and serious injury in the 1965 war, he wondered why his life had been spared. He was to soon discover for himself the reason. God had a much bigger and tougher war in store for him. This ordinary soldier returned to his native Maharashtrian village called Ralegaon Siddhi to see the poverty and squalor there. One out thousands of such villages, its problems were compounded by the illicit distilleries thriving there causing multifold misery. Most of the families lived in abject poverty and were heavily dependent on the vagaries of the monsoon.
Back to Ralegaon Siddhi in 1975 after retirement from the Indian army, Anna Hazare knew that his real war was ahead of him. This mild looking soldier took on the mind boggling challenge of turning around the fortunes of this village. His great inspiration was Swami Vivekananda and his dictum that the noblest thing a man can do is to good to others.
Hazare soon discovered where he had to start. The run down temple in Ralegaon Siddhi soon received his attention. Utilizing his own meager savings from retirement, he hired carpenters and masons to rebuild the temple. Soon a few volunteers chipped in with their own contributions. Though the majority of the villagers initially scoffed at his efforts, his tenacity soon came to their notice. Over a period of time, he gained acceptance as their leader and then the real transformation started. It was not a dream run of course for the simple soldier turned social worker, but he soon discovered a very vital truth…If people are convinced that you are not selfish, they join you.
The rest is history. Ralegaon is now a model village in India for the others to emulate. Agricultural incomes have increased, poverty has almost disappeared and the evil of drink also is under tight leash.
Sri Anna Hazare has received several awards including the prestigious Padma Bhushan from the Indian Govt.
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