JAN LOK PAL BILL – AREAS OF AGREEMENTS AND DIFFERENCES

While on the one side the spade work of Jan Lok Pal Bill is about to be started with five cabinet ministers on one side and five civil society members on the other side, debates, arguments, viewpoints are increasing day by day by the intellectuals as well as social activists-cum-political leaders. It’s quite natural that while a new welcome venture is about to be begun, different viewpoints naturally arise and they are presented before the citizens for their benefit as they are the ultimate beneficiaries. And that was the sole reason behind the citizens, flocking to Jantar Mantar, where the social activist cum Gandhian Anna Hazare started fats unto death against the rampant corruption under the very nose of the government at the Centre. Anna was not alone to jump to the fast, about one hundred and fifty youth went on a fast unto death as a show of solidarity. The Magsasay Award winner Aravind Kejriwal, lawyer Shanti Bhushan and his son Prashant Bhushan, Karnataka Loka Yukta Head Santosh Hegde, former IPS officer Kiran Bedi, Arya Sanad Leader Swamy Agnivesh a host of prominent social activists congregated at the venue.
The menace of corruption is spreading from top to bottom across the nation and the citizens who were mute spectators were in fact angry and restless and each citizen prayed for someone to take the plunge since years and at last a 72 year old Gandhian Anna Hazare from Ahmednagar, Maharashtra came all the way from there to Delhi and declared his decision of the historical decision of plunging into a fast unto death until the govt of India bowed down to his pressure thru’ Satyagraha. The govt as usual found it something unacceptable and remained defiant.
Hazare was not that easily taken aback, with much vigour and strength that he drew from the thousands of supporters at Jantar Mantar and across the nation went on with his mission and after five days of fast the govt cowed down and invited him and his colleagues for a full-fledged discussion to chalk out a future course of action. And as per the decision all unanimously arrived at the drafting of a Bill scheduled to be introduced in the Monsoon session of parliament and get it enacted.
This discussion though was a welcome gesture it drew the attention of a number of social activists, politicians and intellectuals and observers and each discussed it threadbare and are coming out with their opinions and differences.
Hazare’s apolitical approach is not much liked by a group of persons particularly politically inclined ones as the fight against corruption should begin from the bottom level, means from the local panchayat level. As famous Historian K.N.Panicker noted, the social aspect is to be given primary importance and for that politics is also essential. Former director C.V.Narasimhan, Central Bureau of Investigation too has pointed out the need for fighting corruption from the panchayat level and hence State Lok Pals across each State are to be formed and discussions, deliberations and decisions need to be taken.
Before finalizing a draft of Jan Lok Pal Bill, all pros and cons need be weighed and put into practice. As a learned person has said, what is of paramount importance is steps to prevent corruption rather than punishing who are committing corrupt practices.