Defending the Jan Lokpal, as it should be, and its proponents!

In reply to my good friend, Nishant, once again (see below for his note):

Well researched, Nishtant, though very ideological. Sad thing about ideological discourse is that they can be twisted, distorted, and molded to anyone's point of view. All it needs to do that is have refined oratorical and articulation skills, and sadly, the first casualty when we get into ideological discussions is Truth. Research on ideology the world over has shown how vested-interest driven ideology propagation has been the first and foremost agenda of those that come to power (remember the adage “history is a narration of events by the winners of the time, never ever an independent summary of events!). After all, conditioning and priming the minds of the people who vote them to power makes sense, doesn’t it? As Goebbels once famously said, “The bigger the lie, the more people will believe it” as also, “Think of the press and the modes of dissemination of information as a big keyboard that the “government” can play to their heart with”. The end objective is always to mold, sway, and formulate mass opinion, in ways neither you nor I can fathom!

The degradation in the moral fabric of the country you bring out so clearly has not taken birth overnight. It has been a long-drawn process, painstakingly established by this same group of people to whom it delivers the goodies. It is today the result of a total absence of the rule of law in this country today, the buck stopping at these same patrons themselves.

Yes, the twitteretti, the chatteretti, the literetti (like you, me, and the “so-called Internet-connected” may form a small portion of the country’s population, but we have to give the rest of the population some credit for intelligence and opinion when it is due! As a regular corporate service volunteer, my interactions with a representative sample those whom you refer to as the “rural India , stay below poverty line,do not ve electricity, still ve to travel a distance to access basic amenities of life” have revealed that they too feel equally about the issue of corruption of people in power. Only because they are too entrenched in the business of existence, they do not have the luxury of grouping and protesting. You may take it with a pinch of salt, but 100% of those people have expressed their support to Anna Hazare and his rag tag group activists for their sustained campaign against graft! So don’t their opinions matter? Who will take them up? I don’t see the TN Sheshans, the JM Lyndohs, and the other “more capable lovers” of this country around. Where are they? Do we need to prod them to come out and lead a movement and represent the people? What happens when another group of citizens do not accept them as their representative? What happens when the government starts digging up dirt on them and goes to town as they’ve done with the group today? You start looking at them with the same glass filter the government puts on the eyes of the unsuspecting public, just as you do with the group today? Who is to decide who are the right people to lead an anti-corruption movement against the people who’re perpetrating it on the country? They themselves? And by the way, what is this movement all about today? Isn’t it for democracy, which is supposed to be originally envisioned by the constitution “for the people, of the people, and by the people”? Why are we more passionately supporting the more clichéd “FAR the people, OFF the people and BYE the people” form of democracy these people have unleashed upon us? The right to parliamentary democracy also bestows upon its citizen the right to protest against undemocratic formulations. Govts across the world have ignored these protests at their own peril, especially those that acquire mass proportions. Those that do not, like in the case of Irom Sharmila Chanu against the repeal of the AF(SP) 1958 Act in Manipur and the recently expired Swami Nigamanada’s fasting protest against quarrying in the river Ganga, are simply brushed aside by the governments in power! For how long should the country bear this unholy and anarchistic situation brought about by those “elected tyrants”?

The policemen who takes that Rs 200/- for chai paani when they come to verify the physical address for a passport application know the haplessness of the person they are taking the money from – as well as the fact that the victim has no recourse to any forums for justice to take their grievances to. Instead of helping the masses with a genuine spirit of service, procedural non-conformities are blatantly quoted to create an atmosphere of harassment and helplessness amongst the people, who finds no way to escape the situation except for giving that bribe to finally get that work done. I know this from personal experience – I still can’t fathom the harassment I had to go through to get a renewed passport with my Delhi address as my permanent address. It took me 2 years of harassing follow-up (having missed a number of global work opportunities) before I was issue one. I had been later told by very reliable sources in the system that it was because I had not given the mandatory chai paani to the verifying officer for the “complex” application the first time around – that the pitch was queered. If terrorists can get multiple passports fraudulently, that too from “authorized official centers”, I don’t know why I had to go through the torture though I possessed all possible legitimate documents and judicial affidavits to prove my bona fides as a law-abiding, responsible citizen of this country. The fact that we can bribe traffic inspectors and run away from the scene of a crime is because of similar lacunae in the system – the same system patronized and encouraged upon by these same groups of political and administrative bosses so well entrenched in the nexus! The pyramid of corruption is a very well administrated one… Every penny one pays as bribe at every level of existence has a part of it transferred to the kitty of those same patrons sitting on the top of the pyramid! The common people have to pay these bribes not because they are morally corrupt or that is in their genes, but to escape the harassment that comes with it when it is not paid.

