I'm Anna because he brought thousands of people out of the serenity of their houses into scorching heat of public places, which were noisy and full of mud and rain water, to fight for their rights — their right to tell the government that they want a strong system to prevent and fight corruption, to castigate those who are guilty of stealing our money.

I'm Anna because he didn't use any means of violence as his weapon. Indeed, he used the mahatma's non-violence — a weapon that doesn't destroy life but changes society.

I'm Anna because he did not denigrate democracy. He never asked the Prime Minister to step down; neither did he ask the ruling party to quit power.

He only reminded the government that the people are the masters of the land.

I'm Anna because he does not belong to any political party; his acts are not in favour of any party. He did not discriminate people on the basis of religion, caste, creed or sex. I don't remember any name or religion of the person around me while shouting “mai bhi anna tu bhi anna ab to sara desh hai anna” in Ramlila Maidan. I knew only one thing — they were my friends, Indians and countrymen.

I'm Anna because he is one of those people who gave up food so that the poor can have food, without caring about his health or age or even his life.

I'm Anna because once again he made us realise that we are a nation, we are united.

John Lawrence rightly remarked on the first War of Independence “Had a single leader of ability arisen among them [the rebels] we [British] must have been lost beyond redemption.” We had an able leader with us this time and that is why we won the battle. But the war remains to be tackled.

(The writer is a student of Kirori Mal College, Delhi University. His email id is: adi.aadarsh@gmail.com)

I am not gay or even bisexual. But all of a sudden, every night this week, I have been having deeply objectionable dreams about Kapil Sibal. How objectionable, you ask. Well, let me assure you they have nothing to do with either the 2G scam or the Lokpal bill.

But they were very, very, very, very objectionable. They were so objectionable that I ended up offending my own sentiments, both religious and non-religious. And, dear reader, I am not at all sure I can describe them to you without offending your sentiments too — especially your aesthetic sentiments. So let me put it this way: Imagine Vidya Balan’s role in The Dirty Picture being played by Kapil Sibal, wearing those same costumes, and enacting those same sequences with Naseeruddin Shah and those other fellows. Well, it was sort of like that, but really dirty.

Usually I can never remember my dreams. When I wake up, I have a vague sense that I have had some powerful dreams, but the imagery always escapes me. I am guessing it is some form of censorship at work. But what bothers me now is that this oneiric censorship mechanism has stopped working ever since Kapil Sibal began invading my dreams.

So I have been waking up every morning with high-res images of Kapil Sibal swirling in my brain. And believe me when I say these are really disturbing images, for somehow he never wears anything in my dreams. A fashion writer friend of mine tells me people in dreams are generally seen wearing whatever clothes they go to bed in. So does that mean Sibal sleeps in the nude? Even if he does, does that give him the right to enter my dreams uninvited, and outrage my modesty by displaying those of his assets in which I have no interest whatsoever?

To make it worse, he is never quiet. I know, he is never quiet in real life either. But in my dreams he is forever quoting his own poetry. Two nights ago, for instance, he recited this poem while doing sit-ups:
I am Kapil Sibal, and I have a lovely fat ass
And I tell you no offensive comments can you pass
So if you tweet that I’m an idiot or a cretin
I swear you’ll never be allowed to get in.

When I heard it, I was scandalised, but I kept my counsel. But he wanted to know my opinion of his poem. I pointed out that ‘ass’ did not exactly rhyme with ‘pass’. He took offence at my feedback. ‘You fool,’ he said. ‘Which world are you in? What matters is how they speak in America, which is where all our policies are made anyway. For Americans, ‘ass’ does rhyme with ‘pass’. You bloody Indians will never get it.’

As you can imagine, scenes like this hardly make for a pleasant dream. Besides, such dreams with adult content were deeply offensive to my satvic sensibility. But I was helpless as I did not know how to suppress Sibal’s night-time incursions into my unconsciousness. So I was quite thrilled when I heard that Sibal was seeking pre-censorship of virtual content.

For those who don’t know, pre-censorship is censoring the content you want to censor even before it comes into existence as content. According to media reports, Sibal met top executives of companies like Facebook, Google, Yahoo and Microsoft and told them to find a way of screening and thus preventing disparaging comments or imagery about himself or his ilk from appearing on the internet. (Normally what happens is they first appear, then some idiot takes offence, and they are taken off.)

One report said Sibal was anxious about pre-censoring ‘obscene images of Indian political leaders.’ I knew instantly what was on his mind. It was the same thing that was on mine. I would not be seeing ‘obscene images of Indian political leaders’ in my dreams if only I had access to some form of pre-censorship, whereby I could censor my dreams before they were dreamed by me. So I was really hoping Sibal would get these executives to do his bidding; find a way to suppress objectionable content before it finds expression. Surely the technology could be developed and applied to dreams too? After all, the dream world is just another form of virtual reality.

But the executives let him down. They told him pre-censorship was impossible because Facebook has 25 million users in India, and Google, 100 million. And Iast I checked, I had about 100 billion neurons in my brain, and on a given night, any one of them could slip a placard into a dream that says, ‘Kapil Sibal is a big fat moron who loves wanking.’ Now, what can I do about that?

If the RSS supports vegetarianism, will all vegetables become communal? Absurd as that might sound, it is pretty much the argument some critics of the Anna Hazare-led movement are making when they seek to tar it with the RSS brush. The notion that since the RSS is a communal organisation, anything it touches becomes communal is not an argument that rests on logic but superstition built on an idea of sympathetic magic. Nothing in the Jan Lokpal bill suggests an agenda with a communal element; there has admittedly been a visible presence of religious leaders around the movement but this has in no way influenced the draft of the bill itself. The argument is nothing but an exercise in name calling, and uses voodoo logic to make its case.

The lack of logical rigour is a running feature of the UPA's effort to attack the Jan Lokpal movement. For instance, if one were to accept that the RSS was backing the cause, would it not imply that it was more serious about getting rid of corruption than the Government, which is doing everything in its power to discredit the protest? Or for that matter, if we were, for the sake of argument, to accept that all members of Team Anna are corrupt in one way or another, does their version of the bill become flawed as a result? Does it mean that we don't need to do anything about corruption, given that even the anti-corruption activists are not completely clean themselves? It is striking that we are seeing little debate on the bill itself, but only a sustained campaign of superficial name calling that has virtually no implications on any core issue at stake. The issue is no longer the Jan Lokpal bill; Team Anna is being taught a lesson for having the temerity to rise against the political establishment

Troubling as this is, the real problem lies much deeper. The fact that the state is able to use its vast powers to single out each member of Team Anna and do so as deliberately and openly as it has tells us that any form of dissent is likely to attract fierce retribution. And the media, far from protecting us against such attacks might well become an instrument in the hands of the powerful, both deliberately in some cases and unwittingly in others.

This pattern is not restricted to this case alone. We saw it at work in as naked a form when the Vajpayee government went after Tehelka and everyone it could associate with it in the aftermath of the sting operation. We see it when a Narendra Modi repeatedly goes after dissenters who are inconvenient. We see it in the way the Congress turned the CBI loose on Jagan Reddy in Andhra Pradesh when he became troublesome. Indeed, it has become standard practice to use the machinery of the government to attack dissenters in unrelated cases so as to undermine them personally instead of trying to rebut the argument they make. The brazenness of the actions taken by the state is what is deeply troubling for it suggests that tomorrow anyone in a position to challenge the state will face all-out attacks of similar ferocity.

This is where the role media plays needs to come under greater scrutiny. When it allows itself to be diverted every time a Digvijay Singh says something outrageously provocative or when an IT case against Arvind Kejriwal is dug up, it is following a baser instinct and sacrificing a larger principle. It can be nobody's case that media should not have reported or commented on the Kiran Bedi episode, for instance. Of course, the fact that she was presenting bills of a higher amount than what she spent was newsworthy given that she is such an impassioned anti-corruption crusader, but it is equally important to acknowledge that in the overall context of corruption in India, this can only be a minor footnote, an interesting sidelight if you will. Padding travel bills is not the same as the CWG scam, and Kiran Bedi, however visible she might be as a person is not accountable to the public in the same way as an elected representative or a minster is; these are false equivalences that must be exposed. There is a difference between the interesting and the important, the distracting and the dangerous and a key role of media is to accord differential priorities to events rather than paint them all with a uniform brush. The revelation that a self-righteous crusader is less than transparent in her personal dealings is interesting, but not earth-shakingly important. But the manner in which she and others have been targeted is not only important but dangerous in a way that goes way beyond this specific case.

Perhaps the most troubling aspect of the price that is being extracted for dissent is the absence of an independent voice that rises above ideological considerations and works towards upholding the key principles that every democracy must cherish. In this case, for instance, those opposed to Team Anna's methods tend to make light of the state's deliberate and unprincipled targeting of key individuals just as in the case of Sanjiv Bhatt and other dissenters in Gujarat, the supporters of Narendra Modi justify the need for the state action. Increasingly, ideology tends to overwhelm principle; the desire to support any action, however unsavoury if it happens to be aligned to one's own views, is visible on both sides. The result is that the political system feels free to take revenge for any act of dissent, secure in the knowledge that it will receive some support for its actions.

In a court of law in the US, illegally obtained evidence, what ever it might be, is generally not admissible on grounds of being the 'fruit of a poisonous tree'; the idea being that the individual must be protected against acts of bad faith. When the state dredges up unrelated cases against a dissenting individual, it is acting in bad faith. By engaging in a discussion about what it finds as a result of its fishing expeditions, we end up legitimising its actions. And the consequences of that are far more severe than a mere bill, no matter where one stands on its merits.

Uttar Pradesh chief minister and head of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) Mayawati sent her private jet to pick up a pair of sandals, according to leaked US diplomatic cables.

US embassy cables from 2007 to 2009 released by the WikiLeaks website in recent days describe Mayawati, 55, as "a first-rate egomaniac" who "is obsessed with becoming prime minister".

They said Mayawati celebrated her birthday each year by receiving millions of dollars in gifts from "sycophantic party members, civil servants and business people" while officials vie for a chance to feed her cake.

"When she needed new sandals, her private jet flew empty to Mumbai to retrieve her preferred brand," a cable dated October 23, 2008 reported, adding she employed food tasters to guard against poisoning.

"She constructed a private road from her residence to her office, which is cleaned immediately after her multiple vehicle convoy reaches its destination," the cable said in an analysis of her "eccentricities, whims and insecurities".

It added an account of Mayawati making a state minister do sit-ups in front of her as punishment for a minor protocol error, and reported it cost $250,000 to run as a BSP parliamentary candidate due to "institutionalized corruption".

Mayawati and the BSP performed below expectations in national elections in 2009, winning just 21 seats in the 543-seat parliament, but she retains strong support among the poor.

She has often been criticised for extravagance, erecting huge statues of herself in public parks and being greeted at rallies with garlands made out of Rs 1,000 (20-dollar) notes.

The unmarried former schoolteacher did not immediately respond to the allegations made in the cables.

In her current term, Mayawati has run Uttar Pradesh since May 2007 and was also chief minister from 2002 to 2003.

Perhaps the single most important thing that the Anna movement has taught us is that politics is too important to be left only to professional politicians. India has been like a house owned by a householder who leaves the day-to-day running of the house — keeping the place clean, buying provisions for the kitchen, maintaining a daily hisaab — to the servants. Left unregulated — except for a check on their activities every five years — the servants inevitably come to feel that the house belongs to them and not to the householder. As time goes by they become increasingly lazy and corrupt and treat the householder with contempt. The house becomes rundown with no money to pay for upkeep.

The householder blames the servants for having cheated and defrauded her. She concludes that all servants are cheats who are not to be trusted. But the householder forgets that it was only because she abdicated her own responsibility for adequately supervising the servants that they could behave the way they did, bringing the house to the sorry state it is in.

The Indian public is like that over-trustful householder who has let her house be run, with virtually no monitoring, by politicians who, feeling that there is no one to hold them to account for their actions, have done exactly as they pleased, holding to ransom the house that we call India.

Anna Hazare's movement has been a wake-up call to the Indian electorate. Politics — real politics and not just party politics like BJP vs Congress, or cabinet reshuffles, or who's replacing whom as chief minister — is like housekeeping. Both involve asking questions like how much money do we have to spend, and what should our priorities be (children's education, medical insurance); if there is a dispute between two or more members of the household how it is to be resolved, and by whom; what are the rules that govern the household, and who should frame these rules and how?

Asking such questions of oneself and of each other is what politics is about. It's not enough to cast a vote come election time and then give the winning candidate — no matter by what dubious means many of them have won, nor how shady of character they are — a free hand to run the country, while the voter goes about pursuing her own personal concerns to the exclusion of larger public issues.

Does this mean that we all have to become politicians? Obviously not, in the sense that we can't all stand for elections. But it does mean that we have to become more aware of how the political household of Indian democracy is run.

Anna's movement has made all of us — both ardent followers and those who agree with his objectives but disagree with his methods — more politically aware. It has shown that it is only when people actively engage with matters of public concern that the so-called 'system' of graft and misgovernance can be changed. This is not to justify the politics of mass agitation in defiance of parliamentary procedure and the Constitution. That's a dangerous path leading not to democracy but to mobocracy. Hazare himself has said that, after corruption, what needs urgent action are electoral reforms which will make elected representatives more responsive and mindful of the wishes of the people who elected them.

Such reforms — the right to recall, the right to cast a negative vote against all the candidates from a constituency — have long been debated. Now is the time to press for them. Not by holding dharnas or thumbing a nose at Parliament but by inducing Parliament constitutionally to effect such changes. How? Peaceful protest gatherings and marches are one tactic. Even better would be the use of bandwidth and the internet to launch a mass e-movement via mobile telephony and the electronic network to bring about the changes that need to be made. Gherao your MP. Not physically, but with lobbying emails, SMSs, postcards, chain letters, mental telepathy. That's the real politics beyond party politics. We all need to become more politically savvy householders. Or House-holders.

Dr Subramanian exposes the Sacrifice Drama of Sonia Gandhi and obviously CONGRESS. The truth behind this denial of Prime Minister post was never told to the Indian public.

Respected Right Honourable MPs:

How dare they besmirch your honourable reputation? How can they call you anpadh (illiterate), nalayak (shameless)  and ganwar (ignorant) when the whole world knows you are padh, layak and sworn protectors of our bhindi-gawar? I mean who are these people---Om Puri and Kiran Bedi---to cast stones at a glass House and not experience its shattering consquences? It pains us to see you, our elected representatives, subject to so much invective and ridicule. Right or wrong, you are always there for us. After all we voted for you, right or wrong.

Om Puri, he of the pock-marked but clean face of Bollywood, must surely have been joking when he said that more than half of you were uneducated. I am sure he meant nearly half of you were educated. With typical Bollywood restraint, he has understated the facts. And Kiran Bedi, what does she know of our lion-hearted embers of parliament? Trust a former policewoman to think like a policewoman and want to lock up popular ideas like yourselves in Tihar jail. Her mask comes off whenever the camera comes on in public. She often makes an Everest of even the smallest hill.

People with nothing better to do than compile statistics and waste time watching the democratic workings of our great democracy point out that nearly 150 of our poor 543 MPs in the 15th Lok Sabha have criminal cases pending against them on one charge or the other, These charges range from murder to corruption. That's a nearly 22% rise over 2004, but then people who occupy public office are always fair game for the opposition---be it envious rivals, bitter losers or even the ignorant masses (you can call them asses, it's your privilege) who file cases at the drop of a rupee.

Seriously, can we blame you when you---our true lok-pals---want to take on the entire burden of running the country on your own slender shoulders? Granted, you may be a little thick-skinned, but who isn't in these dog-eat-rhino-eat-hippopotamus-eat-neta world, you tell us.

It's not only Shri Lalu Prasad who wants roads that are as smooth as Shrimati Hema Malini's cheeks. It's not only civil society that wants us to shed our masks and don a new Annavatar, but most of us, the 1.2 billion people (give or take a few million) of India who want a clean break, a new start to our lives. We want lively, energetic Lok Sabhas that debate and celebrate everyday lives, not shok-sabhas that chronicle and punish every perceived slur or insult.

