LOKPAL POLITICS: THE MAKING OF THE ONSLAUGHT

Though the whole nation is a stakeholder in corruption,

but the stakes vary to the detriment of the nation.

The movement for Jan Lokpal Bill to become an act was in full swing. The Drafting Committee for the bill, for the first time in the history of Independent India, comprised members of Civil Society. Though the mannerism of the Hazare Campaign suffers with serious anomalies and lacunae, it is indeed a positive step towards curtailing the Corruption. A few misgivings from the Campaign are that the 5 members of Civil Society have not been elected in a democratic manner and the misunderstanding of Representative System of Democracy by Hazare. But at the end of the day, it deserves more praise than criticism because these are the people who were willing and stood up to change the status quo.

The Lokpal bill has been there since 1968 but apart from 1985 when it was withdrawn by the government it has never been passed by the Parliament, be it due its dissolution or MPs’ harangue on strict law v. personal interests. This time also the progress made by the Campaign was not liked by some Political Personalities or they saw in it an opportunity to reaffirm their Political affiliations.

To talk of the latest developments, the CD released by Amar Singh claimed to be one containing Shanti Bhushan’s secret conversation with Mulayam Singh Yadav has a very dirty political tinge attached to it. Whether the CD is doctored or original, the fuss about that is going on between Forensic Labs. The CD says something about Shanti Bhushan’s assurance to Mulayam Singh about Prashant Bhushan’s (his son) capability to obtain a favourable judgement from a judge by bribing him in a case concerning him; but is it not an issue concerning the probity of a Judge? A politician who is in the knowledge of such facts but exposes these only when he can extract a personal benefit out of it for himself or his political party sets the lowest example possible for the Country’s Politics. It tantamounts to abetment of corruption in Judiciary.

When Amar Singh targeted Bhushans for undervaluation of their properties, obtaining plots from UP CMs discretionary quota et al, the only thing which defeated the understanding of the common man was the reason for withholding of this information by him till date. There was a reasonable suspicion that there might have been a nexus he might have had with these kind of murky dealing taking place all over the place which so debilitate and effeminate him to bring these to fore never but on the advent of an opportunity surpassing the fruits of keeping the info under the lock.

When Digvijay Singh targeted the weakness of Santosh Hegde as a member of the Civil Society in Drafting Committee, citing his laxity in the perusal of the investigations as the Karnataka Lokaytukta against the State’s CM Shree B.S. Yediurappa, he should have known the ambit of Lokayukta Powers. Ignorance is not expected from the people who are supposed to eliminate it.

Finally to conclude, this opportunistic brand of politics will do nothing but wreak havoc for the development of the Country. The Country is in dire need of a strong anti-graft statute and if the movement which has shown the capability of giving it to the nation breaks up, disembarks or gives it up, then the future looks very bleak......