Save Anna Hazare

This is an open personal letter to politicians and intellectuals in general and MPs and Members of NAC in particular to save the life of a true, genuine, selfless, courageous, unique but otherwise a very common Indian in the form of Anna Hazare.

 Anna has done a selfless and great service to the nation. He has indeed started a third national awakening movement after the independence movement and the Jaiprakash Narain movement. How many people are selfless, passionate and willing to sacrifice their lives for the betterment of lives of people in the present days materialistic and to a large extent selfish world?

Corruption in our country and polity has reached such dangerous proportions that it has indeed posed a threat to our system of governance namely democracy.  Anna, otherwise a common man, has done great service by fighting against this deadly disease of corruption which has been hurting the common man for last 30 years in spite of every politician and government’s pledge that they will curb it. And therefore he has instantaneously, naturally and democratically ignited a hope in the common man that this disease can be curbed by mere assurance by parliamentarians.

Why it did not strike to the political leaders, MPs, members of NAC that they should take up this cause in an effective manner. After all they are either and / or elected and nominated for this and paid in the form of pay, perks and prestige. Let us assume that some of them did probably try to take up this cause. But then when 2G, CWG, Adarsh and Mining scams involving their own colleagues keep on surfacing, why was none of them pained or agonized enough to go on indefinite hunger strike till their colleagues were brought to justice and the system of governance and politics accordingly reformed. By not doing this, the general politician or an established intellectual social activist like the member of the NAC failed this nation and their credibility smacks of hypocrisy.

Similarly a common man must also introspect on this. Fortunately this time they did and therefore has come out whole heartedly against corruption by supporting the campaign led by Anna.  What is disturbing is that why the politicians and the intellectual social activists are like the members of the NAC whole heartedly, sincerely and practically are not supporting the campaign against corruption led by Anna. Is it not shameful that a 74 year old man is in the 10^th day of his fast and there is still no hope that the politician and intellectual will grasp the truth? Considering the experience of the last 30 years the demand of the Jan Lokpal bill that

• The anti-corruption wing of the CBI should be joined to Lokpal,
• Prime minister should be brought under the purview of Lokpal,
• Etablishing Lokayuktas in every state,
• Protect whistle blowers

 A written commitment to implement these and similar provisions should be given to Anna so that he can break the fast and the nation does not lose his life.

 Anna and his team have tried to bring about an effective Jan Lokpal Bill by consultation with the government and all political parties but the government chose to bulldoze with their version of the Lokpal bill. The government even when discussing the Hazarejis team did not show sincerity and honesty.  Anna therefore had to resort to hunger strike.  Now the NAC intellectuals, opposition parties, and many MPs of all parties agree that the Bill proposed by the government is trash one, vindicating the stand of the campaign of Anna.

This necessitates that at least now the truth be accepted and the reality grasped. The excuses like procedures and technicalities should  not be used as a shield to unjustifiably protect the self interest of the polity and run away or dilly dally the enactment of a strong Jan Lokpal Bill. It should also be noted and understood that a strong Lokpal Bill will necessarily affect a significant corrupt fraction of the current polity; it is a direct conflict of their interest. It is therefore essential and appropriate on the part of the responsible polity to go out of the way in enacting such a law in the larger interest of the nation. The corrupt fraction of the polity will have to get out of politics. It should be noted that a few decades back a large fraction of polity in China supposedly volunteered and resigned to make way for a good set of politicians.

The fears of Lokpal institution giving rise to dictatorial governance are unfounded and exaggerated. Judiciary, Legislature and Executive have functioned fairly in harmony so far. Particularly the legislature and executive has misused their powers and have become corrupt. This necessitates a fourth organ with a power to check corruption. There is every reason to believe that this institution of Lokpal will coexist in harmony with the other three disciplines on the basis of checks and balances. In fact such an institution will then enable the Judiciary to concentrate on its duty and not venture into checking the corruption of polity which the polity has started perceiving to be sidestepping on the part of the Judiciary. This Lokpal institution will have to be made as independent and powerful as the other three disciplines. Should there still be valid concerns that the Lokpal institution will give rise to dictatorial governance; ample provisions to counter this can be put in place by giving checking powers to especially the Judiciary. Anna Hazare team is more than willing to discuss and repeal such apprehensions of the rise of dictatorial governance.  Arvind Kejriwal has explained quite clearly that that the powers given to the Lokpal institution are not in any way greater than that of a class B income tax officer. In fact it is good thing and credit to the citizens of India that this anticorruption movement is led by a common man using non-violent and democratic means.

It is appropriate that polity give respect to this movement. Why all party meeting could not resolve to give a written commitment to the anti-corruption campaign that their demand would be implemented in a time bound manner? In the first place did the PM have a desire or made a sincere attempt to reach to such a written commitment? Or was the polity more concerned with protecting their own prestige, supremacy and corrupt colleagues and narrow self-interests? Why only general and routine statements were made beating about the bush without making any concrete and specific commitments to the anti-corruption campaign? Considering that the polity in general and the government in particular has been dilly dallying and not sincere on this issue by hiding under the veil of parliamentary procedures, supremacy of parliament etc, the anti corruption campaign is entitled to such a written commitment. It is the duty of the polity to admit their failure, inefficacy, selfishness and win the hearts and trust of the self less anti-campaign movement by giving them a genuine, concrete and written commitment. It is their duty to save the life of Anna especially because he has done great service to the nation by mobilizing this campaign against corruption and unified the citizens irrespective of their religion, caste and status, something which polity itself failed to do in decades.

Assuming that government made a genuine attempt to reach to a written commitment but failed due to refusal by a few parties, that does not itself absolve the government of the day of its obligations and claim helplessness. It is the utmost duty of the govt. to take this revolution to a logical and good conclusion. If PM and his party can invest their political capital in getting the Nuclear bill passed risking the survival of the government, why not allow the same for the Jan-Lokpal Bill. Let the principles of democracy play it out fairly. If the governments can fall and midterm elections held because a PM was called “Nikamma” or a smaller coalition for its petty interests withdraws support, why not take a democratic risk for a much larger cause of curbing corruption. Let the citizens of this democracy which political parties support the Jan-Lokpal Bill and which do not and let the people decide. This would be a fairer democracy than throttling it in the name of parliamentary procedures and its supremacy.

It is the duty of everyone that such spirit and anti-corruption movement should not be killed by giving reasons of parliamentary procedures and supremacy. Rather the polity should show flexibility, introspect, reform itself and share with other institutes, at least a part of the unchecked and undeserving power it has, through a more realistic principle of checks and balances. The right of the MPs to enact laws remains intact.