Jan Lokpal Bill: Good old man fasted for a Bad Bad Bill!

It played out loud on national TV weeks ago and nobody including our politicians give a heck to it today. Well why would anybody when there is so much to talk and twitter about (IPL, Osama Dead)

A Gandhian from Ralegan Sidhdhi who in this model village flogged people to make them quit alcohol decided to skip meals until his version of Jan Lokpal Bill was considered by the government.

And the government, which already had a minister in jail for corruption, saw in this a safety valve to protect itself from the ever-increasing heat and what it would do? It happily welcomed five civil society members (where definition of civil society is still a question of wide debate) into a committee, which has no representation from opposition or other parties in parliament to discuss the draft of the much-needed bill.

To begin the discussion starting point was a much-flawed draft of the bill (Jan Lokpal Bill Version 2.2). These gentlemen and a lady have  done a better job to point out the flaws of the bill and the anti-corruption movement::

Shekhar Gupta, Editor Indian Express: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/we-the-thieving-people/780109/

Justice AP Shah & Venkatesh Nayak, Co-Convener National Campaign on People’s RTI: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/a-gigantic-institution-that-draws-powers-from-a-statute-based-on-questionable-principles/778433/0

Mridula Mukherjee, Professor, Modern Indian History, JNU: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/why-this-freedom-is-false/780101/4

Now the meetings of the ‘committee’ are underway and the second in the series took place on Monday. For now there is an agreement on the need to chalk out basic principles first.

But a thorough reading of the bill and its critique gave me jitters. I just pray to dear government (and legislature) that indulge in as much corruption that satiates you but do not pass this bill in its present form else how would we deal with an act because of which 11 people would investigate, prosecute, punish, ensure compliance, punish for contempt, tap phones, issue search warrants, tell Supreme Court what to do and order president when to sign!!! This bill seems to be drafted by Rajnikanth but for it Hazare went on fast!