Let’s now go to the merits of some of your arguments…

The number of well-orchestrated aspersions cast upon this handful group, whom we now know as "civil society representatives" are no doubt reprehensible, but they are no more demonic in nature or numbers compared to those they are pitted against today. I really do not have time today morning to create these dossiers, but still would like to compare your charges with the good they have also done for this society. Yes, not everyone would want to appreciate those but I am sure they stand them in better steed in their favor against those “elected goons”, who are not there due to their capabilities and performance, but due to a very faulty, money-driven electoral process which bases its very existence on oratorical rhetorics and travesty of the truth!

Kiran Bedi:

Yes, she did complain for having been overlooked for promotion, blurting out about not being party to the “booze culture” that seems to be the most important criteria for such promotions. Many (including me) still fail to understand why she was passed over, despite having a much, much commendable work records, that too by YSD, 2 years her junior! Though it was not her right to be the PCD, but everything in her records indicated that she was the right candidate for the job! You know what everyone thinks happened? The Delhi police administration is under the control of the central home ministry, and this issue acquires significance in that context, given that Bedi was a no-nonsense officer, known to not kowtow to whim and fancies of political masters. This fact must have given the members of the central government of the day (the current UPA govt’s 1^st avatar, why am I not surprised?) sleepless nights, as they need continued patronage of the PCD to carry on their shady and nefarious activities in the capital city. YSD, who eventually beat her to the post, was no match to her in administrative or reformist records, and the only thing he enjoyed was the patronage of his political bosses, and you now know why!

The Bhushans:

Yes, a lot of aspersions have been cast upon them (need I remind anyone of the doctored tapes which Chidambaram's department so hastily wanted to promote - the fabrication of which was proven by another division of the government's laboratories, that too possibly because they were not primed on time). But why hasn’t some of the good deeds they did ever come out to the public at large? The Bhushans have been actively involved in the process of accountability in the Indian Judiciary by setting up the Campaign for Judicial Accountability and Judicial Reform. The campaign has been responsible for action against the judicial misconduct of Yogesh Kumar Sabharwal and for the declaration of assets by the judges. The father-son duo are currently facing contempt of court at Supreme Court of India for their statement about corruption in higher judiciary specifically, former chief justices of Supreme Court. And who in their right minds would deny the truth behind their allegations?

When it comes to privatization of India's public assets, how many Indians know the real interest that lie behind this entire privatization zeal, and whom these exercise really benefit. If one takes stock of the money that has been generated in this country after privatization efforts in the same organizations and distributed it equitably, not one Indian would sleep hungry today. Take the case of Praful Patel, who gave LCCs (those everyone knows are promoted by himself) profitable routes at the cost of the national carrier, who are bleeding today having to cater to those routes which not only eat into their costs, but also earn them substantial criticism for not being able to generate profit. Is privatization the only way out? What about optimization? What about bringing about an accountability structure to the existing setups? Not all public departments are incompetent… look at the Delhi Metro Rail Transport Corporation! Even global corporate houses are put to sham at the professionalism of operations at DMRC! Why isn’t the model replicated for all those other public companies of our country? The answer is the lack of political will today! Of course I agree with you that the only way India can eradicate poverty and corruption is to promote economic freedom, but at what cost? Who are today enjoying the economic freedom, which we so badly want for all the citizens of the country? Surprise, surprise... the same "elected tyrants" who has successfully painted the likes of Bhushan pitch black! Now, do they come out smelling of roses from this mud slinging match?

