'Lokpal Bill will create draconian bureaucrats'

Experts from the field of law, social activism and RTI tell us why the Jan Lokpal Bill may not be the vaunted solution to ensure transparency in governance

The Jan Lokpal Bill has been a topic of much contention recently, thanks to social activist Anna Hazare. Though many think that the bill is the panacea to weed out corruption at the government level, it has its fair share of sceptics too, who question its scope and effectiveness.


Sceptical: Suniti Su.Ra., national convenor of NAPM, and Major General
SCN Jatar (Retd) talk to reporters. Pic/Jignesh Mistry

This week the MiD DAY team tries to find out what is it about the Lokpal Bill, that has not impressed its detractors. We invited a working police officer, who believes in reforms, a veteran RTI activist and a Jan Andolan activist to speak on the bill.

The bill has given a ray of hope to the common man. But why do you think that it will be ineffective?
Khopade: Hazare is honest, sincere and a passionate social worker and his contribution to forming the RTI Act is appreciable, but I disagree with his agitation to empower the Lokpal. It is harmful to the progress of the nation and democracy. This bill will create draconian big babus (bureaucrats) and make them pro-rich, status quoits and career minded. The main problem is our outdated system and we need to change the structure. I worry the Lokpal may start demanding illegal gratification even from the Prime Minister and others. Therefore we need to improve the system first.

Suniti: I agree with Khopade on the government system and we have still not succeeded in changing the corrupt and self-centered democracy run by the bureaucracy. But Hazare's Jan Andolan is the only success story after Jay Prakash Narayan's agitation on corruption and unemployment during the emergency days in 1975 which also had given Indians a hope of changing the present system.

Jatar: It is true that there is need to change the system, but I do not agree that this step of Jan Lokpal Act will not help change the system. The systems of governance are for improving the quality of life of the citizens and ensure a corruption-free society.

Then why does the debate still revolve around limitations in the Lokpal Bill?
Jatar: We are not opposed to the idea of the Lokpal embracing the NGOs and the corporate sector because the corruption cancer has spread to these sectors also. The object of Jan Lokpal Act is simply to remove corruption. The idea is that like the RTI Act, people should not use Lokpal Bill as a solution for their own individual grievances rather than using it for the broader social purposes. Secondly, I do agree that all the bureaucrats are not corrupt. The problem is that the stated government object of the RTI Act is to bring transparency in governance and thus 'contain' corruption and improve governance. The stated objective of the RTI Act clearly brings out the lack of political will to eradicate corruption, as the government is content with keeping corruption at the current level.

Khopade: Corruption is not a main cause, but it is a symptom, and I don't blame only the politicians as after independence they made changes in the constitution. Creating a Lokpal ufffd the new babu ufffd will only serve the bureaucratic cause. It will be like creating another bureaucratic set-up within the existing one. The Lokpal will be more career-centric rather than being non-corrupt and a clean officer.

Is it wishful thinking that corruption may go after enforcing Lokpal Bill?
Suniti: No I don't think so. The agitation initiated by Hazare is yet to take real shape in the near future as the debate over Lokpal bill continues and is yet to reach a logical end. Many who participated in the agitation, do not know what the Jan Lokpal Bill is and whether it may help solve the issue of corruption at the government level. This is, however, not a candle light revolution, but the manifestation of frustration for the last 35 years after emergency. Youngsters are participating in big numbers, as Hazare has become a metaphor to fight against corruption. We expect civil society to get involved in the agitation. Ultimately, people have found a national forum through Hazare's mission.

Jatar: Timing of this agitation by Hazare is the clinching point givenu00a0 the background of Commonwealth Games, which followed closely the Beijing Olympics. The contrast was so obvious and India as a nation felt humiliated that we were portrayed so poorly in the eyes of the world. Same about the 2G spectrum. One fraud followed another and Hazare struck at the right moment to represent the aam admi. It is tragic irony that the slogan aam admi that Hazare represents, is the sine qua non of his movement. To me it is not a coincidence that Anna Hazare is an ex-serviceman.