On Anna Hazare and his Jan Lokpal Bill
Since last time when I wrote my blog on India's political corruption, there has begun a huge new anti-corruption movement under the leadership of Gandhian Socialist Anna Hazare. Since many of my students asked me about my opinion on this issue, here I am presenting my thoughts on this whole Anna Hazare movement and its Jan Lokpal Bill.
- As I said in my blog on how to kill corruption, without removing the system of State with its politicians/bureaucRats it is impossible to remove the corruption from this or any other country. If people think that by introducing the Lokpal bill they are going to see the back of corruption monster then they all are day dreaming. Such naive thinking is a result of years of pro-State brainwashing in State controlled schools.
- I also wonder how many people have actually read the Jan Lokpal Bill before joining Anna Hazare and his movement. If they have not then I strongly advise them to do that first. The bill is suppose to give immense powers to the anti-corruption bureau of Lokpal. Now one is only reminded of Lord Acton's warning that, 'all power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely'. When such great powers are delegated to one person (or a group of persons) then it is sooner or later going to be abused. In near future, Indian people will be seen complaining about the corruption of anti-corruption Lokpal officers!!!
- This bill will also create one more bureaucracy - The Lokpal office. This means additional burden on the tax payers to fund the salaries of these useless parasitic bureaucRats.
- I strongly think that, in the revised Lokpal bill, clause 31 will be seriously abused by the authorities. This clause is about 'penalty for false complaint'. I quote the clause, "Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act, if someone makes any false or frivolous complaint under this Act, Lokpal may impose such fines on that complainant as it deems fit.
Provided that no fine can be imposed without giving a reasonable opportunity of being heard.
(2) Such fines shall be recoverable as dues under Land Revenue Act.
(3) A complaint or allegation once made under this Act shall not be allowed to be withdrawn. This is a sign of danger for the ordinary citizens. I can see that in future, if this bill is passed, the authorities will severely punish few citizens using this clause to let people know that who is the master and who is the slave. After couple of such incidents no citizen will ever dare to file a complaint against any government bureaucRat or politician. People need to understand that they don't have any power in this whole game. Authorities will decide which complaint is false and which is not. Citizens are only going to get a reasonable opportunity of being heard!!! My advise to people: Think thousand times before complaining about the authorities otherwise you will face the wrath of your master government! - I also worry about the youth of this country because they are so gullible and easily misguided by the politician's rhetoric. State schooling has wonderfully done its job of brainwashing the future generation of this country.
- This bill also aims at making the Indian government financially strong by boosting government revenue through the recovery of graft money! First, I wonder why in the whole world people will want to make their murderous governments strong? By participating in this movement Indians are only stabbing their own backs. And second, what recovery of Government's revenue? It is not government's money; it is tax payer's money. If someone is really serious about removing corruption then why not REMOVE THE TAXES and the central bank RBI first! Tax is a robbery and no Anna Hazare is talking about eliminating this open day light robbery of government thugs. Why not start 'Abolish Taxation' and 'Remove the RBI' movement?
Dear Raj Sir,This is Sherry here! It was a very informative piece of text you shared with us. Thank you for the same. You are right people are joining because others are joining the movement without knowing the actual facts of the same (This is what we call heard mentality). Your points to remove state governments to an extend is true but then we need to work on it in such a way that no other citizen missuses the other in absence of govt. We learnt this kind of thoughts from you in your lectures and they are quite true the extend. Please can you let me know as to where shall i find the entire text of LOKPAL BILL for reading?
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot once again for your peals of wisdom you shared with us!!
Dear Sir,
ReplyDeleteThanks to give today's youth a broader view of whats really happening and what would be the negative results if this bill gets approved.
I too never read about the bill and was just in an illusion that it would be beneficial to us and forgot the negative effects of it.
Thanks for eye opening.
Regards
Vivek B Ranaut
Why would Anna Hazare talk about removing govt.? What is his importance if there is no govt.?
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't give a darn he would die fasting for LOKPAL bullshit.
As I say If he really wants to fast and die for a reason [or to be popular through out history of world whatever he thinks at his age!], tell him to meet me this Sunday. I have better plans for him.
I think gandhi, sardar, etc. went wrong in their thinking too. They didn't have logical views about freedom. Because if they, had there wouldn't be government. They didn't free the country, they just transferred the rule from one ruler to the other.
Sir,
ReplyDeleteI think you should read the draft once again. The draft also questions the people who are delaying progress of any sort of work at public offices. Meaning they have to do their work in time which they do now after taking BRIBE.
Moreover it forces the people at public offices to go by the law thereby making them not to allow the public to against the law. Thus it provides an interlock which helps to remove corruption.
But i accept there are cases who willfully give bribes at public offices to get their work done and therefore will not file a complaint at lokpall,which is necessary to proceed the case. For such instances, the lokpall bill encourages whistle blowers to bring out such cases with proofs.
Moreover the cases must get the result within six months from the date of the complaint which means there is a speedy remedial for all the cases.
Fnally, the period of imprisonment is set huge which tends the public servants to not get involved in any "UNDER THE TABLE" business.
If not everyone, i am sure that the lokpall will eradicate the corruption in lower cadres to a greater extent.
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ReplyDeletei do agree with you....if some group get a power to do anything in country....then they may create dictatorship in india..........
ReplyDeletethen what will happen in the republican country ....if the powerful judiciary or the powerful parliament comes under the lokpal or in the group thnen what will happen in the country.....
from long time suprecourt take a last decision on any case if lokpal investigate the court reult tn who will do the investigation on the lokpal committe.......may be the members of lokpal corrupt tn wat happen????????????
Hello Raj,
ReplyDeleteI am feeling very bad after reading this. nothing can be 100% correct in any concerns and its not a small thing. and there are lots of positive points as well. just blogging with negative points is not apt. as you said lots of people are just following mass imitation, here also you can see ppl who are commenting not aware about the bill. so thats why we need leader which can guide us and on which we can believe.
whatever you have written about the condition after implementing this bill is all your prediction. as per your thoughts we should not follow a good leadership for his noble cause, instead coming out with negative points.
If this bill is successfully deployed, then it can eliminate corruption to a great extent and bridge the gape between rich and rags.
Its success is completely depends on us, to what extend we participate in it, to which way we use it.
In a democratic country, A leader matters a lot. its very small time to judge any leader, but for a genuine cause like corruption we should support its initiaters and genuine organisers.
@All: Please I would like to know your comments after reading the bill fully.