Kejriwal:

Who says that the PILs Kejriwal filed in the SC about the murder of Satyendra Dubey hampered the probe into the incident? The government and its goons? If anything, the PILs made the probe reveal all hidden aspects of that heinous political murder, all the facts of the case which the government shamelessly wanted to cover… the cartelization of the highway mafia, who were siphoning off national wealth from the Golden Quadrilateral Corridor Project. It is a well known argument, and appropriately noted and sustained by the SC, the number of PILs filed were only to ensure that no aspects of the case were left uninvestigated and undeliberated. In fact, it was due to his sustained campaign that the Whistleblower Protection Act has come into being, protecting those who witness crimes and come forward to report them to the appropriate authorities. Also note that Kejriwal was also conferred the first Satyendra K. Dubey Memorial Award of IIT Kanpur for his campaign for bringing transparency in the working of government & public institutions and for getting the Right to Information bill passed for the benefit of society at large. One can’t start labeling IIT Kanpur intellectuals as been RSS/BJP functionaries for doing that, can they?

Agnivesh:

Forgive me on this, but I literally scoff at some of the charges brought against this person by different groups at different points in time, and mostly by those who have in some point in time or other put him in a pedestal. At best, Swami Agnivesh is the conscience keeper of this country. Yes, you can fault him for eccentricities, for taking up glamorous causes to pursue, but in no way can you charge him with selling out to the enemy. He does have a number of unglamorous causes he’s pursued relentlessly, and they may be insignificant, but they too lend a lot of credibility to his passion for pursuing justice for the deprived, for the impoverished, the downtrodden, the displaced, the bonded laborers, the child laborers, or the cause of the women! In a citation while being awarded the Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavana Award - 2004 by none other than our most respected, above-board, de-facto leader of our country Madam Sonia Gandhi ji, it was also said that “He has been an eloquent champion of the poorer peoples’ rights in this age of rapid globalization and also of environmental protection. But above all, it is in the fight against religious fundamentalism and the growth of communal hatred that Swami Agnivesh has made his greatest contribution.” The citation further goes on to say, “The marches he organized at the time of the Sati incident in Rajasthan in 1987 and to have the doors of Nathdwara temple opened to Dalits in 1988, the Delhi - Meerut peace march of 1989 and the march of 51 leaders of various denominations to Manoharpur in 1999 to offer sympathy to Mrs. Gladys Staines after her husband had been killed by fanatics, and the way he countered the communal forces in Gujarat in 2002 have all evoked widespread admiration.”

And once again who has smeared Agnivesh’s (and the likes of others such as Arundhati Roy) campaign for resolution of the J&K imbroglio? The Indian army? Though I respect what the army has done and suffered for the country, I don’t think it is as sacrilegious and blasphemous to talk about what also has to change in the way the army has wielded its power as it is made to be. It’s akin to enforcing the belief that the army can do no wrong! The J&K issue is today the single-most emotive issue for India. It is also the biggest draw on our national exchequer. The world has moved on today. For the army, it may be the single biggest agenda in the history of their existence. For the rest of the country, it is the single biggest pain in the backside that is hindering the growth of this country in many ways than one. It’s time to realize, by every sections of the society, that today the J&K issues can be resolved only by give and take negotiations with the enemy, howsoever much an issue of national pride issue it is! It may be good for the political class and the defense establishment to put on blinkers and see it in a single dimension – it helps to keep the issue politically emotive and relevant to their existence! In a democratic country, I have the right to speak out about what I feel in not right, be it with the government or arms of the government like the defense establishment, Income Tax, the Enforcement Directorate, etc.

