India in 2011 - Part I

All Are Anna

ALL ARE ANNA: A septuagenarian activist, a dozen of his prominent civil society members and a sea of individuals assembled in the capital twice with the demand to bring out an effective anti-corruption law. While efforts to create an "effective" law against corruption are underway, Anna Hazare, Lokpal and the movement named India Against Corruption became household names.

Midnight Swoop

MIDNIGHT SWOOP: After Anna Hazare’s satyagraha for Lokpal, Yoga guru Baba Ramdev too came up with an indefinite hunger strike to bring back money stashed abroad. The strike ended the very first day, with a clash between police and his supporters at Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi. The midnight police action took away the life of Rajbala, a Baba Ramdev disciple.

Scams Galore

SCAMS GALORE: (Clockwise from left) Kanimozhi, A. Raja, Amar Singh, Janardhana Reddy, Suresh Kalmadi. The year 2011 saw these prominent political faces being arrested for various multi-crore scams. Some of them are out on bail, while others are still in jail. The trials will continue to run in the coming year.

Slapgate

SLAPGATE: The trend started off by an Iraqi journalist last year seems to continue. Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar became the latest victim of public fury, when a delhi-based lorry driver, Harvinder Singh, assaulted him during a function in New Delhi.

Fast Politics

FAST POLITICS: To strengthen social harmony and brotherhood in the state, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi has embarked on a series of fasts that began with the three-day Sadbhavana fast in Ahmedabad. Congress leaders too organised counter-fast blaming Narendra Modi for the post-Godhra riots.

Himalayan Quake

HIMALAYAN QUAKE: A damaged building in Rinzing Monastery. A 6.8 magnitude quake rattled the North-East with Sikkim as its epicentre on September 18, 2011. The tiny north-eastern State was worst-hit. The quake severely damaged Sikkim’s infrastructure and the Kanchenjunga Conservation Area besides leaving scores dead.

Pilgrimage Sorrow

DEATHS OVER PANIC: Tragedy struck at Sabarimala on January 14, 2011 when a jeep carrying pilgrims met with an accident and triggered a deadly stampede killing over a hundred. Photo shows an Ayyappa devotee weeping outside a hospital in Kumily, where survivors were being treated.

Battle for land

BATTLE FOR LAND: Gobindpur and Dhinkia were little known villages in Odisha until early 2011. But these villagers were fighting a battle for reclaiming the forest land acquired by the corporate giant POSCO India to set-up a steel plant. The battle took a new turn when children and women joined the agitation by forming a human barricade around the proposed plant.

No to Kudankulam

NO TO NUCLEAR: Following the Fukushima Dai-ichi disaster in Japan, anti-nuclear activists and people living near the Kudankulam nuclear plant began observing fast at Idinthakarai, Tamil Nadu, protesting against the commissioning of Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project. Despite repeated assurances by the government on the safety, the plant is yet to function. The argument over safety and development is set to continue in 2012 too.

Didi's Magic

DIDI’S MAGIC: Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress created history by capturing West Bengal, once the Left bastion, in the Assembly elections.