Yes, we know you have been terribly hurt by the recent turn of events. Of ordinary people calling you names, of extraordinary people making a name for themselves. While sitting members like you become sitting ducks for every Anna, Bedi and Puri.

Forgive them, for they know not. Forget us, for we count not.

Pranaam.

Colours of politics merge as parliamentarians raise their standard of debate several notches to signal the political class's openness to accepting the basic principles of Anna Hazare's Jan Lokpal bill.

PRANAB MUKHERJEE
LEADER OF THE HOUSE | LOK SABHA

MPs should seize the moment and show their commitment in dealing with corruption

* With Anna's fast entering the 12th day, the situation is moving out of hand
* Issues which have been raised by Anna are "important" and "genuine"
* MPs will have to consider Anna's three key demands within the constitutional framework and by preserving Parliament's supremacy
* The question before Parliament is whether the ambit of the Lokpal should cover all Central employees
* Another issue before members is whether there would be Lokayukt in all states
* Should the Lokpal have the power to punish all those who violate the proposed 'grievance redressal mechanism?"
* If the House arrives at a consensus, the Standing Committee will take into account the practicability, implementability and constitutionality of these issues
* Govt has amply demonstrated it is sensitive to the common man's concern over corruption
* Our government is committed to bringing appropriate laws and put a mechanism in place which will reduce discretion and bring in transparency
* Govt will also take strong measures against those who indulge in corruption

SUSHMA SWARAJ
LEADER OF OPPOSITION, LOK SABHA

* There was a time when judiciary used to be treated with great respect but now that esteem has disappeared
* CBI has been used indiscriminately against politicians
* The investigating agency has become Congress Bachao Institution
* CBI looks at whistleblowers as criminals while actual beneficiaries are let off There is no denying the fact that this House is supreme
* We cannot forget that 11 members of Parliament were expelled from the two Houses of the Parliament and their political careers are now over
* For the selection of an impartial Lokpal, there is need to set up a Committee where the government members will not be in a majority
* There is need to recall that the bill moved in 1968 had both words Lokpal and Lokayukta in the heading
* We have to distinguish between inefficiency and deemed corruption. They are not the same things
* The public redressal mechanism should be set up in such a way that the amount obtained as fine should be passed on to people whose work has been delayed
* On behalf of my party, I am agreeing to all the three key issues raised by Anna
* Let this legislation not suffer the fate of the previous eight Lokpal bills

Arun Jaitley
LEADER OF OPPOSITION, RAJYA SABHA
* Corruption in many areas has become a way of life People are not ready to accept the present status quo
* All employees and public servants must be accountable. Accounting mechanism could be a part of the Lokpal
* We need a citizens' charter and public grievance (redressal mechanism). Some states have already started
it. The Centre should think about it too. It will be a very good step for governance
* I decline to support Anna Hazare's demand to bring the conduct of MPs inside Parliament and judiciary under Lokpal
* We removed elected representatives. As far as impropriety outside the House is concerned, no MP gets any immunity. Any law made should be subject to the provisions
* There is a need to create a judicial commission. We should have judicial accountability and the executive must not interfere with independence of the judiciary
* The task of appointing judges cannot be left to judges alone. This is for the mechanism of appointing Supreme Court and High Court judges
* Lokpal Bill must be compatible with the Constitution
* Parliament is the supreme legislative body
* Are we going to create institutions which will be entitled to tap the phones of the Prime Minister?
* The government draft must seriously reconsider that the Prime Minister will be held accountable only after he ceases to occupy the post

SUDIP BANDYOPADHYAY
LOK SABHA | TMC
* Trinamool Congress is committed to fighting corruption TMC wants this bill passed in next 90 days
* We believe that Dr Manmohan Singh is a very honest man
* We think Rahul Gandhi's idea to build Lokpal into an institution like the Election Commission is a very positive idea
* We want Lokayukta but the state government will have its own powers to set it up

Varun Gandhi
LOK SABHA | BJP

* Lot of propaganda about BJP being behind the force behind Anna
* It is our duty to reflect public opinion, not to judge or reject it. This movement has convinced the youth that they can stand for change
* Divide between people and Parliament is manufactured
* The system is one of policing. It is clear from people on the streets that the system has failed us. Anna wants independent ombudsman. Why should we think that an independent ombudsman will gobble us up!
* We must protect privileges of people. It is people who must govern and rule, may be not through referendum
* We must stand here and speak as servants of people. Parliament has shown tremendous respect it has towards people. A churning has taken place. It is a revolution. It has forced our hands. Nation looks to us for a solution, not semantics
* It sits very heavy on my conscience that while we debate these issues, there is a 74- year-old sitting battling between life and death. The issues are not whether the bill is a perfect piece of legislation. No one legislation cannot be perfect.
* This movement has made the youth aware that they can be active participants of change. A manufactured divide has been brought about between Parliament and the people

Lalu Prasad
LOK SABHA | RJD

*Let's learn from 74-year-old Hazare how he can fast for 12 days
* Parliament wants to know who has elected the civil society
* Anna is not getting the correct news. Vested interest around Anna are misleading him. They will not let Anna break his fast Parliamentarians must save Parliament
* Government made a mistake by arresting Anna. Should have asked us at least
* Jan Lokpal does not include NGOs
* All political parties have realised Parliament is supreme. Anna and his team aren't above Parliament
* Merits or demerits of Anna's 3 conditions should go to a proper forum which is the Standing Committee

SHARAD YADAV
LOK SABHA | JDU
* There's no problem with citizens' charter, Lokayuktas and lower bureaucracy
* But let all these not become tools to harass anyone
* I ask Om Puri & Kiran Bedi what politics will you teach me
* Will those sitting in AC bungalows sermonize? Tell civil society you speak in appropriate language and we'll respond likewise
* 80% of people survive on Rs 20 a day
* Will there be any place for poorest of the poor in Lokpal
* Annaji has referred to Shivaji but not to Jyotiba Phule or Ambedkar

SANDEEP DIKSHIT
LOK SABHA | CONGRESS
* In her speech, Sushmaji said this was a historic day but she made it look ordinary by attacking the Congress
* I suggest we convey the sense of the House to Anna after a few members have spoken. We can't forget that there is a man continuing his fast for a long time. An atmosphere has been created whereby the Lokpal debate has overtaken everything
* Team Anna has itself revised the bill 12 times
* The PM desired that his office be brought under the purview of the bill
* As far as the selection process is concerned we can take into account the views contained in all four drafts - those of the government, Team Anna, Aruna Roy and Jayaprakash Narayan
* Under Article 105, the government can bring a model bill which states can adopt
* We must create an influential grievance redressal system but it mustn't see corruption in every delay
* Citizens' charter is being conceived as Anna has demanded
* I'm asking Annaji with folded hands that we need a little time

Anand Sharma
LOK SABHA | CONGRESS
* A strong Lokpal is need of the hour but whatever we do should be within the framework of the Constitution...Josh me hosh zaruri hai Constitution of India is non-negotiable and non-violable
* PM is an institution. Leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj should not have insulted the PM in her address this morning
* Constitution is supreme, Parliament sovereign
* Had NDA passed Lokpal Bill there would have been no agitation over the bill now
* Crucial issues like bringing PM within ambit of Lokpal should be decided by Standing Committee. PM is an institution...PM is the voice of nation.
* Referring to claims of Opposition that Congress members don't listen to their PM who had no objection to scrutiny by Lokpal, he said, "I will never ask whether BJP members listen to Leader of Opposition"

Ashwani Kumar
RAJYA SABHA | CONGRESS
* Hazare is a "crusader", but not sure of "the kind of guidance he has received"
* No attempts must be made to raise doubts about our intention, about the integrity of our federal structure
* I caution against rushing through legislation in haste or under pressure from people outside the House
* The PM is cornerstone of our Cabinet arch. Do we subject him to vexatious and malicious allegations?
You cannot keep the sword of Damocles hanging on his (PM) head even years after he quits
* We have sufficient and effective mechanism in our Constitution. Parliament would not condone slightest error in public morality and probity
* On lower bureaucracy under Lokpal: There are 37 lakh central employees. Can we engineer an alternative system?
* There is no need to tinker with established practice
* We must have an effective Lokpal bill


Sitaram Yechury
RAJYA SABHA | CPM
* Let us not divide the society on the basis of civility and uncivility
* Agree 'in-principle' with three issues raised by Team Anna but they will have to be implemented through constitutional procedures
* A new Bill to be presented in Parliament which should be a combination of best features of all the bills including Jan Lokpal Bill
* Existing vigilance machinery for lower bureaucracy can be brought under supervision of Lokpal
* It's not feasible to bring bureaucracy at all levels under one Lokpal
* The PM should be under Lokpal but with certain safeguards
* Lokayukta in states mandatory. We should take it as a maturation of democracy
* Prepare a model Bill and send it to states. Let state assemblies consider it. Federal character of our Constitution should not be violated
* For the citizens' charter, government can come up with separate law for which there can be a reference in Lokpal Bill
* Definition of corruption should be changed and widened with inclusion of acts of omission under the purview of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
* The Bill must include corporate and business houses
* To enhance accountability of judiciary, a national commission should be established

GURUDAS DASGUPTA
LOK SABHA | CPI
* Millions have identified with the agitation
* Government speaking in many voices. This is the result of there being more than one power centre
* I regret to say that the esteemed office of the PM has become a post-box
* The speech of Congress general secretary (Rahul Gandhi) was at variance with the speech of the leader of the House (Pranab Mukherjee)

ANANT GEETE
LOK SABHA | SHIV SENA
* Let there be no denying that corruption has crossed all limits
* No sector has been spared by corruption
* The poorest of the poor has to pay a bribe even for a BPL card
* Let there also not be a superpower in the name of Lokpal
* Let not a patient be given a kind of treatment which is much more than what is required

The Jan Lokpal is only the first step towards good governance by combating corruption. It will be followed by a series of movements to check exploitation of farmers and tribal, loot of national resources, arbitrary land acquisition, decentralisation of political and administrative powers, right to recall the elected representatives and establishing supremacy of gram sabha on issues related to governance among other things. At the same time, we will have to fight with the corrupt within us and learn to swallow personal insult but no compromise with the insult of the nation and its people. And for that, everyone will have to sacrifice a little bit for the country”.

This has been the common factor of all the speeches of Anna Hazare in his fight against corruption so far. Anna's views on sacrifice and righteousness have nothing new. He has been only reminding us the spiritual tradition of India followed since ages. The tradition can be found in lives and teachings of Dadhichi, Buddha, Mahavir, Shankaracharya, all the Sikh gurus, Kabir, Mira, Ravidas, Gyaneshwar, Rahim, Khurau and all the saints who took birth in this country. This is the country where emperors (like Ashok and Akbar) are called great when they conquer Self and not after they (Alexander and Napoleon) conquer kingdoms.

The tradition is found in every religion. As per Hinduism, the four factors governing life of a person are ‘dharma’, ‘arth’, ‘kama’ and ‘moksha’. Dharma means righteousness. ‘Arth’ means earning livelihood. ‘Kama’ means taking pleasure in performing duties to serve the people. ‘Moksha’ means attaining the ultimate wisdom. My understanding is that a person can attain ‘moksha’ when ‘arth’ and ‘kama’ are done under ‘dharma’. Iman (conscience) is the core of Islam. Righteousness, love and sacrifice are the foundation stone of Buddhism, Jainis, Christianity and Sikhism. Swami Vivekanand said that if world is a home, India is its ‘puja ghar’ (room of spirituality).

The tradition of self-sacrifice for the sake of society and country was at its full glory during India’s national movement, also the period of social renaissance. From Narayan Guru, Jyotiba Phule, Swami Vivekanand to Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Mahatma Gandhi, Rabindra Nath Tagore, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Subhash Chandra Bose, Bhagat Singh, Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfaq Ullah Khan and all our freedom fighters as well as social reformers (including unsung heroes), all followed the tradition in their own way. The common man used to look up to them for guidance.

But, after independence, the tradition gradually took a backseat in public life. Greed for money and lust for power, factors responsible for corruption, took the centre stage. After Bapu's assassination and untimely (also mysterious) death of Lal Bahadur Shastri, the country did not get a leader with a pan-India appeal who can lead people through moral authority till Jai Prakash Narayan came back from retirement in 1975 to lead a movement against the corrupt regime of Indira Gandhi. Jai Prakash Narayan also carried forward the idea Mahatma' ideas of gram swaraj and sarvodya (uplifting all)  through his concept of total revolution. But he also died in 1977 leaving his dream unfulfilled.

All the leaders of our freedom struggle, including millions who dedicated themselves for the cause, were of the view that an entire generation of `haves’ will have to dedicate itself in the service of `have-nots’ in order to restore lost glory of India. Today there are people who are rendering selfless service to society in different places and in various forms but by and large we have failed our freedom fighters. Corruption was a problem even in pre independence era but was not so blatant and rampant as it is now.

However, now in Anna we have got a mass leader with moral authority. Jan Lokpal is an important issue but we must not forget the lesson Anna is trying to communicate. We will have to embrace the golden tradition of sacrifice, service and honesty, if we really want to bring a permanent change in the system. We will have to kill the greed and lust within us. The fight within is more important that fight outside. The change within will certainly bring change outside.

Many corrupt people are also coming out with candles to participate in march in support of Anna. Some said that they were full of idealism at the start of the career but were forced to take unethical ways in order to survive. However, there are also many who give bribe for jobs and then recover over 100 times while in service. Money has become the most important thing no matter how it comes. Many become dishonest under pressure of family and friends. Honest are called stupid and dishonesty is termed as `being practical'. Such people need to introspect. “Aapne Kaam Banta, Bhad Mein Jaaye Janta” attitude will also have to go.

I have doubts that politicians will allow Anna's version of Janlokpal to become a law. Many politicians across all parties have told me off-the-record that who will enter politics if there would be no paisa and power. Even if we presume that Anna's  Bill will be enacted, corrupt politicians, babudom and corporate will try to find a way out to indulge corruption. Besides including corporate and media along with government machinery under the Jan Lokpal, we also need to fight corruption in every village and city. Honesty and integrity will have to be made status symbol instead of money and position. Simple living and high thinking will have to be made motto of life.

Today, we are witnessing a non-violent movement of such a large-scale in the country where arson, road blockades, clashes with the police, stone pelting, smashing vehicles and inconvenience to general public have been a common feature in majority of agitations. In fact, the media and the government had stopped taking note of non-violent protests. Further, some journalists, academicians, social activists and authors have also been justifying bloodshed in the name of Maoism by saying that Gandhian methods do not work anymore.

Corruption is the main reason of poverty and exploitation of tribals which Maoist used to destabilise India. The mistake on our part (the people) has been that we should have also stood up for cause of the triabls or for any other injustice being done to people of India anywhere in the country. Here I will also like to mention that Bhagat Singh was an atheist but the guiding principle of his life was a couplet from Guru Granth Sahib – “Soora so pehchaniye jo lade deen ke het, purja purja kat mare, kabuhn na chhade khet”. (A brave is a person who fights for the downtrodden till last breath).

All of us know how politicians have been using divisive politics to rule the country. They have even divided the freedom fighters and social reformers on the basis of their caste, religion and ideology. These politicians only offer lip service to freedom fighters and `hang' them (their photographs) on the wall. Anna talks about every person who fought for country’s independence and who laid down his/her life for the sake of the country. He has invoked all social reformers and freedom fighters. He has unified people. He made people believe that fighting against corruption is also patriotism.

Some people are trying to create differences by alleging that RSS is behind Anna’s movement. I want to ask such people, if tomorrow RSS starts preaching that an apple a day keeps doctor away, will they stop eating apple. Some are raising the question of dalit representation in Jan Lokpal. The movement is being described as being driven by the middle class. Is it wrong that the middle class, often criticised for not coming out to vote, has come out on streets against corruption? Curtailing corruption would help the downtrodden the most. It is because of corruption that the benefits of social welfare schemes worth billions of rupees have not reached poor even 64 years after Independence.