No, I do not have a magic wand to propose a simple solution to one of the most complex Kashmir problem (which has gained international stature over the decades) myself, but yes when it comes to activists like Agnivesh or Roy, though I am not sure that what they are doing is right or wrong, but I totally support their cause of reaching out to all sections of the society and attempt to hammer out an all-inclusive solution, which is the only logical thing to do today – the same way our Hon’ble PM, MMS, is relentlessly pursuing with Pakistan despite repeated provocations. “Separatist hospitality” is an emotive and clichéd term to use today, just another ploy/ruse used by the establishment to keep their stance on the issue relevant! As charged against the activists, it is equally fashionable for the establishment to brand any real issues taken up by any activist as publicity seeking activities! So gives only the supporters of a banana establishment the right to consider their charges legitimate and valid while dismissing the others’ as frivolous and non-serious!

Once again I know for sure I do not have enough energy, neither the time, to “extol the virtues” of those in elected positions of power today and their ilk, who I am sure have enough, if not more, skeletons inside their cupboards to make for similar readings! Some quick cases…

Pranab Mukherjee:

Against the best advice of members of the executive and polity, Mukherjee in 2009 pushed for Rs 2,500 crores of rice export when India itself was facing food inflation and rice shortage. Documents recovered from various ministries and executive sources on this rice export scam showed a nexus between the rice grain mafia and Mukherjee’s bête noirs in WB Gangetic plains to be one of the biggest beneficiaries of this scam. But sadly, all those documents and evidences got a quiet burial even before the world got a whiff of it. Also, btw, it is Mukherjee who had famously said that “allegations of corruption is not proof of the same” – the same fabricated allegations he and his ilk is casting upon these people in attempt to discredit them using the might of their government machinery, and succeeding too, given the way public has lapped them up!

P Chidambaram:

Though spoken in hushed tones in the corridors of power, nobody seems to be openly talking about the fact that the two greatest scams of recent times in India, the 2G Scam and the Iron Ore scam, was perpetrated upon this country during his Finance Ministry term. One can claim him to be naïve if one says he was not in the know, as like the Hon’ble Prime Minister MMS. But the truth and facts are stacked highly against him, and he is as guilty as Raja and Maran in the 2G scam. Let’s see some facts:

1. Is it not true that Essar was paid Rs 1700 crores by Hutch for the purpose of getting the government clearance from FIPB (under Finance Ministry headed by PC) for the Hutch-Vodafone deal by a particular date?

2. Was it a coincidence that the government gave the clearance within the time stipulated by Hutch, despite Hutch violating the foreign investment ceiling norms, and forgot to collect Rs 10,000 crores of income tax before giving the clearance?

3. Is it not true that Chidambaram as Finance Minister failed to ensure that the pricing of spectrum/license takes place at market related price through a cabinet decision and not be left to the corrupt ministers of the DMK? Can the polite letters written at the time absolve him of the guilt of loss of around Rs 80,000 crores (pan India spectrum price calculated at Rs 10,000 crores, the price at which they were sold)?

4. How could he have allowed Maran and Raja to sell the pan India spectrum/license for Rs 1600 crores in 2007 and 2008 when Vodafone bought Hutch shares for a valuation of Rs 75,000 crores in February 2007? Can he claim to be so ignorant of the laws of valuation so as to allow the deal to take place? Did he protect public interest and public revenue?

5. Did he not choose to look the other way knowing fully well that the black money will help DMK and the Congress win the election and bring them back to power? In fact, the manner in which he won his own election, after losing it, tells its own story. The petition pending in the High Court challenging his election will probably not be decided till his tenure as a MP and Minister is over. Not surprising, he wants the judiciary out of the Lokpal ambit! Chidambaram’s accountability in the 2G scam would have been nailed by any independent investigator and more so by a Lokpal. He has gone scot free because of his influence over the CBI and the fact that Congress has a majority in the House. Chidambaram is as guilty as Maran and Raja. An independent Lokpal would end the political career of this so called elected representative of the people who has been threatening civil society.

