I pray that Anna doesn’t fast unto death against the insensitive and adamant leadership in the government. But the elite of the country and particularly younger generation must take some lessons from him, and vow to something more than only rocking to Anna’s beat. He is just one ordinary person with his root rural India intact. His honesty of purpose is weighing heavier than the intelligent and highly educated prime minister and ministers who are very good in the art of talking. Today, his call for making a corruption free India is resonating all over the world. I wish he succeeds. The battle for his version of Lokpal Bill is symbolic. If God provides a long life to him as all the people of India wish and must look for, he will go for eradicating many equally difficult bottlenecks to the country’s real development.

A lot of credit, if Anna succeeds, will certainly go to the overwhelming and exhilarating support of the Gen Next. And the older generation is looking for more from the Gen Next.

Fast is part of the Indian culture and the younger generation should appreciate that. It is not only for a cause but for self improvement too. It doesn’t weaken, it makes one stronger. It was interesting to learn that many students of IITs and IIMs have taken a vow of taking one meal a day till Anna fasts. Perhaps the whole country would have gone for that.

However, there is one more aspect from Anna’s life that one must learn. His contribution to make his small village, Ralegan Siddhi (Images), a model village to be followed by all coming from rural India and succeeding in life much more materialistically than what Anna achieved.

Anna after his army career came to his village. Anna’s first task was to uproot alcoholism. He could succeed in that and then went for establishing a Grain bank with the objective of providing food security to needful farmers during times of drought or crop failure. And his next target was the water management. With his various endeavours, he could completely transform the economy of the village. Why can’t this one aspect be emulated by all of us with successful careers in private or government sector or the entrepreneurs? Why do we forget about the villages where we were born? Why do we become one of those urbanites who look down upon the villagers?

As reported, “when Hazare came in Ralegan Siddhi in 1975 only 70 acres (28 ha) of land was irrigated, Hazare converted it into about 2,500 acres (1,000 ha). Earlier only 300 liters of milk was sold from the village. Now the milk production has gone up to 4000 liters. The per capita income of the villagers has increased from Rs. 225 to Rs. 2500.”

Even after 64 years of independence. 90% or more of Indian villages have neither the faculties of quality education for the children nor healthcare for the population. The same politician clan with different names in the system, be it village heads, MLA or MP are happy and content by enhancing the number of the people under poverty line, BPL and claiming for more doles from the government so that they and their men can become richer.

Can more and more of the countrymen and those who retire from defence forces follow the path of Anna to serve their village and help in transforming it?