Swaraj  (Hindi, Paperback, Kejriwal Arvind)

Published in the year 2012, Swaraj is a book that throws light on the struggle of the common man, amidst a corrupt political framework.

Summary Of The Book

In the year 2011, the Indian government was shaken by Anna Hazare, who lead an agitation, demanding the implementation of the Lokpal bill. Previously, discussions on politics used to remain only within the four walls of an individual’s house. However, this time things were different. Hazare’s agitation caused the middle class, and the elite to join hands in their fight against corruption.

Swaraj has a number of editorial cartoons that throw light on several crucial issues prevalent in the economic, political, and social scenario in India. The book starts off by providing a detailed analysis about the framing of government policies, which results in industrialists and politicians pocketing a great deal of money. He further explains the current political scenario in the country by throwing light on the difficulties faced by those who require help of government officials. He goes on to explain how government doctors don’t provide the medical assistance promised, and how the police often don’t register cases. Kejriwal also throws light on the problems faced by farmers, whose land is snatched away for a paltry sum of money, which will meet their needs for just few months.

He further explains the water crisis faced in many villages in the country, exclaiming that although many dams are full, yet water shortage is prevalent as water is only transferred to cities. He further throws light on irrelevant policies for villages, disregarding their actual need. Kejriwal insists that ‘mohalla gramsabhas’ should be established, where the needs of the people in that locality can be addressed by the people themselves. He further urges the citizens of the country to stand up against corruption. This is the Hindi edition of the book.

About Arvind Kejriwal

Arvind Kejriwal is a politician, and social activist.

Kejriwal was born on the 16th of August, 1968, in Hisar, Haryana. He studied at Campus School, Hisar, after which he finished his degree from IIT Kharagpur in mechanical engineering. He worked for three years at Tata Steel, and later went on to join the Indian Revenue Service in 1992, after clearing the Civil Services Examination. He left his job as a Joint Commissioner of the IT department. He was a part of the board to draft the Jan Lokpal Bill, which was followed by a campaign led by Anna Hazare. Kejriwal was then arrested as he supported Hazare. He has also been one among the five most mentioned politicians from India on sites such as Twitter, and Facebook. Kejriwal has been presented with several awards, and some of them include the NDTV Indian of the Year with Hazare, Indian of the Year in Public Service by CNN-IBN in 2006, and the Distinguished Alumnus Award by IIT Kharagpur. He was also awarded the Ramon Magsaysay award for his contribution towards Right to Information (RTI), in 2006.