Lokpal Drama

Lokpal -Sandwich between Oscar Hero Anna Hasare and UPA 

The promise of bringing in an effective Lokpal bill to curb corruption in high offices of governance has turned into a quagmire of fiascos. What the UPA government has done by approving the diluted version has dealt a severe blow to the concept of vigilance against corruption and signalled that corruption could continue undeterred. The approved Lokpal Bill, notwithstanding all the dramas of civil society groups and the dramatically over hyped faith of commoners over Lokpal, has become an affront to democracy. With the UPA’s attempt to keep the prime minister and the judiciary out of the Lokpal’s purview, the already crumbling credibility of the government erodes and civil society protests and politics of hunger strikes could merely remain theatre for the media instead of institutionalized reforms.

When the Constitution does not distinguish the prime minister from other cabinet colleagues, the argument that bringing the prime minister within the jurisdiction of the Lokpal would disrupt the office of a functioning head of the government is dubious. The concept of an independent Lokpal is unpalatable to the UPA government that wishes to function in a non-transparent, unaccountable manner. At the same time, though the argument that people should be involved in drafting legislation looks wise, it is dangerous to demand that the legislation drafted by a self-appointed, unaccountable and unrepresentative set of people be passed at the threat of hunger strikes. The Jan Lok Pal bill is not a solution to the problem of corruption as it stems from having struck a vein of bourgeoisie outrage against the UPA government’s misdeeds. As many common people believe the bill is not the panacea to weed out deeply entrenched corruption at the government level. If the country is anxious to address corruption, the Lokpal must have a wide and commanding reach, irrespective of the status and importance of those that hold public offices only in addition to institutional reforms.