Crusade against Corruption
By Dr Arvind Kumar
Finally, Gandhian Anna Hazare’s crusade against corruption has partially won the battle, with the government conceding to majority of the demands made by the veteran social activist. Given the solidarity and rallies in support of Hazare’s cause, the government was forced to concede to the activist’s demand for a tough law to combat corruption. The method, made famous by Mahatma Gandhi who pioneered fasting as a form of protest, and physical resemblance to the Father of the Nation helped galvanise support. The crusader Anna had politely said: “I have limited energy. I have no money, no big house and no gold, but I have support from the people and I see God’s will in it.” Few could have anticipated that Anna Hazare’s movement for a stronger Lokpal bill would generate such an extraordinary groundswell of public support, particularly among the urban middle class.
But in the welter of protests and the general anger about corruption, the key details about what this specific crusade is really about must not be lost. If the ‘Jan Lok Pal’ presides over the same system that has corrupted civil servants, politicians, anti-corruption watchdogs, judges, media, civil society groups and ordinary citizens, can the ombudsman be expected to be incorruptible? Therefore the real challenge is to formulate a Lokpal bill that has the teeth lacking in the government draft and is free from the angularities of the civil society version.
