Veteran social activist Anna Hazare to begin indefinite fast from January 30, 2026, in Ralegan Siddhi because of non-implementation of law by the Govt. of Maharashtra despite obtaining presidential assent.

Anna Hazare, a social activist, has announced that he would start an indefinite fast on 30th January 2026 in his hometown of Ralegan Siddhi in Maharashtra, demanding that the newly formed Lokayukta Act be implemented. Anna Hazare, who is 80 years old, announced that his fast satyagraha was a result of the Maharashtra State administration’s failure to implement this bill despite it having been passed by President Droupadi Murmu herself.

This decision by a social activist Anna Hazare to go on a fast has been taken by him as a duty, which he announced in a letter to Maharashtra’s CM, Devendra Fadnavis, that it would be his “honor” to sacrifice his life for his nation.

In his letter, Anna Hazare alleged that though “the Lokayukta bill has received assent from the President of India at the end of last year itself, yet till date, the state government has not shown any positive progress regarding its implementation.” This means that he is threatening to go for a fast-unto-death because of lack of progress by the government to implement his bill. He has already threatened to go for a fast-unto-death if his demands are not met by the government.

The Lokayukta BIll has a very extensive background in legislation. The Lokayukta BIll, which was adopted in the Maharashtra Assembly, is dated December 28, 2022. After this, there is evidence of its acceptance by the Legislative Council on December 15, 2023. Then there is evidence that showed that this BIll was sent for assent from the President of India. After obtaining assent from the President of India, this BIll is still awaiting its implementation. It is also reported that Fadnavis had been in contact with Hazare and that he had promised him that he shall implement Lokayukta BIll in the next three months.

It is pertinent to mention here that this is not the first instance in which a hunger strike has been staged by Anna Hazare to press for the Lokayukta Act to be passed. It was in the year 2022 that he staged a similar hunger strike in Ralegan Siddhi, which had to be canceled with the intervention of Chief Minister Fadnavis. On the conclusion of the strike, a committee was formed to draw up the draft of the Lokayukta Act, which was later passed with the approval of the Maharashtra State Legislature and sent to the president to be signed. However, the lag in the enforcement of this new legislation has encouraged the renewed petition to stage a hunger strike.

Anna Hazare’s involvement in social activism has been ongoing for a period of several decades, and his involvement with his village, Ralegan Siddhi, where he has transformed the village into a model village, has received him a significant amount of recognition, which acted as a catalyst for his further activities on a national scale.

Firstly, he made headlines in 2011 when he conducted a hunger strike regarding effective measures against corruption at Ramlila Maidan, Delhi. This was a turning point in Indian politics, where key politicians had to quit and then pass The Lokpal and Lokayukta Act.

The other area where Hazare made significant impacts was through a movement where Arvind Kejriwal, who is a politician, joined Indian politics. This shows that Anna Hazare has had a significant influence in shaping debates regarding corruption in Indian politics. Over the years, Hazare has been committed to causes such as transparency, accountability, and governance. The activist work he does sometimes includes him taking direct action on issues such as conducting hunger strikes or mass protests on the streets to ensure that the authorities become answerable for different social causes.

The upcoming fast is all set to revive discussions on ‘Implementation of the Lokayukta Act’ in Maharashtra and its link to fighting against “the evil of CORUPTIONS.” Since Hazare is an established figure with direct connectivity to mass mobilization for his opinions, this movement is all set to get extensive space on every different platform available for reporting. The entire focus is on this upcoming face-off as Hazare is all set to begin with the initiation of yet another indefinite fast on his journey for all these years as a social activist.

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