A Weak Lokpal Bill, Finally!

India's romance with systemic corruption is well documented and widely known amongst global communities. According to Transparency International's report, truckers in India alone pay annually US$5 billion in bribes, and this is just the tip of the iceberg. India ranks 87th position amongst 178 countries as per the Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index. India tops the list for black money in the entire world with almost US$1456 billion in Swiss banks in the form of black money, and our politicians still believe that a strong Lokpal Bill is detrimental to the functioning of a Parliamentary democracy. Perhaps, on that sophisticated merit, the Cabinet deliberately selected the government's version of Lokpal Bill draft (to be tabled in the Parliament) in which both PM's office and judiciary will be beyond its purview. And the fun part is when the PM himself along with his four cabinet ministers – A K Anthony, Ambika Soni, Kapil Sibal, and Jairam Ramesh – argued in favour of inclusion of PM, the majority thinks otherwise.

What it precisely indicates that our cabinet has only five honest ministers including the PM who think that any rule however draconian has hardly any adverse impact on people those are thoroughly law-abiding. And that perception is justifiably true. If we look at these ministers only one thing that pops up in our mind that they are the reflection of propriety and integrity during a period of huge trust deficit. Not all people can shape themselves to a level of honesty as these five ministers have done in their public life. Well, the larger point here is what's the next course of action for the Lokpal Bill draft? Will that Bill be approved by a majority? The singular answer to that is “yes” because the majority of parliamentarians irrespective of party politics undoubtedly believe in corruption in public places and that's the reason why after 64 years of independence India is still struggling to pass out an anti-corruption bill.

Since Anna's team is not at all happy about the government's stand on Lokpal Bill draft, it's quite rational for Anna and his team along with thousands of citizens to come down to street on August 16 once again to show their solidarity against corruption. But the moot question is whether this government will listen to the coherent voice of citizens against corruption? I doubt this agitation will bring any change in the perception of government's stand again. What has been done is irreversible and can't repaired given the fact that the majority in the government desires a softer bill, not a draconian one what Anna's team perceives. If Anna goes on hunger strike on August 16, it will be another media circus. And this will lead to chaos and eventually the government will deploy its brutal force to disperse the crowd who in all probability would like to carry out peaceful protest against corruption. We must learn to live by the reality, not by the ideals.