A Phenomenon Called Anna Hazare

In a spontaneous and unprecedented move, Bay Area residents flocked to Sunnyvale Hindu Temple and Community Center in the South Bay to pledge their support for a hunger strike thousands of miles away.

Soaked in nationalistic fervor, Indians came together on Monday to protest and show their support for "Team Anna." That's the moniker given to supporters of the movement called "India Against Corruption," started by a 74-year-old Indian social activist Anna Hazare. On Aug. 16, he began a hunger strike in a challenge to the government to pass an anti-corruption legislative bill, and it struck a chord with the masses both in India and locally.

"There was a growing frustration against the rampant corruption that had steeped in the [Indian political] system," said Pramod Mahadevan, Bay Area coordinator of the movement, India Against Corruption. Mahadevan, a business development manager at VMware, felt moved by Anna’s simplicity, values and selflessness.

"This movement has given us a vent to channelize that frustration for a cause we deeply believe in."

To some people, Anna Hazare—whose real name is Kisan Baburao Hazare—exemplifies that change, the power of just one person who remains steadfast in his resolve to fast unto death unless the government passes the Jan Lokpal Bill.

However, Hazare does have his share of detractors. The Dalits, the self-designation adopted by the "untouchable" group of Indians, came out against Hazare's efforts, because they believe that it "sidesteps the constitutional process."

Even prominent Muslims barraged Hazare emissaries who wanted their support. The Muslims wondered why Hazare had not sought the arrest of a chief minister during the attacks against Muslims in Gujarat in 2002.

Even other high-profile social activists like Arundhati Roy blasted Hazare in an opinion piece in The Hindu.

But inspite of his opponents, Hazare has empowered many who may have otherwise been fearful of the Indian system and had not come forward to take action. He has become the voice of India against corruption and the movement has spread like wildfire. Facebook and Twitter played a huge role too.

Deepaa Thakor, the daughter of a social activist and a Bay Area resident since 1993, happened to be in India and witnessed the Hazare wave first hand at Azad Maidan in Mumbai, back in April when he held his first hunger strike. That inspired her to organize Monday’s event.

“I see Indians here are least bothered by what’s happening in India and I wanted to do something,” said Deepaa.

What started with 15-odd person group grew to more than a hundred as the evening progressed, and chants turned to roars as more and more people poured in to express solidarity.

For Thakor, the defining moment of the campaign was when, “Anna Hazare came out of Tihar Jail, stood on that small stage and saw the vast sea of humanity stand in his support—after having struggled to be heard for the last 30-something-years.” Hazare had been detained by police hours before he began his hunger strike on Aug. 16.

Another element of the movement that impressed a lot of Anna Hazare’s  supporters was his non-violent approach. His approach has shaken the corridors of power.

“The fact that this movement has created a sense of urgency and precipitated debate on a 40-plus-year-old bill is in itself a great leap forward,” said Samhita Gupta, student at UC Davis Graduate School of Management.

Men and women of all ages, a lot of whom had come to celebrate Krishna Janmashtami at the Temple, appeared delighted to witness the Bay Area chapter of the movement unfold in their very own backyard.

“It’s great to see the people’s enthusiasm and zeal and the Indian tricolor all around,” said Anurag Singla, a Cupertino resident and HP employee. “It makes me feel connected to my country.”

You can learn more about “India Against Corruption” here: indiaagainstcorruption.org/

Facebook: facebook.com/IndiACor

Bay Area Chapter: facebook.com/iacsf

Additional reporting by Claudia Cruz

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