5. Illegal Mining scam… etc. etc. etc... the list goes on (I can give you a longer list, if one really needs to know)… It is for this reason that he is the greatest opponent of Jan Lokpal and will go to any extent to oppose it by means fair and foul. He has a huge conflict of interest in eradication of corruption through an independent Lokpal "(or as Kejriwal called it today, Jokepal, in the form it is being drafted by the government today) as envisaged in the Jan Lokpal bill.

Kapil Sibal:

Now this man is an enigma, to me at least! The master cover-up person for the government today, with an assiduous gift of the gab, Sibal is the most vocal opponent and critic of the Lokpal bill today, alleged to have double standard over government's commitment over corruption removal, to intentionally defame 2011 Indian anti corruption movement in India. Using his characteristic baritone and playing the devil’s advocate, he minced no words when he went to town talking about the alleged Rs 1.7 lakh crores being notional and in reality, zero, and also that this is all in the realms of speculations! C’mon… how long does he think he can take the entire country (the poor, BPL members, the underprivileged included) for a ride?!

Yes, the list goes on and on and on… I don’t have a ready dossier on them and their entire gang, but is all out there for anyone to pick up and read. These are the people who we want to jettison the legitimate demands of the people “they claim to” represent for an all pervasive, independent, anti-corruption Lokpal bill? And why? Because a rag-tag, spontaneous coalition of representative people from the aam-janta (now, the target of a vicious, malicious, self-serving smear campaign) wants their representatives to come clean on their self-serving agenda and allow the body to scrutinize them? Whatever the agenda of these members of the civil society, I am convinced that the “elected tyrants” definitely need to be under the purview of a very, very, well-intentioned, all pervasive, and well-formulated Lokpal Bill. As individuals, we are too small fries to fight against corruption. Even if these group manages to make the government set itself a deadline, draft the bill, introduce it in parliament, and pass it in the spirit it is actually meant to be, their job is done and that is good enough for me (and I am ready to take a poll to prove there are many like me).

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Nishant's note:

"Wel l, indranil da I do agree that certain no of people who like me r regular on fb, twitter n follow blogs will definitely like, dislike , comment n forward this article to thr 4nds on the 4nd list. But they r a miniscule number who ve little impact on the socity as a whole . Do u know what % of population today compose rural india , stay below poverty line,do not ve electricity, still ve to travel a distance to access basic amenities of life. Don’t u think thr opinion 2 counts. Wat do they think abt this whole issue? They r the people who matters most than any one of us. the so civil society representatives should first go and awaken these people , take them into confidence and then lead a national movement of this kind. Gathering a thousand people whose fav passtime is govt bashing is not a composite representation of the society. People like me n u r not so adversely affected by the sins of corruption as r the underprievilaged. They r the ones who ve to run 4m pillar to post to get thr bpl card, to get ration through PDS, ration card, job card etc . nd they r the ones who r bearing the burnt of this social evil. Just think 4 a while, if u ve to urgently travel abroad nd u don’t ve a passport wat do u do? U apply under tatkal scheme but that also will take some time , so u look 4 a person who could b paid some incentive and get yur work done. U would argue now that the system has its flaws nd so such an act is necessitated but that does not absolve u of yur resposibilities. God forbid but suppose u hit a pedestrian with yur car nd he gets injured , the police is called wat will u do ? do u run away or wait for the police to come , lodge a fir, confiscate yur veh, take u to court nd depending on the damage yur destiny will b decided. But thr is another option- pay some money to the police, bear medical exp of the person injured n get away scot free. Which option would u choose? Thsese r certain relevant ex which occur very freqently with many of us. if we introspect ourselves we will find that we ve rarely acted in accordance with the moral conscience . so if we want to clean a system of its evil its we who must take the first step and begin at a lower level rather then targeting the people at the top. In last 64 yrs our democracy has matured enough nd this is certainly the best form of govt that can take this country to new heights. If u see our western adversary u feel pity for them b’cos its they who ve suffered the most nd will suffer b’cos dictatorship has been unleashed upon them 4m time to time.do u want a similar kind of envt here 2? I don’t think anyone would wish so.

