Indian Anti-Corruption Activist Returns Home

Posted September 1st, 2011 at 12:15 pm (UTC-5)
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Indian anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare has returned to his native village, after being released from the hospital following a 13-day hunger strike.

Hazare was greeted by a crowd of cheering supporters as he arrived in Ralegan Siddhi in the western state of Maharashtra late Wednesday.

The 74-year old activist had been hospitalized in New Delhi since Sunday, when he broke his nearly two-week fast in support of tougher anti-corruption legislation.

Hazare lost more than seven kilograms during his hunger strike, which galvanized millions of people across India. He ended his fast after parliament agreed to consider some of his demands for the creation of an independent anti-corruption organization with wide-ranging power to investigate lawmakers, the judiciary and bureaucrats.

A number of high-profile corruption scandals has made national headlines in India. The scandals include the sale of telecommunications licenses at below-market value and numerous financial irregularities in India's hosting of the Commonwealth Games last year.

Popular outrage over the corruption scandals has grown steadily in India in the past year and millions of people took to the streets in support of Hazare in recent weeks.