Some are accusing Anna of being undemocratic. I fail to understand how a person who talks about giving powers to gram sabha be called as undemocratic. Those who have made allegations should know that Anna is talking about Gandhi’s concept of `gram swaraj' and Jai Prakash Narayan’s concept of `reconstruction of India polity'. Both advocated a village centric democratic model of governance to strengthen democracy at the grassroots. The model gives power to the people of a village to decide how they can be self-sufficient in terms of education, economics, health, sanitation, trade, agriculture and development. It states that the wish of the people will be supreme. And, politicians and bureaucrats will work as Loksevak and Rajniti will be changed into Lokniti. Anna also advocates the same model.

India is unique, hence solution of the problems faced by its people also needs to be different. Gram swaraj is the right way of development for this nation where over 70% of population is dependent on villages. Democracy is not rule of majority but means reaching to the last person. In Gram Sabha model, every adult will be the part of the decision making process, whereas in the current parliamentary system we are following a party can come to power by securing only 30% of the total vote polled.

Questions are being raised over Anna’s version of Jan Lokpal: It will create a dictator; it’s a draconian law; it will create a government outside the government, only Jan Lokpal will not be able to eradicate corruption and what if Jan Lokpal turns corrupt? The corruption has gone so deep in the system that only a strong Jan Lokpal can dig it out. Those objecting are only helping politicians who deliberately leave loopholes in the law to save themselves. They are not acknowledging the fact that if corruption has taken centrestage today, it is because of the millions out on the streets on Anna's call. Those raising questioning are also underestimating the might of the people. Even if we presume that anyone or all the questions raised turn out to be true, the people will be again on the streets to overthrow the institution.
 

अन्ना जीत गए हैं। वे हजारों लोग जो दिल्ली के रामलीला मैदान में प्रत्यक्ष उपस्थित हैं और वे करोड़ों अन्य जो देश के अलग-अलग हिस्सों और दुनियाभर में अपनी सांसें थामे हुए पल-पल के घटनाक्रम पर नजर रखे हुए हैं, अब उस अद्भुत क्षण की प्रतीक्षा में हैं जब यह घोषणा भी होगी कि अन्ना, अन्न ग्रहण करने वाले हैं।

स्वतंत्रता प्राप्ति के बाद 64 वर्षो के उथल-पुथल भरे इतिहास के दौरान यह पहला अवसर है जब महाराष्ट्र के एक छोटे से गांव रालेगण सिद्धी से निकले 74 वर्षीय फकीर ने ‘इंडिया’ का ‘भारत’ की आत्मा के साथ साक्षात्कार करा कर दिल्ली के रामलीला मैदान को ‘अगस्त क्रांति मैदान’ में परिवर्तित कर दिया। देश की संसद का वह निश्चित ही अप्रतिम क्षण रहा होगा जब स्पीकर मीरा कुमार ने अपनी कुर्सी से खड़े होकर अन्ना हजारे के बहुमूल्य जीवन के प्रति चिंता व्यक्त करते हुए समूचे सदन की ओर से उनसे अपना अनशन समाप्त करने की अपील की होगी।

जिस अन्ना हजारे पर संसद की अवमानना करने का आरोप लगाया गया था उसी संसद की दीवारों से उनकी प्रशस्ति के गान टकराकर सांसदों की आत्माओं को झकझोर रहेथे। और संसद के बाहर देश और दुनियाभर की जनता गवाह बन रही थी कि राजनीतिक मजबूरी के चलते अपनी रीढ़ से समझौता कर झुकी हुई सरकार किस तरह से समझाना चाह रही है कि उसकी यह मुद्रा तो भ्रष्टाचार के खिलाफ अन्ना की लड़ाई के प्रति सम्मान है। अन्ना के बहाने पहली बार जनता को अनुभूति हुई है कि देश क्या है और उसके लिए क्या कुछ करना होगा।

आंदोलन के जरिए राष्ट्र की जनता ने शायद पहली बार अपने आपको एक ईमानदार भारतीय के रूप में प्रस्तुत करने की जरूरत को इतनी शिद्दत के साथ महसूस किया होगा। देश की यह उपलब्धि डॉ. मनमोहन सिंह के नेतृत्व में हासिल की गई किसी भी आर्थिक सफलता और दुनिया के लिए ईष्र्या करने वाली वार्षिक विकास दर से ज्यादा महत्वपूर्ण है। ‘भ्रष्टाचार’ के खिलाफ लड़ाई की देश की यह उपलब्धि दुनिया भर के कोनों-कोनों में बसे उन करोड़ों भारतीयों के सिर भी गर्व से ऊंचे कर देगी जो एक ‘ईमानदार’ जिंदगी जीने के लिए संघर्ष कर रहे हैं। पर स्वीकार किया जाना चाहिए कि असली लड़ाई तो वास्तव में अब शुरू हुई है।

जन लोकपाल का पेश होना, पारित होना और उसका ईमानदारी के साथ क्रियान्वयन किया जाना बाकी रहेगा। लड़ाई कोई छोटी-मोटी नहीं है। एक लंबे समय तक और अलग-अलग मोचरे पर चलने वाली है। भ्रष्टाचार से निपटने के लिए जादू की वह छड़ी देश को अवश्य प्राप्त हो ही गई है जिसका कि जिक्र अन्ना हजारे को तिहाड़ जेल में डाले जाने से केवल एक सुबह पहले लाल किले की प्राचीर से राष्ट्र के नाम संबोधन में प्रधानमंत्री कर रहे थे। लड़ाई की जीत के इन क्षणों में इस सच्चाई पर भी श्रद्धांजलि व्यक्त की जा सकती है कि पूरे घटनाक्रम ने हमारे राजनीतिक ढांचे के नकली चेहरे को बेपर्दा कर दिया है जिस पर कि जनता मतदाताओं के रूप में अब तक गर्व करती आ रही थी। अन्ना के लिए अनशन करने के अवसर कभी भी खत्म नहीं होने वाले हैं। और रामलीला मैदान भी कभी खाली नहीं रहेगा।

"I support Anna. Why? I don't know," screamed a headline in a city supplement of a major newspaper in Hyderabad.  There could not have been a more apt headline because in the story many youngsters who are 'supporting' the Jan Lokpal bill were interviewed. They had no clue about the contents of the bill.

Yes, as lakhs make a beeline for Ramlila Maidan most of them know nothing about the Lokpal Bill which is the issue on which Anna Hazare is fasting. The problem is neither do they care. Of course many are agitated by the rampant uncontrolled corruption in the country. They are reflecting their angst over the dismal state of affairs. But when wasn't rampant corruption there in India? My mind goes back to 1967 when as a kid living in New Delhi we used to mouth slogans like "gali gali mein shor hai Indira Gandhi chor hai."   General elections were around and many were not happy that the"gungi gudiya" they thought had ascended to power was really not "gungi." They wanted the lady to be voted out of power. So this slogan had been coined. It was a powerful slogan and caught public imagination very fast. For the first time the Congress came to power at the Centre after the elections with reduced numbers and coalition opposition governments came up in some states. At that time I did not understand why we were mouthing such slogans, but we were because other kids in our locality were doing so. Moreover it was real fun doing so. Or so we felt at that time.

In similar fashion it has become fun to sport "I'm with Anna. Down Down Corruption" badges and mouth other similar slogans. Most of them of course don't know why they are sloganeering and where this will lead to. But somebody surely does where this will lead to. Who? The television channels which have to remain competitive 24 X 7 and are engaged in a TRP battle with their rival channels. It is a question of their survival. So they have an interest in converting the Anna affair into the biggest realty show of our times.  Kaun Banega Crorepati , Big Boss and its ilk would lose their deposits if they stood is election against the Anna show. The viewer sitting comfortably in his drawing room is getting taken in by this tamasha and is deluded. He imagines that the Anna affair to be much bigger than what it is. He feels he must also do something like joining a candlelight vigil and be part of the great movement out there .

Here is a test for such TV viewers especially those who live outside of Delhi and Mumbai. How much angst do you see being reflected in the public in pro Anna demonstrations?  Hardly any, actually if I may say so. Most of these are token demonstrations, with a few hundred guys and gals holding lighted candles and marching for a km or so. At some places they are holding token hunger strikes and at other places if there are singers around some deshbhakti songs are also sung. The interesting thing to note is that most of these agitations take place on public holidays or over the week end. On working weekdays, the attendance is minimal. Nobody is going to take leave from his office to join the token demonstrations.  I can assert safely that if these 24X 7 channels were not drumming up this Anna mania, even these token demonstrations would not have happened. Now that Anna is saying "jail bharo", I wonder how many of these people will actually court arrest and be ready to be in jail.

Just as in 1967 when the slogans of gali gali mein shor hai was a battle to throw Indira Gandhi out of power, similarly this is a battle to throw the UPA regime out of power three years before the slated elections in 2014. Of course the Manmohan Singh government is responsible for this state of affairs. The high profile corruption issues in the last few years ( whether it is CWG, 2G or whatever) is responsible for giving a lease of life to anti government forces who are now making a concerted effort to create so much anarchy so that the UPA government is thrown out. That this is not a battle for a Jan Lokpal bill is clear from the impractical suggestions made in the draft prepared by Team Anna. It wants all the 40 lakh government employees to be brought under the ambit of the Lokpal who will be duty bound to investigate each case. So how many people will be required in the Lokpal's office for this ? My estimate is that a lakh of people will be required for this purpose. So we will have more babus to keep a watch over other babus. I thought liberalization and reforms was about less government. But now we will have plans to proliferate the bureaucracy and create more employment. And where will all the funds to pay salaries and build offices for this new huge establishment come from? Nobody has a clue, not the least Anna. He only wants the Jan Lok Pal bill must be passed as it is. Anna is a good and simple man who wants his life's mission fulfilled. But he does not realize that beyond his core team of dedicated individuals like Prashant Bhushan, Kiran Bedi, Arvind Kejriwal etc there are vested interests ready to jump onto his bandwagon and make it a political battle to oust the government. There is no harm in trying to oust the government by lawful democratic ways, like thorough elections. But not by anarchy which will create more problems in the country where 37 per cent of the people are still below the poverty line, where terrorism and extremism pose a major problem, where we are being hemmed in from all sides by an axis led by China with the support of Pakistan and other allies. These are the guys who will laugh all the way to the bank when India falls into anarchy. Is this what we want? This does not mean that corruption should not be fought against. But for that we have to change our electoral system and bring in political reforms. That could be the subject of another blog.  

Everyone wants effective Lokpal to curb corruption at all levels. It is our target but we shouldn’t forget-

1.    If Lokpal becomes one body to curb corruption at all levels then it will become a big elephant i.e. too big body and will definitely become a source of corruption itself.
2.    The body may misuse their power.
3.    Secondly, it will definitely result into investigations getting too prolonged due to huge number of cases.
4.    It will also result in source of political/bureaucratic interference defeating the whole purpose.
5.    Very likely it may result in WHITE ELEPHANT.

So, I think, LOKPAL should be formed to curb higher level corruption whether it is political, bureaucratic, defense or judiciary. Defense must also be part of it as there is too much of corruption there but hidden (disciplined corruption) due to confidentiality and RTI not working there.

If one look into source of corruptions or major misuse of public money is tendering. All departments (defense, railways, mining, health, sports etc..) whether at STATE or CENTRE, works through tender process and here is place where all game plan happens and everyone involved in the process makes money and public is the sufferer. Very easy to understand, thousand of crores budget allocated to various state, centre departments goes into corruption and the purpose it is allocated for meets not more than 10% of its objective.
Then this money is used as black money and pumped into PROPERTY market and other segments where it can be easily hidden and multiplied. This results in huge INFLATAION.
It is almost impossible to curb it using present LOKPAL and I propose for birth of TENDER department working under LOKPAL.

Having said that, following comprehensive LOKPAL solution may be suggested to curb the corruption effectively from all levels either proactively or making it easier to tap-
•    CBI & CVC must work under Lokpal as already in Jan Lokpal.
•    Information Directorate should also work under Lokapl to bring public awareness and ensuring correct use of fund allocated to it. At present most of its budget used for ruling party brand image.
•    A new TENDER department should be created. All departments whether STATE, CENTRE should work in coordination through this department to get their tendering need addressed. Pricing, Empanelment, Bidding, Screening and Offering process should be transparent and visible to public. Latest IT techniques could be used for its implementation.
•    It should also put HARD CHECK on nation’s Food Supply & Distribution which is so important for poor.
•    PROPERTY market should be controlled to stop flow of black money.

Above measures will almost ensure healthy nation growth and minimized corruption in general life

भ्रष्ट आचरण के खिलाफ अन्ना हजारे का आंदोलन प्रासंगिक है और इसे समर्थन देना समय की मांग है। आने वाले पीढ़ी के बेहतर भविष्य के लिए सभी को उसे उसूलन समर्थन देना चाहिए। उनके आंदोलन से भ्रष्टाचार का खात्मा होता है कि नहीं, यह बाद की बात है।

अहम तो यह है कि भ्रष्टाचार के खिलाफ आवाज उठ रही है। शुरुआत ऐसे ही होती है। अंग्रेजों के विरुद्ध भी ऐसा ही हुआ। पहले मंगल पांडे, फिर झांसी की रानी और उसके बाद फिर और कोई.. और इसी तरह एक चिंगारी दावानल बन गई।

तजुर्बे बताते हैं कि एक डर को हटाने की बात रहती है बस, जहां डर हटा, आंदोलन शुरू हो जाता है। ‘वेक अप इंडिया’ फिल्म में मैंने अटल बिहारी वाजपेयी से प्रेरित किरदार निभाया है। अटलजी को एक जेनुइन नेता माना जाता है, लेकिन वर्तमान में अनेक राजनीतिज्ञ ‘नेता’ नहीं, बल्कि ‘पॉलिटिशियन’ के रूप में काम कर रहे हैं।

मेरे द्वारा अभिनीत किरदार कहता है- ‘मैं पॉलिटिशियन नहीं, नेता हूं। पॉलिटिशियन तो इंसानियत से बड़ा होता है।’ कहने का मतलब,‘पॉलिटिशियन’ के लिए राजनीति बिजनेस है, जबकि ‘नेता’ के लिए इसके मायने सेवा है।

अन्ना हजारे भी नेता हैं, उनका उद्देश्य सेवा है, अपना कोई निजी स्वार्थ-प्राप्ति नहीं। मेरा तो यहां तक मानना है कि अपने राजनीतिक तकाजों के चलते प्रधानमंत्री मनमोहन सिंह मजबूर हैं, अन्यथा वे भी अन्ना को समर्थन देते।

इसी तरह मेरी लालू प्रसाद यादव पर आधारित किरदार निभाने की भी बहुत इच्छा है। फिल्म या टीवी के अपने सामाजिक सरोकार हैं, यह दीगर बात है कि वे इस पर अपेक्षाकृत कम ध्यान देते हैं। पहले 80 के दशक में जैसे दूरदर्शन में काम हुए, वैसा काम अब नहीं दिखता है।

अब तो आलम यह है कि अप्रशिक्षित लोग आकर क्रिएटिव हेड का काम देख रहे हैं। जिन्हें कहानी से मतलब नहीं है। वे टीआरपी के लिए कई दफे मूलकथा में बदलाव करते रहते हैं। हालांकि अब भी अच्छा काम करने वाले लोग हैं, पर पहले के अनुपात में कम।

दूरदर्शन के जमाने में कामकाज को लेकर लोग ज्यादा सीरियस थे। पहले पैसे की कमी थी, इसलिए कम पैसे में बेहतर करने का दबाव रहता था और लोग इसमें जुटे रहते थे। वर्तमान में बड़ी कंपनियां ढेर सारा पैसा लगा रही हैं।

सारा गणित उनके अनुसार तय होता है। वैसे इन दिनों टीवी पर चला सीरियल ‘बालिका वधू’ सामाजिक प्रतिबद्धताओं को पूरा करने वाला सीरियल है, इसमें बालविवाह और अन्य सामाजिक कुप्रथाओं के संबंध में दिखाया गया है।

