He’s called the Gandhi of the 21st century, and in many ways has earned the title too. Not only has Anna Hazare exhibited strong qualities of non-violence and immense will power, but like the Mahatma he has also managed to garner the support of all Indians - young and old, when he recently went on a fast-unto death for the implementation of the Jan Lokpal Bill.

The fast that lasted four days, from April 5-9 2011, ended with the Government of India agreeing to form a Lokpal, which aims to keep corruption in government offices under check. Amidst much media hype and public support, the Government of India complied and passed the bill, issuing a gazette notification on the formation of a joint committee to draft an effective Lokpal Bill.

But this wasn’t Hazare’s first victory; he was also the man behind the Right to Information (RTI) revolution. He had rallied for the Maharashtra Right to Information Act, by going on a fast unto death until the act was implemented in 2003. This Act later became the base document for the RTI Act that was passed by the Parliament in 2005. The act entails that an Indian citizen (excluding citizens of Jammu & Kashmir) can request information from any public authority, which is required to reply within 30 days.

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