New Delhi, Aug. 6: Anna Hazare today claimed that Manmohan Singh and Kapil Sibal had not been able to understand how India works because of their “education abroad”.
The Telegraph goes on to report (see link)
The social activist was quoted by news agency IANS as saying that since the Prime Minister and the human resource minister “received their education abroad, they have not been able to understand the workings of the country”.
Both Singh and Sibal completed their master’s in India before going abroad for further studies.
While the comment has the potential to spark an uproar, it was not clear whether the Gandhian had overlooked the fact that Gandhiji himself had studied law in England. Jawaharlal Nehru, too, had studied in Britain. So did Sardar Patel, who enrolled for legal training in Middle Temple Inn.
Hazare’s comments in Maharashtra — during a nation-wide campaign to appeal to all Indians to start a second “Independence movement” from August 16 — came on a day BJP MP Varun Gandhi offered his MP’s bungalow to the activist as a possible site for his proposed indefinite fast for a strong Lokpal bill.
“If the government does not offer a public place for Anna Hazare’s fast, I am proud to offer my house and official residence as MP and I hope he will avail (himself) of the offer,” said Varun, who shares the 14 Ashoka Road bungalow with his mother, MP Maneka Gandhi.
It’s not known if Hazare has had the opportunity to look up Varun’s Lok Sabha web page, which mentions that part of his education has been abroad.
Now I quote from one of my earlier blogs POLITICS OF DESI BOYZ PHOREN DREAMZ… which is so relevant in the above context:
I mentioned “almost all Politicians” believing in overseas education since there was one Prime Minister who did not believe in “overseas education” for Indians. My friend, Mr Paul Chellakumar, who apart from being one of the more experienced student counsellors is also the President of AAAOE and is currently quite active in putting some sense in the UK system, in one of his publication printed the following letter that he had received from Mr Morarji Desai in 1986. The late prime minister is quite clear in his few words…
(I am not in favor of sending students abroad…: Morarji Desai)
He had assumed power in 1977, post “emergency” from Mrs Indira Gandhi who had been educated overseas. Her father and India’s first Prime Minister, Pandit Nehru, had also had the same privilege. Interestingly both had even undertaken their schooling overseas. Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had chosen to educate her sons at THE DOON SCHOOL before sending Rajiv Gandhi overseas. This is when Rajiv Gandhi met Sonia Gandhi. (Interestingly, the grandson, Rahul Gandhi too followed his father by going to Doon and then too studied overseas. Rajiv did go on to become a dynamic PM and I am waiting for Rahul now.)
Morarji Desai’s Prime Ministership was short and he was replaced by Chowdhury Charan Singh who had also chosen to educate his son and the current Harit Leader Ch Ajit Singh overseas (Ajit Singh’s son too studied overseas.)
Hence, in such a circumstance and seven years after his (brief) tenure as India’s first non-Congress Prime Minister, the comments made in 1986 at the age of 90, does sounds quite banal and like a “particular therapy” that Morarjibhai prescribed, completely impractical.
“The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind”
Anna too is a politician for sure…
RLS's Blog 
At the age of 74, Shri Anna Hazare ji is doing what the opposition party is suppose to do……His strength come from the fact that he is morally correct over the corruption issues. Hence, I would simply ignore his comments……..
LikeLike
What Anna Hazare says about the education of the Prime Minister and Minister is not at all important to the comman man. The Government is proved to be the most corrupt Government and the action taken by anyone (politician or a Gandhian) who is non corrupt should be supported unanimously by the people.
LikeLike