Anna Hazare, 73, is no ordinary social activist. Hazare has emerged as a sort of national hero battling against the government that has been reeling under mind-boggling corruption scandals. An Indian government attempt to head off a political crisis by arresting him appeared to backfire Tuesday when parliament’s opposition members walked out and demonstrations broke out across the country. See here…
(UPDATE: In view of the mass protests, the government has buckled under and ordered the release of Anna Hazare and others.) See here…
For months now India’s federal government has remained paralysed in view of the major corruption scandals. Anna Hazare and some others have been demanding that the ill-gotten wealth stashed by politicians and bureaucrats in foreign banks should be brought back. Today a minister in Indian parliament admitted that “a report of Global Financial Integrity (GFI) has estimated the total value of illicit money that has flown out of India is USD 462 billion (about Rs 20.92 lakh crore).” More here…
A few weeks ago Anna Hazare had agreed to sit with the government representatives to draft the Lokpal (Ombudsman) Bill for creating an effective wathdog against the corrupt leaders and officials. But when serious differences arose with regard to the provisions in the bill, Hazare decided to go on indefinite hunger strike today, a day after India celebrated its Independence Day on August 15. More here…
The arrest of Hazare, and hundreds of his fellow activists, has shifted the focus of the debate from corruption to the right to protest in the world’s largest democracy. More here…
Why is India suddenly so angry about corruption? See here…
And to top it all the real person behind the throne – Sonia Gandhi – is in the United States undergoing treatment for some unknwon disease. See here…
If you have time and patience …. Full text of Indian Supreme Court’s order detailing how corruption is eating into the vitals of India and softening the state … See here…
Has liberalization spurred corruption? asks Kingshuk Nag of the Times of India … See here…
Here’s The Economist’s good analysis …
REVEALED: How the government did everything to stop Anna …
Swaraaj Chauhan describes his two-decade-long stint as a full-time journalist as eventful, purposeful, and full of joy and excitement. In 1993 he could foresee a different work culture appearing on the horizon, and decided to devote full time to teaching journalism (also, partly, with a desire to give back to the community from where he had enriched himself so much.)
Alongside, he worked for about a year in 1993 for the US State Department’s SPAN magazine, a nearly five-decade-old art and culture monthly magazine promoting US-India relations. It gave him an excellent opportunity to learn about things American, plus the pleasure of playing tennis in the lavish American embassy compound in the heart of New Delhi.
In !995 he joined WWF-India as a full-time media and environment education consultant and worked there for five years travelling a great deal, including to Husum in Germany as a part of the international team to formulate WWF’s Eco-tourism policy.
He taught journalism to honors students in a college affiliated to the University of Delhi, as also at the prestigious Indian Institute of Mass Communication where he lectured on “Development Journalism” to mid-career journalists/Information officers from the SAARC, African, East European and Latin American countries, for eight years.
In 2004 the BBC World Service Trust (BBC WST) selected him as a Trainer/Mentor for India under a European Union project. In 2008/09 He completed another European Union-funded project for the BBC WST related to Disaster Management and media coverage in two eastern States in India — West Bengal and Orissa.
Last year, he spent a couple of months in Australia and enjoyed trekking, and also taught for a while at the University of South Australia.
Recently, he was appointed as a Member of the Board of Studies at Chitkara University in Chandigarh, a beautiful city in North India designed by the famous Swiss/French architect Le Corbusier. He also teaches undergraduate and postgraduate students there.
He loves trekking, especially in the hills, and never misses an opportunity to play a game of tennis. The Western and Indian classical music are always within his reach for instant relaxation.
And last, but not least, is his firm belief in the power of the positive thought to heal oneself and others.