पंद्रह अगस्त 1947 की मध्यरात्रि की ओर बढ़ते हुए जवाहरलाल नेहरू का शानदार उद्बोधन लोकतंत्र और उसकी संस्थाओं के इतिहास में मील का पत्थर बनी इस यादगार रात के लिए अन्य महान भारतीयों के योगदान से अभिभूत था। 64 वर्ष के बाद, आइए हम तत्कालीन संयुक्त प्रांत से चुने गए सदस्य, दार्शनिक-शिक्षक और बाद में राष्ट्रपति बने डॉ. सर्वपल्ली राधाकृष्णन को भी सुनें। वे इस चमत्कारिक उपलब्धि पर हर्षविभोर थे, परंतु उन्होंने आगे आने वाले खतरों के प्रति आगाह भी किया था।

उन्होंने दोषारोपण की संस्कृति, जो कि भारतीयों का पसंदीदा बहाना है, को सिरे से खारिज कर दिया। उन्होंने कहा, ‘अन्य (यानी ब्रिटिश) हमारी कमजोरियों से खेलने में सक्षम थे, क्योंकि हमने उन्हें ऐसा करने दिया।’ आगे आने वाली कमजोरियां भी उतनी ही खतरनाक रहीं: ‘जब सत्ता-शक्ति योग्यता को पीछे कर देती है, हम अंधकार में गिर जाते हैं।’ अगर अकेली इस बात को ही पद की शपथ का हिस्सा बना दिया जाता, तो जो इसे समझने में सक्षम हैं, उन पर इसका हितकारी प्रभाव हो सकता था।

डॉ. राधाकृष्णन ने चेताया था कि एक धनलोलुप और बिकाऊ शासक वर्ग स्वप्न को दु:स्वप्न में बदल सकता है: ‘जब तक कि हम शीर्ष स्थानों से भ्रष्टाचार को खत्म न कर दें, भाई-भतीजावाद, सत्ता लोलुपता, मुनाफाखोरी और काला बाजारी की हर जड़ को न उखाड़ फेंकें, जिन्होंने हमारे महान देश के नाम को खराब किया है..’। भ्रष्टाचार और भाई-भतीजावाद तो भारतीय प्रशासन के अवलंब बन चुके हैं।

लोकतंत्र की निपुणता उसकी इस योग्यता में निहित है, जो निराशा के दौर में नवीनीकरण की पेशकश करती है। अन्ना हजारे ने कल के भारत को आकार देने वाले बच्चों से यही वादा तो किया है। अन्ना, जो कल तक गुमनाम थे, पर आज अविस्मरणीय हैं। जब सत्तारूढ़ दल एक सामान्य आदमी और उसकी प्रेरणा से उठ खड़े हुए लोकप्रिय आंदोलन के खिलाफ सत्ता के दुरुपयोग पर उतारू हो जाता है, तो उसे मूर्खता के रसातल में बर्बाद होना ही है।

पीलू मोदी, तुम्हें इस दौर में रहना था! या, कम से कम हमें 1970 के दशक के इस अद्भुत सांसद को याद करने में सक्षम होना चाहिए। यह उस सरकार के खिलाफ देशव्यापी रोष का पिछला दौर था, जिसका सत्तामद उसकी योग्यता से भी आगे बढ़ गया था।

किसी की शख्सियत को जीवन की सीमाओं से बड़ा बताना चलन से बाहर हो चुका मुहावरा है। और शब्द महज दिखाई देने तक सीमित नहीं होते। पीलू के पास एक गर्जना थी, जो सत्ता के गलियारों में लगातार गूंजती रहती थी और हाजिर जवाबी थी, जो शक्ति और पद के अहंकार में खुद को आम लोगों से श्रेष्ठ मानने वालों को आईना दिखा सकती थी। इन दिनों राशिद अल्वी जैसे कांग्रेस प्रवक्ता ‘सीआईए’ का उल्लेख करने में थोड़े अनिच्छुक लगते हैं, लेकिन 1970 के दौर में सीआईए जनता के लिए दैत्य का पर्याय थी।

जो कोई भी कांग्रेस की तेजस्विता पर सवाल उठाने की हिमाकत करता, तत्काल सातवें नर्क में धकेल दिया जाता था। ऐसे ही समय में 1974 के अल्वियों ने जनता के आसमानी रोष को नेतृत्व देने वाले जयप्रकाश नारायण जैसे प्रखर देशभक्त की अवहेलना की थी। जब सीआईए को निंदा के लिए अपर्याप्त समझा गया, तो उन्होंने ‘आरएसएस’ का ठप्पा भी जोड़ दिया, मानो यह ऐसा दोष हो, जिससे मुक्ति संभव ही नहीं।

किसी तानाशाह सरकार को ठहाके से ज्यादा और कुछ आतंकित नहीं करता। पीलू मोदी जानते थे कि कैसे हंसना है। एक दिन वे एक बिल्ला लगाए हुए लोकसभा में पहुंचे, जिस पर लिखा था, ‘मैं सीआईए का एजेंट हूं’। सरकार कभी उबर नहीं पाई।

चूंकि अभी हमारे आसपास कोई पीलू मोदी नहीं हैं, अन्ना के सुरक्षा घेरे को मजबूती प्रदान करने वाले बच्चों ने हास्य को अपना प्राथमिक हथियार बनाया है। अगर सरकार अन्ना हजारे को लेकर चिंतित नहीं है, तो उसे उनके आसपास उभरने वाले व्यंग्योक्तिपूर्ण, तीक्ष्ण और कभी-कभी बेहद मजाकिया स्लोगनों को लेकर गंभीर रूप से चिंतित होना चाहिए। कांग्रेस के आइकॉन भले ही यह सोचें कि वे खुद को अपने नासमझ प्रवक्ताओं के विषवमन से अलग दिखा सकते हैं। लेकिन यह एक भ्रम ही है। लोग जानते हैं कि प्रवक्ता तो केवल कठपुतलियां ही हैं।

अन्ना हजारे ठीक उसी तरह का प्रतीक बन गए हैं, जैसे जयप्रकाश नारायण 1974 में थे। उनकी खास मांगें उतनी महत्वपूर्ण नहीं हैं, जितना कि उनके द्वारा उन मांगों को उठाया जाना। किसी ज्यादा योग्य सरकार ने अन्ना की शुरुआती मांग मान ली होती, लोकपाल मसौदे के उनके ड्राफ्ट को लोकसभा में रख दिया होता और लंबी वैधानिक प्रक्रिया चलने दी होती। इससे आधिकारिक तौर पर प्रतिक्रिया देने की जिम्मेदारी सभी राजनीतिक दलों तक पहुंच जाती, बजाय व्यापक तौर पर कांग्रेस संगठन के। अगर अभी जनता का रोष कांग्रेस पर केंद्रित है, तो खुद पार्टी ही दोषी है।

एक स्लोगन 1974 में जेपी के आंदोलन की डराने वाली याद की तरह है: ‘ये अंदर की बात है, पुलिस हमारे साथ है।’ 40 साल पहले इसे राजद्रोह बताकर इसकी निंदा की गई थी। दुनिया ऐसे जड़ नुस्खे से आगे बढ़ चुकी है। यह सीआईए या आरएसएस की बात नहीं है। भ्रष्टाचार न तो विदेशी एजेंट है, न ही विभाजनकारी शक्ति। यह ऐसा दानव है, जिसके बारे में दूरद्रष्टा डॉ. राधाकृष्णन ने 15 अगस्त 1947 को ही अनुमान लगा लिया था।

The Times of India believes that a strong anti-corruption law and a mechanism with the teeth to make it work are crucial if corruption is to be effectively fought. To that extent, a strong Lokpal is a must. However, the Lokpal is not an end in itself, but one of many means to an end, none of them mutually exclusive of the other. Here are 10 other measures that should help reduce corruption

1. Introduce state-funding as part of election reforms: The high cost of elections and candidates' dependence on money, often of questionable provenance, compromises them from the very outset. Once beholden to moneybags, they are under obligation to return the favour if they win. Of course, not all candidates can be funded by the state. So, we suggest that only candidates belonging to national parties receive election money from the state. In this too we can pare down eligibility by regions. For instance, the CPM might be a "national party" but its influence is largely limited to Bengal, Kerala and Tripura. Its candidates getting funding in any other state should depend on its performance in that state in the previous election. By the same token, state parties must get funding in their specific states, like the BSP in UP or the BJD in Orissa.

2. A reasonable and transparent tax structure, backed by clean and clear enforcement: Our direct taxes (personal income and corporate) are no longer unreasonable, so there's little excuse for trying to evade them. But there is an unhealthy trend in piling on surcharges on various pretexts. Also, there are tons of other taxes that can add up to quite a bit. Finally, there's the larger question of how efficiently and honestly taxpayers' money is put to use - when you see the state of government hospitals and schools, and rotten roads, you wonder where the money you paid as tax has gone

3. Liberal and contemporary laws that citizens can understand and respect: People find it difficult to accept ridiculous, outdated and moralistic laws - worse, they may not even be aware of some of these laws till some law enforcer somewhere decides to use them to harass and to extract money. Once you dismiss a law or rule as stupid and worthy of breaking (like not allowing drinking under 25 years of age), there's a human tendency to take other laws less seriously. Therefore, to the extent possible, there's a need to cut back on the multiplicity of unnecessary and complex laws, and zero in on just the ones that are needed to ensure a fair, equitable and just system. These should then be administered without fear or favour.

4. Reduce the role of the state in people's lives to the absolutely essential: In some ways, this is related to our earlier point. The greater the scope for state interference - be it the police or the clerk in a government office or the customs inspector - the greater the scope for harassment and graft.

5. Genuine autonomy for the public/government sector: Big PSUs - think Air India, for instance - place huge contracts. Even a fraction of that is huge money in absolute terms. There is always a temptation for political bosses to exert their influence and swing the contract for chosen ones and receive handsome kickbacks. So get them out of the day-to-day functioning of these PSUs.

6. Minimize discretionary powers of ministers and bureaucrats: This would reduce scope for misuse of such powers to favour some --- especially in lucrative areas such as award of government land. Where discretionary powers are unavoidable, bring in checks and balance. After a deal is done, the relevant documents should be put up on the Net.

7. Pay government and PSU officers, judges and policemen market-indexed salaries commensurate with their responsibility: This would minimise the 'need' for bribes. Their salaries could be benchmarked against corporate sector salaries. But higher salaries should be combined with exemplary punishment, including dismissal from service and a police case if an employee is caught indulging in corrupt practices. Mere transfer or suspension won't do.

8. Introduce sweeping police reforms and stronger judicial accountability: This has been discussed for decades but there's been no action. The recommendations for reforms are already there. Set a time frame for implementation. This will make the police not just a professional force that's not at the beck and call of politicians, but also a trained one with in-built checks against developing vested interests. Today the situation often is that the investigator (police officer) is answerable to the person being investigated (politician). Also, separate the police into two wings: one for investigation and the other for maintaining law and order. The two functions are different and require different skill sets. Sadly, the image of the judiciary has taken a knock in recent years - for the common man, the courts are the last resort for seeking justice.

9. Blacklist corrupt businessmen: Private businesses caught indulging in corrupt practices or bribing officials should be blacklisted for, say, 10 years and be barred from government projects. In the category of corrupt practices would fall use of shoddy material -- like road contractors who give one inch of tar when they are supposed to give four inches and the road crumbles after one monsoon. Bigger instances of private businesses cutting corners in public projects by colluding with corrupt officials should attract exemplary punishment.

10. Transparency and stricter scrutiny of government tenders/orders, including auction/sale of public-owned assets: Hundreds of thousands of crores of orders are placed every year by government departments, PSUs, municipal corporations and the like. It's common knowledge that tenders are often awarded on considerations other than merit. This is one of the biggest sources of corruption in the country. And don't forget, this is taxpayers' money that is being diverted illegally.

Finally, and this is for every one of us, let's try and say no to bribes. This is the right moment to unleash a national campaign against giving bribes as the mood against corruption is high. Ultimately, we can't get rid of the bribe taker if we are willing to be bribe givers.

आज बहस के केंद्र में भ्रष्टाचार है। एक तरफ टीम अन्ना है तो दूसरी ओर सरकार। तीसरी तरफ हैं आप। बहुत कुछ देखा आपने। बहुत सोचा। अब आपकी बारी है। सब कुछ बोलिए। खुल कर बोलिए। यहाँ अन्ना और सरकार, दोनों सुन रहे हैं आपकी बात। अब एक ही मंच पर होंगे पक्ष-विपक्ष और आप। यानी 'इंडिया की सोच'।

भास्कर समूह की इस पहल में अब आपको हर बड़े मुद्दे पर विशेषज्ञ ही नहीं, मुद्दे से जुड़े लोग भी देंगे अपनी राय और जानेंगे आपके विचार। आपके कमेंट्स और वोट तय करेंगे इंडिया की सोच। तो सबसे पहले जानेंगे राजनीति में फैले भ्रष्टाचार पर 'इंडिया की सोच'। इस विषय पर पढ़िए भ्रष्टाचार के खिलाफ अलख जगा रहे अन्ना हजारे के साथी अरविन्द केजरीवाल की राय। और , नेताओं का पक्ष रख रहे हैं कांग्रेस प्रवक्ता राशिद अल्वी। यह बहस आपके विचारों से होगी पूरी।

आजादी की 64वीं सालगिरह पर यह एक शुरुआत है। यह शुरुआत आजादी की सालगिरह के मौके पर करने के पीछे भी एक खास मकसद है। मकसद यह कि भ्रष्‍टाचार की बात करते हुए भ्रष्‍टाचार से लड़ने और आजादी पाने की राह भी निकालने का संकल्‍प लिया जाए।

राजनीति के बाद ब्‍यूरोक्रेसी, न्‍यायपालिका, मीडिया, रक्षा, स्वास्थ्य व खेल के क्षेत्र में फैले भ्रष्टाचार की भी बात होगी। इनके अलावा जो विषय आप सुझायेंगे, उन पर भी भास्कर बतायेगा- क्या है 'इंडिया की सोच'। फिलहाल पढि़ए राजनीति में भ्रष्‍टाचार पर केजरीवाल और अल्‍वी की राय और दीजिए अपने विचार।


भ्रष्‍टाचारी के साथ है 'सरकारी लोकपाल'
अरविंद केजरीवाल
(लेखक अन्‍ना हजारे के सहयोगी हैं)

भ्रष्‍टाचार से कोई भी क्षेत्र अछूता नहीं है। अफसोस की बात है कि सरकार इसे मिटाने के बजाय बढ़ावा दे रही है। सरकार ने लोकपाल बिल का जो मसौदा पेश किया है, वह भी भ्रष्‍टाचारियों को संरक्षण देने और आम जनता की आखों में धूल झोंकने वाला है। इसके मुताबिक यदि कोई नागरिक किसी अधिकारी के खिलाफ भ्रष्‍टाचार की शिकायत लोकपाल से करता है और उसके पास सबूतों की कमी है तो उसे कम से कम दो साल कारावास की सजा का प्रावधान है। सरकार उस नागरिक के खिलाफ मुकदमा दर्ज करने के लिए भ्रष्‍ट अधिकारी को मुफ्त में वकील मुहैया कराएगी। लेकिन शिकायत के बाद अगर यह साबित हो जाता है कि उक्‍त अधिकारी वाकई भ्रष्‍ट है तो उसे महज छह महीने की सजा होगी। यानी यह बिल भ्रष्‍टाचार और भ्रष्‍टतंत्र के खिलाफ नहीं, बल्कि उन लोगों के खिलाफ है जो भ्रष्‍टाचार के खिलाफ आवाज उठाने की हिम्‍मत करते हैं।
साल भर में भ्रष्‍टाचार के खिलाफ आवाज उठाने की हिम्‍मत करने वाले 13 लोगों को मौत के घाट उतार दिया गया है। सरकारी लोकपाल बिल में ऐसे लोगों के लिए कोई सुरक्षा नहीं है। सरकारी बिल में भले ही केंद्र सरकार के कुछ सीनियर अधिकारियों को लोकपाल के दायरे में रखा गया है, लेकिन राज्‍य सरकार के सभी कर्मचारियों और राजनेताओं को बाहर रखा गया है। ऐसे में यह बिल लाने का भला क्‍या मतलब रह जाता है?

