While all of us love indulging in bashing the Govt (and I agree this is not a government known for its squeaky clean reputation) before we start with the brickbats, maybe we must put aside the media hoopla, and listen to both the sides.
While I have a great deal of respect for Anna Hazare, I strongly believe that a parallel structure to the govt would be susceptible to the same weaknesses that plague bureaucracy and the current political structure. There was a very strong justification for separating the judiciary, the legislative and the executive. Decentralization of power was important and central to the constitution, and holds true even today. A simple hark back to the days of the emergency will remind us that it is essential in a democracy that absolute power be held by no one.
While I have a great deal of respect for Anna Hazare, I strongly believe that a parallel structure to the govt would be susceptible to the same weaknesses that plague bureaucracy and the current political structure. There was a very strong justification for separating the judiciary, the legislative and the executive. Decentralization of power was important and central to the constitution, and holds true even today. A simple hark back to the days of the emergency will remind us that it is essential in a democracy that absolute power be held by no one.
"Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?"
As the saying goes, who will guard the guards. Where do you get these super-honest people from? How does a body like that get elected? What incentive is there for a Lokayukta to not accept bribes, especially when he isn't accountable to anyone? How can we assume that quid pro quos and power broking would not affect this institution. And if it does, should we be creating such a supra-national body with such far and wide reaching powers but no checks on itself?
What do you do if the Lokpal and Lokayukta office itself is plagued by corruption? Who takes charge then?
Another valid question raised by Mr Sibal, and I agree with him on this point, is, should a Lokpal be investigating corruption charges against, say a postman, or a telecom engineer who doesn't clear files for an applicant form a distant village? Should that really be under the purview of a Lokayukta? Shouldn't we look at structural and technological reforms in how government departments work? Shouldn't there be an effective ombudsman at the district level for each government department? The reason someone has to pay a bribe to get a file moved to the next table is bureaucratic inefficiencies. If this process was done online, would it not be more transparent and efficient? This Ombudsman office has already been instituted in Banking and Insurance sectors. Pardon my limited knowledge, I still think technology can be a big enabler in removing these inefficiencies.
While all these points are open to debate and criticism, all I am saying is, listen to both the sides before you jump to conclusions. No newspaper carried the details behind the reasons for the drafting panel's objections, while Barkha Dutt's interview( http://www.ndtv.com/video/player/the-buck-stops-here/pm-can-be-probed-after-he-quits-kapil-sibal/202945 ) has been in the public domain for 2 days now. Maybe coz its not as sensational as a yogi escaping a police lathi charge in women's attire.
What do you do if the Lokpal and Lokayukta office itself is plagued by corruption? Who takes charge then?
Another valid question raised by Mr Sibal, and I agree with him on this point, is, should a Lokpal be investigating corruption charges against, say a postman, or a telecom engineer who doesn't clear files for an applicant form a distant village? Should that really be under the purview of a Lokayukta? Shouldn't we look at structural and technological reforms in how government departments work? Shouldn't there be an effective ombudsman at the district level for each government department? The reason someone has to pay a bribe to get a file moved to the next table is bureaucratic inefficiencies. If this process was done online, would it not be more transparent and efficient? This Ombudsman office has already been instituted in Banking and Insurance sectors. Pardon my limited knowledge, I still think technology can be a big enabler in removing these inefficiencies.
While all these points are open to debate and criticism, all I am saying is, listen to both the sides before you jump to conclusions. No newspaper carried the details behind the reasons for the drafting panel's objections, while Barkha Dutt's interview( http://www.ndtv.com/video/player/the-buck-stops-here/pm-can-be-probed-after-he-quits-kapil-sibal/202945 ) has been in the public domain for 2 days now. Maybe coz its not as sensational as a yogi escaping a police lathi charge in women's attire.
