Today afternoon, i saw a programme in DD National showing the aftermaths of ralegan siddhi project of Anna Hazareji which he started in 1975. What a person Annaji is! He is truly creating miracles by gandhian mindset in this village.
Water was a major problem therein. This affected agriculture and people had to resort to liquor production and other jobs in nearby cities. Contaminated water led to water-borne diseases increasing death tolls. Hunger was common problem due to unemployment. Annaji wanted to put an end to their sufferings.
The Pune water mgmt scheme gave him ideas of building water reservoir in that village which helped in increasing the ground water level and filled wells and ponds with clear water. This immensely reduced the diseases and has helped in increasing agricultural productivity.
He says building skyscrapers doesn’t build a nation. Building men builds a nation. Every common man should have the national spirit within and should have the willingness to do something for the society and our nation.
Annaji is spreading the awareness on necessity of education for all young boys and girls in the village. He has been building a school and college by bringing together the village people. Each person is contributing their two days income every month for the welfare measurements of the village. Annaji says that as per the government funds given to this village, they get Rs.9 per head in a year for its welfare. But by now they are making it upto Rs. 50 per head in a month by coming tgether and contributing 2 days income for the village. People have denied taking up donations to keep up the spirit of self dependence and faith in hard work. It took upto 50 lakhs to build water reservoirs. But the annual agricultural turnover is more than 50 lakhs today in that village.
The village is undergoing such a rampant change that the nearby villager are making visits to this village so that they too can join him and bring betterment in their village too. Annaji is now giving stress to soil reservation schemes which will help in preventing soil erosion and increase life of the dams. Soil gets deposited in the dams by water flow and this reduces the life of the dam which can bring end to the thousands of lives of the people residing nearby. Hence soil conservation is necessary.
He has also taken steps forward to abolish caste and creed. Marriages are conducted at a particular place in the village irrespective of caste. Even dalit marriages occur there and all come forward there and help in bring down expenditure to min possible. Dowry is nowhere in the village.
Annaji had to bring the people together first and teach them the power of unity to achieve the impossible. He started this by constructing a temple in the village with the help of funds he had got from his prestigious awards to win people’s hearts by winning their failth. People realized his selflessness and this kindled their social spirit of coming together and bringing change.
Annaji was a truck driver in the Indian army. He is now the driver of the village leading them into the paths of glory.
It was a wonderful programme. Hats off to DD!
This was just a crux of the project.
Please visit http://www.annahazare.org/ralegan-siddhi.html