यदि सरकारी लोकपाल बिल लागू हुआ तो पंचायत के कार्यों में व्‍याप्‍त भ्रष्‍टाचार जारी रहेगा। सरकारी योजनाओं के काम के लिए फर्जी नामों पर भुगतान कर पैसे हड़पे जाते रहेंगे। सरकारी अस्‍पतालों से दवाओं की कालाबाजारी होती रहेगी। अफसर को पैसा देकर मास्‍टर साहेब स्‍कूलों से गैरहाजिर रहते रहेंगे। गरीबों के राशन पर दी जाने वाली 30 हजार करोड़ रुपये की सब्सिडी का 80 फीसदी भ्रष्‍टाचार की भेंट चढ़ता रहेगा। क्‍योंकि मौजूदा लोकपाल बिल में इस तरह के भ्रष्‍टाचार को शामिल नहीं किया गया है।

आदर्श हाउसिंग सोसायटी जैसा घोटाला भी इस लोकपाल के दायरे में नहीं आएगा। रेड्डी बंधु हमारी खदानों और खनिज पदार्थों की लूट जारी रखेंगे। कॉमनवेल्‍थ गेम्‍स, चारा घोटाला, ताज कॉरिडोर घोटाला, यमुना एक्‍सप्रेसवे घोटाला, झारखंड मुक्ति मोर्चा रिश्‍वत कांड, वोट के बदले नोट प्रकरण - इनमें से कोई भी सरकारी लोकपाल के दायरे में आने लायक भ्रष्टाचार नहीं है। प्रधानमंत्री, मुख्‍यमंत्रियों, सांसदों, विधायकों, सभासदों, सरपंचों, जजों, राज्‍य सरकार के सभी कर्मचारियों, केंद्र सरकार के ग्रुप बी, ग्रुप सी और ग्रुप डी के सभी अधिकारियों को सरकारी लोकपाल बिल के दायरे से बाहर रखा गया है।
यह बिल क़ानून में बदल जाने के बाद भी सीबीआई पर सरकार का नियंत्रण पहले की तरह बना रहेगा। सीबीआई राजा जैसे नेताओं के खिलाफ कार्रवाई नहीं कर सकेगी, यदि सुप्रीम कोर्ट ऐसे मामलों पर कार्रवाई के लिए नहीं कहे। क्‍वात्रोच्चि जैसे लोगों के बैंक खातों को गोपनीयता के नाम पर आगे भी बंद रखा जाता रहेगा। मायावती, मुलायम सिंह, लालू यादव, जयललिता जैसों के खिलाफ सीबीआई को बतौर हथियार इस्‍तेमाल किया जाता रहेगा।
सरकार का लोकपाल बिल कमजोर ही नहीं, असंवैधानिक भी है। संविधान के तहत प्रधानमंत्री को जांच से किसी तरह की छूट नहीं मिली है, लेकिन इस बिल के दायरे से पीएम को बाहर रखा गया है, जो संविधान के खिलाफ है। लोकपाल के सदस्‍यों के चयन और उन्‍हें हटाने का पूरा अधिकार भी सरकार के हाथ में ही होगा। चयन समिति के नौ में से पांच सदस्‍य सरकार के प्रतिनिधि होंगे। इस तरह सर्वाधिक भ्रष्‍ट, दोषी और राजनीतिक वफादार लोगों को लोकपाल का सदस्‍य चुनने की शक्ति होगी।

हम जो लोकपाल बिल चाहते हैं, उसके तहत केंद्र सरकार के लिए लोकपाल और राज्‍य सरकारों के लिए लोकायुक्‍त का गठन होगा। लोकपाल केंद्र सरकार के कर्मचारियों और राजनेताओं के खिलाफ भ्रष्‍टाचार से जुड़े मामलों की शिकायतों की जांच करेगा। यही काम राज्‍यों में लोकायुक्‍त का होगा। लेकिन सरकार ने हमारी मांगें मानने से इनकार कर दिया है। यदि सरकारी बिल कानून बन जाता है तो हम अपने देश को भ्रष्‍टाचारियों को सौंप देंगे जो हमारे संसाधनों की लूट-खसोट करते रहेंगे।



राजनीति में ज्‍यादातर ईमानदार

राशिद अल्‍वी
(लेखक कांग्रेस के प्रवक्‍ता हैं)

भ्रष्‍टाचार सिर्फ राजनीति में नहीं, हर तबके, पूरे समाज में है। राजनीति से जुड़े लोग मुखर होते हैं, सबकी नजरों में रहते हैं, इसलिए उनका भ्रष्‍टाचार भी सबसे पहले नजर आ जाता है। लेकिन सवाल है, राजनीति में भ्रष्‍टाचार आता कहां से है? अन्‍ना हजारे ने कहा है कि वह चुनाव नहीं जीत सकते, क्‍योंकि उनके पास काला धन नहीं है और न ही पिलाने के लिए शराब है। तो अन्‍ना को यह भी बताना चाहिए कि उन्‍हें किसके लिए शराब या पैसा चाहिए? चुनाव जिताने के लिए कौन लेता है शराब या पैसा?

राजनीति में आए लोग जनता के ही चुने होते हैं। किसी शख्‍स का चरित्र चुने जाने से पहले जो होता है, बाद में भी वह बदल नहीं सकता। अगर बेईमान लोग चुने जाएंगे तो वे चुने जाने के बाद बेईमानी करेंगे ही। जनता अपना जन प्रतिनिधि चुनते समय बिरादरी, मजहब, इलाका जैसी चीजों का खयाल रखती है। उम्‍मीदवार के चरित्र का नहीं। वोट देने के लिए भी पैसे दिए-लिए जाते हैं। इस तरह, राजनीति में भ्रष्‍टाचार की बुनियाद जन प्रतिनिधियों के निर्वाचन में ही है।

फिर भी राजनीति में ज्‍यादातर लोग ईमानदारी से अपना काम करते हैं। जो बेईमानी करते हैं, उन्‍हें सबक सिखाने के लिए कानून है। कानून भी अपना काम करता है। अगर ऐसा नहीं होता तो राजा, कलमाड़ी जेल में नहीं होते। पर भ्रष्‍टाचार को मिटाने के लिए कानून ही काफी नहीं है। समाज को ठीक करना होगा। और, इसके लिए समाज के हर तबके को साथ आना होगा। सभी को मिल कर तय करना होगा कि न रिश्‍वत देनी है, न लेनी है। पंचायत से लेकर संसद तक, कहीं भी भ्रष्‍टाचारी को चुन कर नहीं भेजने का संकल्‍प लेना होगा।

भ्रष्‍टाचार मिटाने के लिए लोकपाल कानून बनाए जाने की मांग हो रही है। इसके लिए बिल संसद में लाया जा चुका है। लेकिन संसद के बाहर का एक पक्ष सरकार की ओर से पेश बिल का विरोध कर रहा है। लोकपाल का मकसद है भ्रष्‍टाचार कम करना। हालांकि ठोस रूप से यह नहीं कहा जा सकता कि इसके आने से भ्रष्‍टाचार में कितनी कमी आ जाएगी। सबके साथ मिल कर काम करने से ही भ्रष्‍टाचार मिटेगा। फिर भी, लोकपाल बनना चाहिए। लेकिन अन्‍ना जी जिद कर रहे हैं कि इसके दायरे में प्रधानमंत्री को भी लाएं। उनका मकसद क्‍या है? यही ना कि प्रधानमंत्री के भ्रष्‍टाचार की निगरानी और इस पर कार्रवाई हो?

सरकारी बिल में प्रावधान है कि प्रधानमंत्री के पद से हटने के सात साल बाद तक उनके कार्यकाल के कार्यकलापों की जांच हो सकती है और दोषी पाए जाने पर सजा दी जा सकती है। तो क्‍या इस प्रावधान से अन्‍ना जी का यह मकसद पूरा नहीं हो रहा है? फिर अन्‍ना की जिद क्‍यों? उन्‍हें उनके साथी बरगला रहे हैं। क्‍या यह जरूरी नहीं है कि प्रधानमंत्री पद की गरिमा बनाई रखी जाए? भ्रष्‍टाचार सड़कों पर उतर कर कानून हाथ में लेने से खत्‍म नहीं होने वाला। इसके लिए सबको एक होना होगा। यह बात अन्‍ना जी को भी समझ लेनी चाहिए।



फैक्‍टफाइल

1. नेशनल इलेक्शन वॉच और एसोसिएशन ऑफ डेमोक्रेटिक रिफॉर्म नाम के दो गैरसरकारी संगठनों के मुताबिक 2009 में चुने गए 543 सांसदों में 153 के खिलाफ आपराधिक मामले चल रहे थे।

2. 2011 के विधानसभा चुनावों में जीत कर आए पश्चिम बंगाल के 35 फीसदी, तमिलनाडु के 29 फीसदी, असम के 10फीसदी और पुड्डुचेरी के 30 फीसदी विधायकों के खिलाफ आपराधिक मामले चल रहे हैं।

3. राज्यसभा की 49 सीटों के लिए हाल ही में हुए चुनाव में 54 उम्मीदवारों में से 15 (28%) ऐसे थे, जिन्होंने हलफनामे में स्वीकार किया है कि उनके खिलाफ आपराधिक मामले दर्ज हैं जिनमें हत्या की कोशिश, धोखेबाजी और जालसाजी जैसे मामले शामिल हैं।


4. तमिलनाडु में पिछले चुनावों में करीब 60 करोड़ रुपये नकद बरामद हुए, जो अपने आप में रिकॉर्ड है। ज़्यादातर विधायकों ने यह दिखाया कि उन्होंने सिर्फ 3.12 लाख और 9.39 लाख (तय सीमा का 39 से 59 फीसदी) के बीच चुनावी खर्च किया।


5. असम के 37 फीसदी विधायक, तमिलनाडु के 52 फीसदी, पश्चिम बंगाल के 16 फीसदी और पुड्डुचेरी के 63 फीसदी विधायक करोड़पति हैं। राज्यसभा के लिए ज़्यादातर पार्टियों ने ऐेसे उम्मीदवारों को चुना जिनके पास बहुत संपत्ति थी। 12 राज्यों के 54 उम्मीदवारों में 43 करोड़पति थे। इनमें से 38 (78फीसदी) ने जीत दर्ज की।

6. नेशनल इलेक्शन वॉच के मुताबिक राज्यसभा के इस चुनाव में दस लाख से कम संपत्ति वाले एक फीसदी से भी कम उम्मीदवार चुनाव जीत पाए। 10 करोड़ से ऊपर की संपत्ति घोषित करने वाले 48 फीसदी उम्मीदवारों ने महाराष्ट्र से जीत दर्ज की। हरियाणा से ऐसी जीत दर्ज करने वालेउम्मीदवारों की तादाद 44 फीसदी थी।

भ्रष्‍टाचार रोकने के लिए मजबूत लोकपाल बनाए जाने की मांग लेकर अन्‍ना हजारे अनशन पर हैं। शुरुआती जंग में सरकार कदम दर कदम पीछे हट रही है। फिर भी जन लोकपाल अभी आ पाएगा, ऐसा विश्‍वासपूर्वक नहीं कहा जा सकता। अन्‍ना जिस लोकपाल की मांग कर रहे हैं, वह बन गया तो सबसे ज्‍यादा खतरा नौकरशाहों को ही रहेगा। तो क्‍या अन्‍ना की राह में नौकरशाही भी रोड़े अटका रही है? अफसरशाही को कैसे भ्रष्‍टाचार के चंगुल से छुड़ाया जा सकता है? इन सवालों पर क्‍या है इंडिया की सोच? पढ़ें पूर्व आयकर आयुक्‍त विश्‍वबंधु गुप्‍ता और पूर्व सीबीआई प्रमुख जोगिंदर सिंह के विचार और फिर अपने कमेंट व वोट के जरिए जानें-बताएं इंडिया की सोच:  
आज देश में दो तरह का भ्रष्‍टाचार है। एक तो आम जनता से जुड़ा भ्रष्‍टाचार, जिससे जनता रोज मर्रा की जिंदगी में जूझती है। इसे आप 'रूटीन करप्‍शन' कह सकते हैं। और दूसरा, सत्‍ता सुख भोगने वाले नेताओं की सोची-समझी योजना के तहत किया जाने वाला भ्रष्‍टाचार। इसे आप 'प्‍लैन्‍ड करप्‍शन' की श्रेणी में रख सकते हैं। नौकरशाही की भूमिका दोनों ही तरह के भ्रष्‍टाचार में अलग-अलग है। राशन कार्ड बनाने, जाति प्रमाण पत्र जारी करने, बिजली कनेक्‍शन जारी करने, स्‍कूल-कॉलेज में दाखिला आदि में होने वाला भ्रष्‍टाचार रूटीन करप्‍शन के तहत आता है। इसमें नौकरशाहों की भूमिका ज्‍यादा होती है और उनका फायदा भी ज्‍यादा है।
 
मोटे अनुमान के आधार पर कहा जाए तो इसमें करीब 70 फीसदी रकम नौकरशाहों की जेब में जाती है।  दूसरी ओर, 2जी घोटाला, सीडब्‍ल्‍यूजी घोटाला, खाद्यान्‍न घोटाला, नोएडा जमीन घोटाला आदि प्‍लैन्‍ड करप्‍शन हैं। सस्ता अनाज विदेश में बेचना, फिर बाहर से मंगा कर यहां जनता को महंगे में खरीदने पर मजबूर करना भी इसी तरह का भ्रष्‍टाचार है। उदारीकरण का दौर शुरू होने के बाद से खाद्यान्‍न, रियल एस्‍टेट, रक्षा, दूरसंचार तमाम क्षेत्रों में इस तरह से भ्रष्‍टाचार किया जा रहा है और हजारों, लाखों करोड़ के वारे न्‍यारे किए जा रहे हैं। इसमें नेताओं (संबंधित विभाग के मंत्रियों) की भागीदारी और हिस्‍सेदारी ज्‍यादा होती है। मोटे अनुमान के आधार पर कह सकते हैं कि ऐसे घोटालों में नेताओं की जेब में 75 से 90 फीसदी तक रकम चली जाती है।  
 
मुश्किल यह है कि दोनों ही तरह के करप्‍शन में बढ़ोतरी हो रही है। रूटीन करप्‍शन में रिश्‍वत की रकम बढ़ रही है, तो प्‍लैन्‍ड करप्‍शन में घोटालों के नए-नए तरीके ईजाद हो रहे हैं। भ्रष्‍टाचार रोकने की जिम्‍मेदारी सरकार पर है। पर मंत्री 'प्‍लैन्‍ड करप्‍शन' में लगे होते हैं। उनका ध्‍यान रूटीन करप्‍शन पर जाता ही नहीं है। नतीजतन नौकरशाहों को बेखौफ होकर भ्रष्‍टाचार करने की छूट मिली हुई है। इस तरह भ्रष्‍टाचार बढ़ता ही जा रहा है। नौकरशाहों को मिलने वाला राजनीतिक संरक्षण नौकरशाही में भ्रष्‍टाचार बढ़ने का मुख्‍य कारण है। नौकरशाहों में कार्रवाई का कोई डर नहीं रह गया है। इसके दो प्रमुख कारण हैं। एक तो भ्रष्‍टाचार विरोधी कानून के अमल में सुस्‍ती और दूसरा, मंत्रियों की भ्रष्‍टाचार हटाने में नहीं है कोई दिलचस्‍पी। रूटीन करप्‍शन की बात करें तो ऐसे मामलों में कोई समीक्षा नहीं होती। इसलिए भी नौकरशाह खुल कर रिश्‍वत लेते हैं। 
 
