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After Ramlila Maidan, all roads lead to Ralegan Siddhi,
Ralegan Siddhi, social crusader Anna Hazare's native village in Maharashtra's Ahmednagar district, suddenly finds itself in the midst of unprecedented limelight, thanks to the media play that he and his movement has got in the last few months. It has now been catapulted to the country's pilgrimage and tourist circuits.
The septuagenarian anti-corruption activist has scaled new heights of popularity and admiration from people across the country and even abroad.
A majority of people visiting Shirdi's Sai Baba Temple, Shani-Shingnapure Temple in Ahmednagar district or even Pune and its Bhimashankar peak and Malshej Ghats, make it a point to visit Ralegan Siddhi, according to locals.
Kishore Mapari, the manager of a local museum-cum-infomedia centre, said that till March an average of 500 curious people used to visit the village daily.
"This has changed after his two agitations and hunger strikes in New Delhi. Now, we get over 1,500 people daily which includes students, academicians, researchers, tourists, pilgrims and commoners," Mapari told IANS.
A majority of people visiting Shirdi’s Sai Baba Temple, Shani-Shingnapure Temple in Ahmednagar district or even Pune and its Bhimashankar peak and Malshej Ghats, make it a point to visit Ralegan Siddhi, according to locals.
Kishore Mapari, the manager of a local museum-cum-infomedia centre, said that till March an average of 500 curious people used to visit the village daily.
‘This has changed after his two agitations and hunger strikes in New Delhi. Now, we get over 1,500 people daily which includes students, academicians, researchers, tourists, pilgrims and commoners,’ Mapari told IANS.
But most politicians tend to stay away. The Anna Hazare movement against corruption has consciously kept politicians at bay, with some Team Anna leaders like Kiran Bedi also publicly lampooning them.
Besides going around the village – converted into an eco-friendly model of self-sufficiency and prosperity by Hazare – they express eagerness for information on his strategies which changed the lives of the villagers.
Many victims of corruption write or come to meet the activist with their complaints, hoping for a redressal. Nobody is turned away and he patiently listens to them in small groups at the Padmavati Temple or Yadavbaba Temple in the village.
‘Outsiders see in Hazare ‘a messiah’ who has come to relieve them of all evils confronting the country. His simplicity is striking and endears him to all,’ said Pankaj Shah, retired state government employee from Surat, Gujarat, who attended Hazare’s first rally in the village last fortnight.
However, all the attention and focus on Ralegan Siddhi has the village authorities worried about the lack of infrastructure to cater to the hordes descending daily.
Village head M. Jaisingh told mediapersons that many people want to stay for at least two-three days, but there are hardly any facilities.
‘This has changed after his two agitations and hunger strikes in New Delhi. Now, we get over 1,500 people daily which includes students, academicians, researchers, tourists, pilgrims and commoners,’ Mapari told IANS.
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