SEPTUAGENARIAN KISSAN BABURAO HAZARE.

Well the media is full of this great man’s effort to fight corruption!

He is affectionately called Anna .He has undertaken a fast- unto death.

This is his Satyagrah’  to force the establishment to enact a stringent

law to tackle corruption .The enactment  of the Jan Lokpal bill.

Now what is the Lokpal Bill?

It will be a 3 member body with a chairperson who is /was a chief justice

Or a Supreme Court judge and 2 members who are or have been high court

judges or Chief Justice  .

This basic idea has been borrowed from the office the Ombudsman in other

countries  .It provides for filing complaints ,of corruption against P.M,other

ministers and Member of Parliament with the ombudsman.

Anyone except a public servant can file a complaint and the Lokpal

 has to complete the enquiry in 6 months .The bill has a long history of 42 years.

It was first presented during the 4^th Loksabha in 1968.

It was reviewed in 1971, 1977,1985,1989,1996,1998,2001,2005 and 2008.

In September 2004 P.M. Manmohan Singh said that the Congress led U.P.A.

(United Progressive Alliance)Government would enact the Bill. But strong lobbies

 blocked it.

The reason behind the confrontation between the govt. and civil society is the

toothless draft of the Lokpal Bill prepared by the Law ministry .The social activists

do not want any more pussyfooting! They are not happy about (GoM) group of ministers

on corruption too!

Anna has demanded the government constitute a joint committee comprising

 government officials and civilians to frame a fresh Lokpal Bill to tackle corruption realistically.

The activists and supporters  are demanding independent Lokpal at the Centre and

 Lokayukts  at the state level to tackle corruption.

Hazare is hopeful about his crusade because of the mass youth participation .He has termed it as

‘our second war of independence’.

I for one, though staunchly against corruption, would never like to support Anna Hazare’s Lokpal,

for the simple reason that once again it’ll be just a battle between the lawyers and we the common

man will be left high and dry . All this I feel is in the ream of fantasy !We consumers cannot get

redressal for corrupt practices by the producers and now this!

What I feel at this point of time the R.T.I.(Right to Information )should be given more teeth. (looks

like I have been visiting the dentist with my vocab toothless ,more teeth!)Jokes apart!

I believe if R.T.I.is strengthened and is made widely known to the masses ….I am sure people will

start fearing to adopt corrupt practices  at any level.  It’ll definitely be a step  forward towards eradicating

corruption  .Kudos to Aruna Roy!  (Anna has been a support in her fight to R.T.I. )