प्‍लैन्‍ड करप्‍शन की बात करें तो जो नेता कानून बनाते हैं, किसी न किसी रूप में उस पर अमल भी उन्‍हीं के हाथों में होता है। भ्रष्‍ट नौकरशाह के खिलाफ कार्रवाई का आदेश सरकार के मंत्री ही देंगे। ऐसे में कार्रवाई की इजाजत ही नहीं मिलती। सीबीआई के पास एक हजार से भी ज्‍यादा नौकरशाहों के भ्रष्‍टाचार की रिपोर्ट है, लेकिन उनके खिलाफ कभी कोई कार्रवाई नहीं हुई। भ्रष्‍ट नौकरशाहों पर नकेल कसने में सबसे बड़ी बाधा है सीबीआई का स्‍वतंत्र अस्तित्‍व नहीं होना। सीबीआई पीएमओ के अधीन है और पीएमओ को नौकरशाह और सरकार का मुखिया चलाता है। यानी जिन पर भ्रष्‍टाचार के आरोप लगते हैं, वही भ्रष्‍टाचार की जांच करने वाली एजेंसी के नियंता बने बैठे हैं।  
 
भ्रष्‍टाचार हटाने के लिए सबसे पहले नौकरशाहों में खौफ पैदा करना होगा और सीबीआई को स्‍वतंत्र एजेंसी बनाना होगा। इसके बाद मंत्रालयों और मंत्रियों के सारे अधिकार खत्‍म करने होंगे। इनकी जगह हर क्षेत्र के लिए अलग-अलग स्‍वतंत्र निकाय के रूप में निगरानी तंत्र बनाना होगा। दूरसंचार के क्षेत्र में सरकार ने एक नियामक संस्‍था (ट्राई) बनाई है, लेकिन यह शुरुआत भर है। रियल एस्‍टेट, खाद्यान्‍न, स्‍वास्‍थ्‍य, शिक्षा आदि से जुड़े क्षेत्रों में तत्‍काल नियामक संस्‍था बनाने की जरूरत है, जो सरकार के प्रभाव से मुक्‍त और जनता के प्रति जवाबदेह होकर फैसले ले और उन पर अमल कराए।
 
 
फैक्‍टफाइल
1.   ट्रांसपेरेंसी इंटरनेशनल की एक स्‍टडी के मुताबिक 50 फीसदी भारतीयों को सीधे तौर पर सरकारी दफ्तर में अपना काम निकलवाने के लिए रिश्‍वत देनी होती है।
2.  स्‍टडी के मुताबिक भारत की नौकरशाही थाइलैंड, द. कोरिया, मलेशिया, ताइवान, वियतनाम, इंडोनेशिया,‍ फिलीपींस जैसे अपेक्षाकृत कम विकसित देशों की तुलना में न केवल कम सक्षम है, बल्कि इनसे काम करवाने में काफी मुश्किल होती है और वक्‍त भी ज्‍यादा लगता है।
3.  एक अन्‍य अध्‍ययन के मुताबिक 91 फीसदी मामलों में घूस की मांग करने वाले सरकारी अफसर ही होते हैं।
4.  92 फीसदी मामलों में भ्रष्‍टाचारी नकद रिश्‍वत ही चाहते हैं। 5 फीसदी किसी तोहफे के रूप में घूस लेना पसंद करते हैं, जबकि सिर्फ 1 फीसदी मामलों में बतौर रिश्‍वत मेहमाननवाजी, सैर-सपाटा आदि की मांग की जाती है।    
 
5.   अखिल भारतीय सेवा और ग्रुप 'ए' रैंक के अफसरों को लोकपाल के दायरे में लाने का प्रस्‍ताव किया गया है।

जो सरकार अपने लोगों पर भरोसा नहीं करती, वह यह उम्मीद कैसे कर सकती है कि लोग उस पर भरोसा करें। लोग हताशा में सड़कों पर उतर रहे हैं।  -अनुपम खेर, अभिनेता

कांग्रेस कहती है कि अन्ना के आंदोलन के पीछे अमेरिका का हाथ है... क्योंकि कांग्रेस अध्यक्ष को अपने इलाज के लिए अमेरिका पर ही भरोसा है।
-चेतन भगत, लेखक

मुझे राजनीति ना समझ में आती है ना ही उसमें कोई दिलचस्पी है, परंतु भ्रष्टाचार से हमारे देश का मुक्त होना बहुत जरूरी है। इसलिए मैं अन्ना हजारे जी के इस भ्रष्टाचार विरोधी अभियान का समर्थन करती हूं।  -लता मंगेशकर, सुप्रसिद्ध गायिका
लोकपाल बिल पर अन्ना हजारे के आंदोलन को मिल रही अपार सफलता के पीछे सोशल साइट्स का भी बड़ा हाथ है। फेसबुक और ट्विटर पर अन्ना हजारे को भारी समर्थन मिल रहा है। फेसबुक पर तीन लाख से ज्यादा लोग टीम अन्ना की साइट इंडिया अगेन्स्ट करप्शन (आईएसी) के साथ आ चुके हैं। यही नहीं, फेसबुक पर अन्ना हजारे और आईएसी से संबंधित 150 से ज्यादा पेज हैं।

फेसबुक पर की गई कुछ टिप्पणियां बताती हैं कि लोग इस मुद्दे को कितनी गंभीरता से ले रहे हैं। कुछ लोगों के लिए यह आंदोलन दूसरा स्वाधीनता संग्राम है, तो किसी ने अन्ना को मिल रहे समर्थन को देखते हुए लिखा है- भारत और भारतीयों ने अपनी एकता फिर साबित कर दी है। मौजूदा चुनावी व्यवस्था पर एक तीखी टिप्पणी है- हमारे सांसद वोट खरीदने के लिए पैसे खर्च करते हैं। फिर उसकी भरपाई के लिए भ्रष्टाचार करते हैं। हम उनसे ऐसा बिल चाहते हैं जिससे चुनाव में वोट खरीदने पर रोक लगे।

अन्ना के प्रति सहानुभूति दिखाते हुए किसी ने लिखा है- अन्ना की उम्र कितनी है? हो सकता है अपने सपने को पूरा होता देखने के लिए वे जीवित ना रहें। लेकिन उनकी प्रतिबद्धता देखिए। एक और टिप्पणी है- अगर बिना किसी राजनीतिक-आर्थिक समर्थन के एक आदमी इतना कर सकता है तो 120 करोड़ लोगों को उन्हें क्यों नहीं फॉलो करना चाहिए। अन्ना के आंदोलन में शरीक होने वाले खुद को गौरवान्वित महसूस कर रहे हैं। इसीलिए एक ने लिखा है- देश की सेवा में ऐसे किसी आंदोलन में शरीक होने का सपना पूरा हो गया।  
एक टिप्पणी गांधी परिवार के खिलाफ है- समय आ गया है कि गांधीवादी, गांधी परिवार को पराजित करें। एक ने लिखा है- स्वार्थी बनिए और बेहतर भविष्य के लिए अन्ना का समर्थन कीजिए।  अन्ना के समर्थन में कुछ नए नारे भी आपको इन साइट्स पर दिख जाएंगे। फेसबुक पर एक नारा है- जय हिंद, जय भारत, जय लोकपाल।

एक और रोचक नारा है- ये सरकार पैसा-पैसा करती है, लोकपाल से डरती है। लोगों का जोश बढ़ाने वाले भी कुछ नारे हैं- अन्ना की मांगें पूरी करो, वर्ना कुर्सी खाली करो। अन्ना नहीं ये आंधी है, देश का दूसरा गांधी है। एक और नारा है- आंधी नहीं तूफान है, अन्ना संग हिंदुस्तान है।  विषय भले ही गंभीर हो, लेकिन इस पर भी आपको मजेदार चुटकुले मिल जाएंगे।

एक चुटकुला है- तिहाड़ में लंच टाइम : कलमाडी और राजा अपनी प्लेटें भर रहे हैं और अन्ना उनकी वजह से अनशन पर हैं। एक और चुटकुला है- सुरेश कलमाडी : मेरी कोई शर्त नहीं। प्लीज मुझे रिहा करो। बाबा रामदेव के साथ दिल्ली पुलिस के सुलूक को याद करते हुए एक चुटकुला है- यमुना खतरे के निशान से ऊपर बह रही है, डर है दिल्ली सरकार इसका मुंह रामलीला मैदान की ओर ना मोड़ दे।

भ्रष्टाचार के आरोपों में तिहाड़ में बंद सुरेश कलमाडी और ए. राजा से जुड़े कई चुटकुले हैं। एक में कलमाडी और राजा कहते हैं- हमारा कोई दोष नहीं। हमने अन्ना के समर्थन में गिरफ्तारी दी है। एक अन्य चुटकुला है- तिहाड़ के बाहर भीड़ देख कलमाडी ने जेल वार्डन से पूछा, क्या ये लोग मेरी रिहाई की मांग कर रहे हैं? एक चुटकुले में सरकार के तीन अहम मंत्रियों के बारे में टिप्पणी की गई है। चुटकुला इस प्रकार है - एक बार तीन मंत्री हेलीकॉप्टर से कहीं जा रहे थे।

एक मंत्री ने सौ रुपये का नोट नीचे गिराया और कहा, मैंने एक गरीब को खुश कर दिया। पचास-पचास के दो नोट गिराकर दूसरे मंत्री बोले, मैंने दो गरीबों को खुश किया। तीसरे ने एक-एक के सौ सिक्के गिराए और बोले, मैंने सौ लोगों को खुश कर दिया। यह देख हेलीकॉप्टर का पायलट बोला, मैं आप तीनों को गिरा देता हूं, 120 करोड़ लोग खुश हो जाएंगे।

लोकपाल बिल पर अन्ना हजारे के आंदोलन को मिल रही अपार सफलता के पीछे सोशल साइट्स का भी बड़ा हाथ है।

Is Anna Hazare a saviour of democracy or is he sabotaging it? This is the crucial question facing India days after it celebrated the 64th year of its independence from foreign rule.

The Congress party and the government have attacked Anna Hazare and his Lokpal movement on personal and cons-titutional grounds. Referring to Team Anna as ‘A Company’, Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari accused Hazare of being “steeped in corruption from head to toe”. Tewari’s over-the-top outburst reveals just how desperate the government is to discredit Hazare and his followers and defuse the political crisis they are precipitating. The charges of corruption against Hazare – which the Gandhian has challenged his detractors to prove – are baseless. In 2005 the Sawant commission had indicted a trust headed by Hazare of having spent Rs 2.20 lakh on a birthday bash for him; a subsequent task force cleared the activist of all charges.

While the Congress allegations about Hazare’s personal probity are bad, both in law and in taste, the constitutional objections raised against his agitation are more serious and involve fundamental constitutional issues. Pranab Mukherjee, among others, has described Hazare’s tactics as challenging the authority of Parliament, which is a breach of constitutional sovereignty and undermines the foundations of India’s democracy. Parliament embodies the will of the people through their duly elected representatives. If you bypass Parliament – as Hazare’s critics say he is trying to do – don’t you bypass the will of the people and subvert the basic concept of democracy, that it is a government of the people, by the people and for the people?

Some years ago, commentators coined the term ‘judicial vigilantism’ to des-cribe activist judges who seemed to be overstepping their constitutional jurisdiction by intervening in legislative matters which are the constitutional prerogative of Parliament. Today – when several senior judges have been charged with corruption and bringing the judiciary within the Lokpal’s ambit is one of the points of contention between Hazare and the government – ‘judicial vigilantism’ seems like an exhibit in a museum of ancient history. But has the spirit of vigilantism manifested itself in the avatar of activists like Hazare and his followers?

Critics – and these include not just those in the Congress party or in the government, but also those who while sympathetic to Hazare’s professed ideals of cleansing corruption from our society have doubts about his methods – have pointed out the danger to democracy posed by what might be called ‘ad hoc vigilantism’. Today it is Anna with his campaign against corruption. Tomorrow it could be another rebel, with or without a cause. If constitutional institutions like Parliament are bypassed how long will it be before our much-touted democracy becomes a mobocracy, presided over by demagogues with self-assumed power?

Hazare and his followers would counter such arguments by declaring that what President Pratibha Patil has called the “cancer” of corruption has become so deeply and widely rooted in our constitutionally created system itself that it requires radical, extra-constitutional remedies to effect a cure. If the system itself is diseased, you have to find out-of-the-system methods of treatment.

And if non-violent dissent is shackled by Anna’s peremptory arrest, how different is ‘democratic’ India from totalitarian China and its infamous Tiananmen Square?

In the battle between the state and Anna, however, both sides appear to overlook a basic point. The niceties about the constitutional improprieties and the growing public anger against rampant corruption are largely confined to urban India. Concepts like the Constitution, democracy and justice remain cruel mirages in the Bharat that is rural India. Perhaps nothing exemplifies the gulf between the two Indias than the idea of the fast. In the privileged urban India of Hazare and his fans, fasting is a legitimate form of neo-Gandhian protest. In the other India, fasting is not a morally superior form of dissent; it’s a brute necessity and its name is starvation.

अन्ना हजारे का असली नाम किसन बापट बाबूराव हजारे (प्यार से लोग अन्ना कहते) हैं।
हजारे का जन्म 15 जनवरी 1940 को महाराष्ट्र के अहमद नगर के भीनगर गांव में हुआ। पिता का नाम बाबूराव हजारे मां का नाम लक्ष्मीबाई हजारे है। अन्ना का बचपन बहुत गरीबी में गुजरा। पिता मजदूर थे, दादा फौज में थे।
अन्ना का पैतृक गांव अहमद नगर जिले में स्थित रालेगन सिद्धि में है। हजारे के दादा की मौत के सात साल बाद अन्ना का परिवार रालेगन आ गया। अन्ना के 6 भाई हैं।
परिवार में व्याप्त आर्थिक तंगी को देखते हुए अन्ना की बुआ उन्हें मुम्बई ले गईं। यहां उन्होंने सातवीं तक पढ़ाई की।  कठिन हालातों में परिवार को देख कर उन्होंने परिवार का बोझ कुछ कम करने की सोंची। और वह दादर स्टेशन के बाहर एक फूल बेचनेवाले की दुकान में 40 रूपए महीने की पगार में काम करने लगे। कुछ समय बाद उन्होंने खुद फूलों की दुकान खोल ली और अपने दो भाइयों को भी रालेगन से बुला लिया।

1962 के भारत-चीन युद्ध के दौरान युवाओं को सेना में शामिल होने की सरकार की अपील पर वे मराठा रेजीमेंट में बतौर ड्राइवर नियुक्त हुए। 1965 के भारत-पाकिस्तान युद्ध के दौरान उनकी पूरी यूनिट शहीद हो गई। गोली अन्ना को भी लगी, लेकिन बच गए। जिस ट्रक को अन्ना चला रहे थे, उस पर गोलाबारी हुई थी।
इस घटना के 13 साल बाद सेना से रिटायर हुए लेकिन अपने पैतृक गांव महाराष्ट्र के अहमदनगर में भीगांव नहीं गए। पास के रालेगांवसिद्धि में रहने लगे। वे कहते हैं कि समाजसेवा की प्रेरणा उन्हें स्वामी विवेकानंद की एक पुस्तक से मिली। उन्होंने अपना जीवन समाजसेवा को समर्पित कर दिया।

समय हो गया जागरण का , अब तो जग जा प्यारे
खून मांगती ये धरती तुझे देश पुकारे
तुझे कसम तेरे माँ की है जो तुमको है पाले
अरविन्द केजरीवाल जेल गये और गये अन्ना हजारे
तू यहाँ खड़ा क्या कर रैला चल भाई हम भी जेल भर डालें
 
भ्रष्टाचार का डालो अचार, करो पास जन लोक पाल
चाहे कोई कोई हो सरकार, करो पास जन लोक पाल
चाहे भेजो अब तुम जेल चाहे नोचो बाल, करो पास जन लोक पाल
चाहे फेंको कोई मोंहरा, कोई भी चलाओ चाल, करो पास जन लोक पाल
 
हमने कभी आज़ादी पायी तब गाँधी ने आग लगायी
आज फिर गुलामी आई देखो खरे है अन्ना भाई
करते हो जो तुम सम्मान थामनी होगी तुम्हे कमान
अन्ना दूजे गाँधी है उनको समझो उन्ही समान
केजरीवाल वो हिरा हैं जो देखें  सबकी पीरा है
हमें सबकी पीरा हरना है अब देश के लिए कुछ करना है
चल चलें उन्ही हम राहों पर जिस राह उन्हें अब चलना है
 
जो पड़ी जरुरत तो हम भी जेल भरेंगे
जो बन पड़ा हमारे हाथों से वो सब कुछ हम करेंगे
चाहे खाने हो डंडे अब या, खानी पड़े गोली
चाहे कट जाएँ सर अपने या  हो  जाये खून की होली
न पीछे अब हटना है चाहे जाना हो बहुत दूर  
 

I wrote in this blog on April 7, 2011 about Anna Hazare, saying, "Perhaps after Loknayak Jayaprakash Narayan's call for sampoorna kranti, … Anna's fast may be the next most significant mass movement in modern India yet." Soon thereafter, when the ruling Government seemed to respond to Anna sensibly and sensitively offering a joint dialogue with and say to the civil society for drafting a suitable Lokpal Bill, one thought it a sagacious gesture on the part of the UPA government and a victory for the maturity of our democracy.
 
