FB 305: Anna’s Ralegan readies to host Obama in Oct :- Pune: US president Barack Obama may travel to Ralegan Siddhi to meet septuagenarian Gandhian activist Anna Hazare this October during his visit to India. Prakash Shah, who is presently an advisor of the United Parcel Service, (UPS) Washington DC, and is believed to have served as the US president’s emissary for the possible visit, met Hazare at Ralegan Siddhi earlier this month. Hazare’s personal assistant Datta Awari said Shah also took the activist’s book ‘My Village My Pilgrimage’ after meeting him on June 1. While there has been no confirmation from the US authorities as yet, Hazare was told that Obama is likely to visit India in October and would like to meet him at his village where the US president could also see his work. “Shah has been in touch with us for several months. He had sought information on Anna and his work which he claimed to have passed on to the US authorities,” Awari told dna. Hazare shot to international fame after his hunger strike in April 5, 2011, to exert pressure on the Indian Government to enact a stringent anti-corruption law as envisaged in the Jan Lokpal Bill, for the institution of an ombudsman with the power to deal with corruption in public places. The fast spurred nationwide protests in his support. Obama has in the past praised the anti corruption campaign launched by Hazare. In his speech to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Obama spoke about the will of the people across the globe, who believe in peaceful co-existence and want to live in freedom and dignity. Though he did not name Anna Hazare in particular, he mentioned non-violent protests in various parts of the world, including, seeking freedom and change. “We saw in those protesters the moral force of non-violence that has lit the world from Delhi to Warsaw, from Selma to South Africa,” Obama was quoted as saying. Published Date: Jun 06, 2013 epaper.dnaindia/story.aspx?id=15235&boxid=34281&ed_date=2013-6-06&ed_code=860009&ed_page=5
Posted on: Thu, 06 Jun 2013 07:14:28 +0000
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