ANNA, NOT THE ONLY ONE

20 June, 2012 ANNA, NOT THE ONLY ONE SALUTE Anna Hazare may continue to stay in the news as the face of the fight against corruption but he is by no means the only one. Meet the other Annas – people who are fighting the system with commitment, except they are doing it away from the limelight. I’LL BRING OUT ILLEGALITIES OF GOVERNMENT’ S R HIREMATH (68). Takes on environmental issues. BASED IN: Karnataka. USP: He has been battling the issue of illegal mining rampant in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh ‘I WANT TO TAKE MY FIGHT TO THE LOGICAL END’ ANAND RAI (35). The doctor who used RTI to stop illegal drug trials. BASED IN: Indore. USP: He has angered his fraternity by stopping illegal drug trials on poor patients ‘RTI IS THE ONLY WAY TO ERADICATE CORRUPTION’ HARI CHAND ARORA (60). Banker turned advocate and RTI activist. BASED IN: Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh. USP: Takes information received under RTI to their logical end by filling PILs in the high court ‘MY EFFORT LED TO THE DISMISSAL OF SPURIOUS TEACHERS’ SHIV PRAKASH RAI (53). Farmer with 1999 RTI interventions. BASED IN: Bihar. USP: The leading RTI activist in the state,Rai has had many successes ‘I DON’T WANT TO BE A MESSIAH. PEOPLE SHOULD LEAD CHANGE’ VARSHA DESHPANDE (45). BASED ON: Satara and Mumbai. USP: Conduct sting operations to expose doctors performing sex determination tests ‘ALL FAITH LEAD TO ONE GOD, SO WHY DIFFERENTIATE?’ BHAIYYA JEE (85). Works in a range of areas from consumer rights to educating destitute and rehabilitating lepers. BASED IN: Lucknow. USP: The most visible social worker in the city, he is accepted across class and community lines. ‘RTI HELPS THE POOR FIGHT EXPLOITATION: SIMPREET SINGH (32). RTI activist fighting housing scams. BASED IN: Mumbai. USP: has been using RTI to unearth high profile scams ‘WE ARE TRYING TO MOBILISE THE MASSES’ AKHIL GOGOI (36). RTI activist and peasant leader. BASED IN: Guwahati. USP: He fights for farmers’ right and for indigenous peoples. Compiled from HT 10 Jun 2012