Alas, that hasn't been the case. Of late, with every single passing day, the ruling polity has come out looking increasingly petty, cussed and vindictive, targeting Anna with every gun that it has at its disposal. It has accused Anna Hazare and his Trust as being "seeped in corruption".  It is questioning the funding of Anna's website. It is digging up his ancient army records in the hope of finding something – anything – to chuck at him, hoping something may stick.  It is leaning on the weak spine of the Delhi Police to deny him a place to fast, placing uncalled for and unconstitutional limits of time and the size of crowd .  It is not that our politicians have usually stood so tall that we are surprised at how low they can stoop; but to accuse a simple and straight forward soul like Ana Hazare, who is the first major voice against corruption in independent India to stir the conscience of the nation, dwarfs even their pigmy standards. 
 
In a democracy of a billion people, it is understandable to have a billion different views on the issue of the Lokpal Bill versus Jan-Lokpal Bill.  It is understandable if some think PM should be kept out of the ambit of Lokpal. It is understandable if some think civil society (read Anna Hazare) should be more practical and more patient or yielding in their demand or protest.  It may also be understandable if some think that Anna Hazare's Satyagraha is not to be compared to Bapu's Satyagraha, or even that inarticulate Anna himself is in no way comparable with the suave Mahatma. It is understandable too if some question the somewhat intemperate language deployed by Anna Hazare in his communication to our straight as sphinx-like Prime Minister.  It may be understandable too if a section of the society is apprehensive about the liberties Civil Society seems to be taking with our constitutional mechanism. For that matter, it may also be understandable if some seem to think Anna Hazare to be a greater danger to our Constitution for seeking "extra-constitutional" remedies to cure our sick society of utter, run-away and rampant corruption, than the malaise of corruption itself.  I even came across a very intelligent, articulate and genuinely sensitive young professional who was "entirely against corruption, but who disagreed with Anna Hazare's methods", even if he did not have an alternative to suggest.  In his view, one couldn't be led into a Bush-like stance – "You are either with us (or Anna Hazare) or against us (or Anna Hazare)". Well, in short, we can understand all these various views in a democracy, and then some.
 
While we understand all of the above, we must also understand the low-stoop of the senior Congress functionaries in the personal mud-slinging against Anna for what it is -- the last-ditch defense of a political class running scared.  And let us not get it wrong. Let us not believe for a moment as if it is only the Congress politicians who are running scared. The reality is that the major opposition, the UPA politicos, have not comported themselves much better on the ground and in the parliament, beyond opportunistic lip service to Anna.  Thus, it may be equally naïve to believe that even a Jana-Lokpal Bill blessed by Anna, shall sail smoothly through the Parliament, as a simple Anna seems to do. But then, Anna does seem to believe that at least in that case the country would know which parties support or do not support the people's bill, the knowledge of which could decide the fate of the parties at the next hustings.   I, for one, can understand that.
 
True, participation of "Civil Society" in a parliamentary process is hardly the standard constitutional process in our democracy. The constitutional process provides only for the Legislature, the Executive, and the Judiciary; it provides for no un-elected Civil Society to play a role.  But this is because the constitutional processes are ordinarily supposed to work. When constitutional processes work reasonably, for example, all citizens are genuinely equal before law, ministers and government servants are accountable to people, parliament functions and passes laws to govern the country rather than being in a perennial state of adjournment for one reason or the other, nor does it take over four decades to pass a law against corruption, justice is available to all and speedily, and 60% of the population does not remain bereft of food, education, health and justice due to large-scale corruption six decades after independence. None of these conditions has been made available under our constitutional processes.  The so-called 9% growth is despite these.
 
These are the reasons why the call of Anna Hazare has stirred the nation's conscience. Never mind whether public support for Anna is 50%, 85%, 95% or 100%.  Even if Anna were in a minority of one, it stands to reason that given that our constitutional processes worked by the legislature, executive, and the judiciary have failed us in all these decades, the constitutional mechanism is perhaps already in a damaged condition in any case. Bringing in the "Civil Society" is unlikely to do any more damage to it.
 
Anna Hazare has offered the nation an opportunity which all the constitutional mechanism and its political 'leadership' did not give it since independence. If we are smart as a people, we shall seize the opportunity and lend our shoulders in whatever little way we can to him – not for his sake, but for our own.  But if we are not smart, we can continue to debate the issue to shreds while Anna Hazare acts tomorrow.

Can you legislate against corruption and make those in positions of power honest? The answer is obviously a no. The struggle for a Lokpal as envisaged by Team Anna is not because people feel that babus and netas will refrain from taking recourse to wrong doing once there is a Lokpal. Rather, it is a reflection of the collective angst of the aam aadmi who feel that corruption has increased beyond what any decent society can tolerate. Seventy-five-year-old Anna Hazare has captured the imagination of the nation in this fight because of this discontent fuelled by corruption- an issue that all parties treat as electoral non-issues.

The fact that the central government is so cagey about allowing Anna Hazare to start fasting on August 16 is indication enough that the UPA government led by the Congress party is panicking. Of course, the main opposition BJP must be enjoying the discomfiture of the ruling party but as everybody knows as far as corruption goes no party is above board. If the Congress is caught in a bind because of the Commonwealth Games and 2G scam, the BJP had its own ministers in Karnataka carrying on illegal mining with impunity and made hundreds of crores. To quote Amar Singh: "Ees hamaam mein hum saab nange hai." (In this bath we are all without clothes).

Though corruption is a 5000-year-old malaise, it has increased ever since 1991 when the process of economic liberalization kick started. The process of reforms was initiated to unshackle the economy to lead to higher growth and also remove the impediments of licence -permit raj that was leading to corruption. But 20 years later, with the benefit of hindsight, we can see that reforms though it was impelled growth has led to a greater distortion of the political economy of India. Corruption has increased manifold and the commanding heights of the economy that were once in the hands of the inefficient public sector have been captured by corporate houses, often times by means that are not above board. Worse still, businessmen are increasingly taking to politics (the reverse is also true, politicians are also becoming businessmen) and today many are adorning the portals of Parliament or state assemblies. Many of them are using their political clout to corner economic benefits for themselves (often in the form of large contracts for companies originally promoted by them or that by their friends or kinsmen) and grab land in the name of SEZs.

This has happened because of two reasons. Firstly with liberalization, businessmen now control a much larger amount of resources than what they did before 1991. To further their business interests, many of them do not mind spending resources to get their "own man" elected, who in turn influence policy making and do deals. More importantly, though the population in this country has increased by many times, the number of seats in Lok Sabha (and state assemblies) remain fixed at the level of 1971.

They will remain fixed till 2031, as per a law passed in Lok Sabha in 2000. This implies that the number of voters in each constituency is increasing. In fact in 1971 there were some Lok Sabha constituencies which had a voter base of just one lakh. But today, on an average each Lok Sabha constituency has over 12 lakh voters. It is not difficult to see that to canvass 12 lakh voters require a much larger sum of money than one lakh voters.

Where does all this money come from? Well, from donation, from well wishers. But there is nothing known as free lunch. Everything comes on the promise of a quid pro quo. In this scenario, many businessmen have wondered why they should not become public representatives themselves.

So the first way to reduce the need for money to canvass the electorate is to increase the number of seats manifold in legislative bodies. This will lead to smaller constituencies. Secondly, we have to change the way that we elect our public representatives. As per the first past the post (FPTP) system of elections followed in India, the candidate getting the largest number of votes gets elected. In multi-cornered contests, the winner could often win by polling (say) 20% votes. This means that 80% of the voters did not vote for him. Yet, he becomes the public representative.

This aggregates at a macro nation-wide level to create more distortions because parties come to power on the basis of minority number of votes. As an example, in the 2009 elections, the Congress got 28.59% votes and in 2004 it got 26.53% of the total votes polled. Similarly, in 1999 when the NDA government came to power, the BJP got 23.75% of the votes. If you believe that the fracturing polity is a recent phenomenon, think again. In the history of the Indian republic, only once has any party come to power winning more than 50% of the votes polled. This was in the 1984 elections that came just after the assassination of Indira Gandhi when the Congress got 51% of the votes riding on a huge sympathy vote. Many called the elections as "shok sabha" and not a poll for Lok Sabha.

The way out is to change the electoral system. There are many electoral systems across the world - like in France there is a system of double ballot by which elections are in two rounds. Only those who clear the first vote are allowed to compete for the second votes. Then there is proportional representatation list system in Germany. By this 50 % of the representatives are selected by the process of election similar to that of India. The other 50 % are nominated by political parties in proportion to the votes that they get. (As an example, if there are 100 seats to which parties can nominate, a party can get to nominate for 50 seats if they got 50% of the total votes polled). There are also complicated mechanisms like the system of single transferable votes like in Australia.

Economic reforms without political reforms will lead to further distortions in the political economy of the country. So the need for political reforms is the need of the hour.

The fight for the Lokpal bill is the first part of this battle. Not that everything will become hunky dory after political reforms. As Chanakya in his Arthashastra said in 300 BC: "It is as difficult to find out whether an officer is dishonest or otherwise as it is to figure out whether a fish in a tank drank water or not."

We have all had that one uncle who keeps on reminding you how India is terrible. He tells you about how every government authority takes bribes - from the RTO to the ration shop to the municipality. He will tell you how no government department does its job well - the potholed roads, abysmal conditions at government schools and poor healthcare all being examples to support your uncle's theory. It is hard to argue with him, for he is right. Things don't work. There is no justice. Power talks. Equality doesn't exist. All of this, even though uncomfortable to hear, rings somewhat true.

However, the uncle goes on to say this: "Nothing will ever change." He is convinced that our society is damaged irreparably, and India is destined to live in misery. Uncle Cynic goes on to doubt almost everyone, assumes the worst in people, and anyone who is trying to improve the country is branded as someone with a hidden agenda.

This is where i think the uncle gets it wrong, horribly wrong. For it is one thing to point out the problems, it is quite another to give up trying to fix them. Cynicism is not a counter-argument, it is an attitude. For the fact is we still have good people in the country: in society and even in government departments. It is just that they are crushed.

I don't want to give you the reasons why you must support Anna Hazare. It is almost beneath Anna's dignity that he actually has to beg or make a case for support when he is fighting for you, against an abusive, corrupt regime. Still, let me do a quick recap of the facts.

Anna did a fast in April, which became the nation's movement and spread virally. Concerned, the government agreed to make a good Lokpal Bill, shook hands with the activists and in principle agreed to Anna's version, designed to truly check corruption. Since then, the government has insulted Anna's team, thrown away their draft, and come up with its own almost pointless draft of the Lokpal Bill.

The draft the government is presenting to Parliament will not check corruption. Only 0.5%, or one in 200 government officials are under its purview. Your corrupt ration shop, RTO, passport office, panchayats or municipal authority will not be covered. State scams will not be covered - yes, the Adarsh society scam or the Jharkhand scams are all out of its purview. The prime minister is excluded as well. Ever heard of a corruption law in a democracy that only applies to a certain section of people?

The government is throwing magic dust in your eyes - and counting on India's illiterate and ignorant to not know the difference. However, you reading this are educated. You know when wrong is being committed. You know that while you have lived your life with corruption, you do not want your children to do the same. A bad Lokpal Bill may not affect you today - but tomorrow it will hit you when your child does not get a college seat, when your hospital gives shoddy treatment, when your government work doesn't get done. We live in a poor country - poor not because we don't have what it takes to be rich, but because our leaders have let us down. We have given them too much power, and they consider our vote as a mandate to steal and be incompetent. They hate accountability. However, without accountability, our progress will stall. There are countries where the average income per person is 50 times more than in India. Don't we deserve the same?

Thus, whatever your personal view on Anna, it is not him but his cause that needs support. The government can crush a few activists. However, it cannot crush India on the streets. A peaceful, firm, decisive protest is every Indian's birthright, and must be exercised in times of need. Come Monday, and we Indians have a job to do. We have to save our country's future.

A word for the government too. Just what exactly are you thinking when you are trying to shove an impotent law down people's throats? And what makes you feel that threatening, crushing or insulting Anna will take away people's need to rid India of corruption? Anna did not create an anti-corruption sentiment, he merely tapped into it. Crushing Anna will not take away that sentiment. It will just make it fester more. Right now, the movement is still controlled. By going back on your word, displaying arrogance and not listening to the people, you are risking the country's descent into chaos. Be careful. Accountability is much easier to deal with than anarchy. Fix the Lokpal Bill now, please.

Finally, for the people of India, it is time to prove Uncle Cynic wrong. There is a bigger truth than his 'nothing ever changes in India'. That truth comes from the Gita, which states "Nothing is permanent". The Gita also says, "When the pot of sin overflows, something happens to restore order." Now, it is up to you to determine if the pot of sin has overflowed. It is for you to say what it means for Indians to act out their dharma. And you, and only you, will decide if it is time to come on the streets.

(The writer is a best-selling novelist)

Forward if you like it.

Forget Anna Hazare. The Jan Lokpal movement can go to hell for all I care. Let us just look at the issues over which the battle between the Government and us citizens is being fought. And then let’s decide where we want to stand, each one of us, on the issue of corruption. 

The first question is: Do corruption and bribery hurt you? If they do, do you want a solution? If your answer is yes to both, do you think such a solution lies with an independent authority? Or do you think a corrupt Government can fight corruption on its own, and within its own ranks? If your answer is no to that, then we need to create an independent institution to fight corruption. Right? Well, that’s precisely what Anna is asking for. He is asking for a Lokpal that the Government cannot influence nor manipulate. This is the first battle. 

The second battle is over four things. One: Should the Prime Minister come under the purview of the Lokpal? Almost everyone I know thinks he should. A honest Prime Minister wouldn’t care. A dishonest one must be supervised. Or else, we will have cases like Bofors that will never ever be resolved. Two: Should Members of Parliament come under the Lokpal? I have not met a single person till date who thinks that our MPs are so honest that they need not be supervised. My guess is if a referendum is ever taken, Anna will get a 100% yes to this question, given what people think of our politicians and the standards of probity in public life. The third question is even more obvious: Do all public servants need to come under the Lokpal? My guess is India’s answer will be yes, yes, yes. Every day, in every area of our life and work, we are constantly harassed, intimidated and extorted by corrupt Government officers. The poorer you are, the worse is the torture. So yes, every public servant, every Government officer must come under the Lokpal. Question four: Who should give permission to file an FIR against a corrupt judge? If the Lokpal can look into corruption charges against the PM, the MPs and Government servants, isn’t it only logical to expect it to do the same against judges? 

The third and final battle is over an even simpler thing: The Citizen’s Charter. Should every Government office have such a Charter which will clearly state which officer will do what work and in how much time? And should an officer who refuses to do his work in time or asks for a bribe to move a file be punished? The Government says a charter a fine but Government servants must not be penalised if they don’t do their work! Anna believes that officers not doing their work in time amounts to corruption and must face the same treatment. Isn’t it rather obvious what India thinks about this? 

Do we really need a referendum on these simple, basic issues? I seriously doubt it. Every Indian will endorse the idea of a Lokpal as Anna and his team have envisioned it, with the help of thousands of Indians who have contributed online to the process of drafting the bill. 

