Anna Hazare returns to blogging

NEW DELHI: Anna Hazare returned to blogging today, a fortnight after he fell out with his former blogger, whom he accused of airing his views without his authorisation.

In his new blog, Hazare introduced a fresh agenda -- development of 100 model villages to curb corruption -- apart from the Jan Lokpal bill, electoral reforms and decentralisation of power.

For developing 100 model villages, Hazare said they need to involve industrialists with "good character", who are willing to serve the country as some helped Mahatma Gandhi during the freedom struggle.

His new blog postings can be read on annahazaresays.indiaagainstcorruption.org and the first posting was about curbing corruption and developing model villages.

Hazare had shut down his earlier blog in the first week of this month after he fell out with Raju Parulekar, a journalist who was managing his blog.

The Gandhian had accused Parulekar of airing his views on restructuring Team Anna's core committee without talking to him. Parulekar denied the allegations and made public an unpublished letter by Hazare, in which he had talked about reorganising his team.

Recalling that some industrialists had financially supported Mahatma Gandhi, he said, "To create model villages, we will also have to involve such industrialists, who are willing to serve the country and are of good character.

"I believe that curbing corruption and creating ideal villages will provide a new direction to the country. I strongly believe that if activists, who have experience in village development provide the necessary guidance, it could help set the direction for the future of India," he said.