Yes, there are genuine fears that we should not create yet another monster out there, who will make life more difficult for us than it already is. But even that has been addressed rather adroitly by Anna’s team. It is a complex process, true but it also ensures that the choice is wisely made. And what if there are charges against the Lokpal? Well, there’s a provision there too. You can go straight to the Supreme Court and seek justice out there. 

So why are we arguing so much over this Bill? Why is the Government digging its heels in and refusing to listen to us citizens? Why must Anna go on a hunger strike all over again to press home the point that corruption must be fought back? I guess it’s a question of both ego and fear. No one likes to give up the power they have, and certainly not the Government. In fact, it’s always trying to interfere more and more in our lives, grab more and more authority, more and more space. And fear? Well, I guess we all know the answer to that. This is possibly the most corrupt Government we have ever had. It has good reason to be scared. 

Dear Fellow Indian,

Just like you, i am an ordinary citizen of India, I want that Bhagat Singh, Chandrashekhar Azaad, Anna Hazare should be born, but
in my neighbor's house. My kid should study and only earn money. I am selfish, coward, weak and impotent. I want that someone
else should fight my battles for me, someone else should die for me.

Shaheed Khudiram Bose, a 12 year old child had thrown a bomb on an english officer's car. Why are you and me such impotents,
cowards & scared that we cant even come out on the streets against these corrupt traitors?
Why dont the screams of our martyrs from the jails of kala-pani, make our blood patriotic?
Why doesn't the tight death ropes around the necks of the Chafekar Brothers, their agony, that pain cause an explosion of revolt in
our minds?
Why doesnt the gunpowder that Chandrashekhar Azaad had filled in his head with a bullet, that fire, that explosive flow in our
nerves?

Subhashchandra Bose had said – “You give me blood, I will give you freedom”
Several thousand people made the soil of our Bharat red with their blood fighting for us. Why cant's our shameless eyes see that
blood soaked red soil?
“We will meet at the funeral-pyres of our martyrs every year,
This will be our tribute to those who gave their life to our motherland.”
Lies-Lies.. we have deceived.. we have done treason to our martyrs,
We meet instead at the election rallys of the traitors, at the victory of the cricket team,
We have deceived & failed our martyrs.
Why doesnt the sacrifice made by Bhagat Singh for the motherland flow in our blood?

Khudiram Bose kissed the rope with wich he was hanged.
Why doesnt that thirst flow in our blood, why doesnt it flow in our veins?
We take our kids to watch movies in multiplexes, for holidays abroad, we take them to hill stations. Why havent we taken our kids
& shown them the Kalapani jails of Andaman & Nicobar, to Jaliyanwala Bagh, to the birth places & graves of martyrs like Bhagat
Singh, Chandrashekhar Azaad, Ramprasad Bismil? Whats the fault of the kids that there is no revolution in the country? Will a
revolution happen in the country by showing movies to kids or by showing them the gun with which Chandrashekhar Azaad filled
his head with gunpowder? Isn't it the fault of selfish parents like us?

2000 people sacrificed their lives for us in Jalianwala Bagh. English officer General Dyre murdered 2000 people, and we traitors
have never shown ourselves & our kids that Jalianwala Bagh. In those 2000 corpses, were the bodies of the parents of Shaheed
Udham Singh – a 12 year old little boy. This little boy searched for the injured in that pile of corpses & gave them water. He grew
into a youth with fire in his heart, went to london & shot General Dyre, and we cant even come out on the streets against these
corrupts? This Udham Singh, this child was a man, he was brave & proud, not a coward impotent traitor like you & me.
Shame on the life of you & me. This child Udham Singh's family is spending their life in humger & poverty. I ask you, have you ever
helped the families of our martyrs? If not, look for the families of our martyrs, and help them.

These traitors, these cannibals, these hungry wolves have eaten up the coffins of our beloved Kargil martyrs right before our eyes.
Later they ate up the houses of their crying, screaming widows. We have left the crying, screaming widows of our martyrs, their
hungry, screaming children to die. We impotent, traitor citizens have deceived our martyrs. Why?

Wake up. You dont even have to give your life for the country. Even one paisa will not be spent from your pocket. So what's the
matter? Why dont you fight for the future of your family, your country? Get out on the road & unite. When you go upstairs after
dying, you will be spared the shame in front of our martyrs, and say that I was not such an impotent coward & traitor, that I could
not even gather courage to go on the road & join a rally.

When the moment of happiness arrives in the lives of us Indians, we traitor citizens invite those very corrupt traitors who loot us &
our country to inaugurate. When its time for a happy wedding in our family, we dont send invitations to the families of our martyrs,
we invite the traitor corrupts like VIP's and treat them with all honour. Whats the matter? The traitor Mir Jafer is dead, but before
dying, has he left the blood of treason in our veins?

The whole country has been reading the Geeta since 5000 years, that the soul never dies, and the whole country is so coward,
afraid and selfish that for 1000 years we have been slaves of someone or the other? This world has never witnessed any civilization,
any breed who has been watching the drama of their own slavery for 1000 years like cowards. One old man – Anna Hazare is
fighting for 120 crore Indians, and we, coward, weak-hearted impotent selfish citizens with big mouths, are shamelessly watching
the 'tamasha', we are not even ashamed. One old man – Anna Hazare is teaching 120 crore Indians, the Indian Youth, the Indian
Senior Citizens, the Indian women how to live life like a Lion, and how it can be done.

The british would strip naked our martyrs, put them on ice & beat them till their skin tore off. Then they would put salt & chillies on
them. With that pain & agony, one sound would come from the martyr's mouth - “Vande Mataram”.
For the echo of the words “Vande Mataram” in those moments, for the blood of 2000 martyrs at Jalianwala Bagh, for the broken & hanging necks of our martyrs, for the echoeing screams of our martyrs from the jails of kalapani, for the dead bodies of our soldiers coming from our borders, for the tears & screams of the widows, the mothers, the children of our soldiers..
Oppose the corrupt with all your might.
Support Anna Hazare with all your might.

There is a channel on TV called Animal Planet. One day I saw a true incident – to save the life of its young one, a pig fought a lion
for 12 minutes. And till its last breath, the blood drenched pig kept fighting and died. Are we even worse than that pig that we cant
face these traitors, these hungry wolves – corrupts to save our country & our families? We cant oppose them? Even a pig has
taught us that we should fight, that we can fight.
“Sarfaroshi ki tamanna, ab mere dil mein hai,
Dekhna hai zor kitna is desh ke gaddar – bhrashtachariyon mein hai”
I am not a leader, I dont have any organization, just like you, I am a common Indian Citizen,
there was a fire in my heart, so I told you.

- Sunil Gupta (Indore).

Many countries including European ones have used it to take public mandate on crucial issues. In India, it was used in Raigad, Maharashtra, for setting up a special economic zone in 2008. Now, I think, it’s time for India to introduce the provision of referendum in the Constitution to ensure public participation in major legislations like Lokpal, particularly in a situation where the ruling party is trying to dislodge the anti-corruption campaign by misleading people that only elected representatives in a democracy have a right to decide the country's fate.

It’s true that in a democracy people elect a government to govern the country but in elections there are a number of issues before people -- bijli, sadak, pani, poverty, education, unemployment, etc. While muscle and money play a crucial role in elections, voting is also done on caste, communal, lingual and regional lines.

Corruption as an issue loses relevance at the very outset as political parties use corrupt ways to grab power, reducing democracy to a vote bank arithmetic. Over 70% of the population of this country is poor, worst hit by corruption. Butsurvival is a bigger issue for them. They only see the means of survival (schemes like MNREGA or loan waivers) put before them without realising that the real reason of their poverty is corruption. Had it not been for corruption, the countless rupees spent since independence on social welfare schemes would have eradicated poverty by now. The middle class is both a perpetrator and a victim of corruption but a majority vote on caste, religious, lingual and regional lines. Many of them do not vote at all. The rich and the elite know that in today's corrupt system money rules, no matter who in the power. In such a situation, we need to have a system of referendum where every person can give his or opinion on a single issue like how to control corruption.

The provision of referendum will not only provide people an opportunity to be a part of the decision making process but also correct their mistake of electing a government which is not working according to the mandate. It will not allow the political parties (as Congress is doing at present) to make an excuse -- democracy is under threat -- to block a strong Lokpal bill for weeding out deep-rooted corruption. It will also help the country know whether people like Anna Hazare have mass public support or not. Also, the political parties in the opposition will be forced to take a clear stand over an issue like bringing the Prime Minister and Chief Justice under Lokpal's purview. At present, the opposition is taking advantage of the government's discomfort but has not made its position clear. Some may argue that a referendum can destabilise a government and force a mid-term polls if it goes against the incumbent. But even in such a case, the money spent on the elections will be far less than what the country is losing due to corruption.

A referendum will also facilitate ‘political education' of the people. They can be educated about the pros and cons of a particular issue and will decide what is right for the country. In a democracy, educating people about their rights and duties as well as on political and social issues is the primary job of political parties but they have failed to do so. In a referendum, people would not be voting on caste or communal lines to elect representative but giving their verdict on a particular issue. They will be in a position to counter politicians like Congress spokesman Manish Tiwari that it’s true that "The democracy faces greatest peril from the tyranny of unelected and unelectable" but the threat is not from team Anna. The real danger is from the unelected corporate cronies of those in power, corrupt bureaucrats, corporate dalals and the media ready to be manipulated. This lot of unelectable are subverting democracy in connivance with the elected representatives and plundering India.

I am talking about a political education which would enable an illiterate villager to question finance minister Pranab Mukherjee's statement in which he said "there is growing trend of undermining the democratic process and extra-constitutional authority might lead to complete collapse of democracy." He was referring to the institution of the Lokpal. Imagine an illiterate villager asking the finance minister about democracy within his party. Can backdoor entry of the Prime Minister through Rajya Sabha be described as truly democratic? What type of democracy it is which binds MLAs and MPs to vote in the legislative assemblies and Parliament as per the whip of their respective party? Why an elected representative is not free to air his or her views and vote as per conscience? Why political parties lack inner democracy? Why most parties work as family businesses? Why parties select candidates on winnability factor and not by their character and service to the society?

Sibal says that there will be a constitutional crisis if a sitting prime minister is chargesheeted for corruption by the Lokpal, which will destabilise the government and entire nation. Will Sibal tell the nation what happens when a prime minister dies while in office. A caretaker head of the government is appointed till an elected one takes charge. Gulzari Lal Nanda twice served as officiating prime minister of the country -- for 13 days when Jawaharlal Nehru died 1964 and again for 13 days when Lal Bahadur Shastri died in 1966. So, Mr Sibal, if a sitting prime minister is chargesheeted, which means that charges against him have been found to be prima facie true, he or she should resign. No crisis can be bigger than a corrupt person heading the government. Further, if a government loses trust vote in parliament, the Constitution provides for mid-term elections under a caretaker government. There have been several such mid-term polls in the country and in various states.

Union law minister Veerappa Moily says that the Lokpal as suggested by team Anna will create a government outside the elected government with no accountability to the people. Moily has perhaps forgotten that even in the present set-up, prime ministers, chief ministers, ministers, MPs and MLAs can be tried in the law courts for offences and judges can be impeached by Parliament. The Constitution provides for checks and balances. A similar arrangement can be worked out for the Lokpal. Parliament makes laws and the Supreme Court has been given the right by the Constitution to review the constitutional validity of the laws. Similarly, a judgment passed by the court can be overturned by Parliament by amending the law. Rajiv Gandhi did so in the Shah Bano case. And, it was Indira Gandhi who as prime minister refused to abide by the court verdict cancelling her election in 1975, leading to imposition of Emergency in the country. That was the biggest constitutional crisis India has faced since Independence.

Responding to Anna's announcement of a hunger strike if a strong Lokpal system is not formed by August 15, P Chidambaram argued that he has not heard that laws are made by fasting anywhere in the world. He should recall that the British rulers introduced separate electorate provision for dalits in the country. Gandhi was in jail then. He went on a hunger strike against the move as he felt that it would divide the Hindu community further as it was in the case of separate electorate for Muslims. The moral pressure mounted by Gandhi led to signing of Poona Pact between Gandhi and Ambedkar in 1932. The pact, which later became a law, prescribed reservation in the elected body of representatives. Though Gandhi saved the country from a crisis, Ambedkarites still call him a villain and anti-dalit despite the fact that Bapu did so much to awaken the conscience of the people to shun untouchability. On the other side, Bapu's campaign against untouchability made him an eyesore of upper-caste Hindus as well.

Sibal, Chidammbaram and Moily are leading advocates of India and are most vocal in describing the Jan Lokpal as a threat to democracy. I would like to make them remember an advocate whose ideology Congress claims to follow. In 1928, in ‘Young India’, Gandhi said "Corruption will be out one day, however much one may try to conceal it. The public can, as its right and duty, in every case of justifiable suspicion, call its servants to strict account, dismiss them, sue them in a law court, or appoint an arbitrator or inspector to scrutinize their conduct, as it likes". On limitations of parliamentary democracy, in ‘Hind Swaraj’  Gandhi wrote "An elected government should be working for the people without any pressure but we have seen that members of parliament are  hypocritical and selfish. Prime ministers are more concerned about their power and party. They may not be taking bribes but are open to subtler influences and in order to gain their ends they certainly bribe people with honours."

In "Constructive Programme: Its Meaning and Place" in 1941, while supporting people's right to protest if elected bodies are not working as per public will, Gandhi wrote "We have long been accustomed to think that power comes only through legislative assemblies. I have regarded this belief as a grave error brought about by inertia or hypnotism... we think that all power percolates to the people from parliament. The truth is that power resides in the people and it is entrusted for a period of time to those whom they may choose as their representatives. Parliament has no power or even existence independently of the people...Civil disobedience is the store house of power. Imagine, a whole lot of people unwilling to conform to the laws of the legislature, and prepared to suffer the consequences of non-compliance. They will bring the whole legislative and executive machinery to a standstill. No police or military coercion can bend the resolute will of a people out for suffering to the uttermost."

Gandhi's observations makes it clear that public is supreme and not Parliament and people have the supreme right to appoint a Jan Lokpal to monitor the conduct of public servants (legislature, executive and judiciary). Going by Bapu's observations, it is also clear that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh might be honest, but by appointing corrupt ministers and overlooking corruption (taking excuse of compulsions of coalition politics) also amounts to dishonesty. Gandhi also said that in matter of conscience, law of majority does not apply, which means that if all the students in a class cheat in exam, it does not mean that cheating is correct and should be allowed to continue. Similarly, if parliament is full of corrupt members or leaders of political parties are corrupt, they will never allow a legislation for a strong Jan Lokpal. But, this does not mean that we should tolerate corruption and allow it to continue. In such a situation, it will be better to take a public opinion through referendum.

However, introducing the system of referendum will take time. The question is, how to make the government constitute a strong Jan Lokpal. For answer, I will again refer to Gandhi. In 1948, a few days before his death, he said, "Corruption will go when a large number of persons given to the unworthy practice realize that the nation did not exist for them, but that they do for the nation.  It requires a high code of morals, extreme vigilance on the part of those who are free from corrupt practices and also have influence over corrupt servants.  Indifference in such matters is criminal.” Gandhi also said that as are the people, so is their parliament. Hence, today we all need to come out in open and pressure the government and its arrogant ministers that people will not tolerate corruption any more. Many of us may not agree with Anna's working style but we should not allow our disagreement to become a tool in the hands of the UPA government to divide people and dislodge the formation of a strong Jan Lokpal.

Remember, monetary corruption is also behind communalism and casteism in politics and is responsible for criminalisation and commercialisation of politicians.

Anti Corruption as Strategic CSR

भ्रष्टाचारों से आँखे मूँदे जब सारा भारत सोता था ।
राजघाट में चुपके-चुपके तब गाँधी बाबा रोता था ।
सुन कर सिसकी बापू की बिगुल बजाया अन्ना ने ।
कुँभकर्णी नींद से विश्व को आज जगाया अन्ना ने ।
उठो ओ सोनेवालों आओ मिलकर यह आह्वान करें ।
भ्रष्टमुक्त हो देश हमारा नव-भारत का निर्माण करें ।