Lets see things in correct perspective indranil da. 4 every ill that the country is facing 2day the govt of the day or the past can b held accountable 4. The citizens of this country r equally responsible . as responsible citizens ve we ever thought wat has been our contribution towards this country. Nothing. Nd its surprising that we clamour 4 each n everything as rights , whether its free education, subsidy on goods, tax exemtion etc etc. as ours is welfare state.

Anna, baba, kiran bedi, bhusan’s ,kajriwal, agnivesh,hegde are few stalwarts of this anti corruption movement which is the flavor of the season this summer. 

Kiran bedi

The Centre govt in 2007 overlooked highly decorated police officer Kiran Bedi to name a junior IPS officer, Yudhvir Singh Dadwal, as the new Police Commissioner of Delhi, inviting sharp reaction from the country's first woman IPS officer.“Merit has been compromised in this appointment," Kiran Bedi alleged: "

Bhusan’s

When former Disinvestment Minister Arun Shourie took on powerful special interest groups to try and privatize oil public sector undertakings BPCL and HPCL. Mr Prashant Bhushan was the first person to file a Public Interest Litigation against the government’s decision.The Supreme Court went on to ask the government to block the privatization, demanding that the government should seek parliamentary approval for the same, which effectively killed off Shourie’s valiant effort. later, the BJP-led NDA government, which had championed privatization of state-owned companies, was voted out.Had Mr Bhushan and his cohorts not opposed Arun Shourie’s efforts with such alacrity, India would have likely been on a far stronger fiscal footing.. We should not take economic growth for granted – the only way India can eradicate poverty and corruption is to promote economic freedom. 

Bhushan ve been filing weak PILs to divert attention from real issues and Compromising Public Interest For Plots.U will b glad to know that Shanti Bhushan was paying only Rs. 200 for a 11,000 sq,mt Bungalow in Allahabad abusing the JUDICIARY to blackmail property owners ultimately depriving UP state Rs.1.33 crores as Stamp Duty.Non farmers Bhushans also acquired three Agricultural Plots in prime locations.

Kajriwal

Supreme Court was abused by Kejriwal for derailing investigations into Satyendra Kumar Dubey murder investigations. To derail investigation Arvind Kejriwal filed week PIL to make sure the investigation is hampered. Supreme Court also noticed the mischief..Will Arvind Kejriwal ever release Copies of SK Dubey letter and Copy of Parivartan PIL on SKD?

Agnivesh

Srinagar remains favorite destination for activists like Arundhati Roy, Swami Agnivesh and their likes, not only for enjoying the separatist hospitality but also to gain publicity by indulging in anti India and army bashing. After demanding revocation of AFSPA, release of political prisoners, probe into the summer killings etc, the saffron Swami knocked the door of the of Syed Ali Geelani few months back . Swami requested him for lending support to the corruption movement but was snubbed by saying, “In A Place Where Life Is At Stake, The Fight Against Corruption Assumes Secondary Importance”.In September last year, during the peak of stone-pelting movement in Kashmir, Agnivesh and his team of seven members of the civil society had come out with an interesting proposal to the government for earmarking a place in Srinagar for public protests.He holds a view that the protests in the Valley would be peaceful if there will be no provocation from PMF.

The likes of Shesan, Lyngdoh n many others still ve the same love for this country as u n me. y not they ?

Original Post from Nishant:
 "dear indranil da an eloquent written article cant sway with the emotions of our countrymen. many of us who r either supporting or opposing the civil society movement are not aware of the entire prelude of lokpal bill, its scope nd implications. we r in a democratic setup whr policy making is the function of the parliament in consultation with exe nd judiciary.public opinions are also sought while formulating a new policy like it was done in case of direct tax code. who is this civil society nd by whom ve they been authorised to represent us.how bad n corrupt may be our politicians but its we who ve voted them to power. the civil society representatives themselves r under suspicion , so nothing gr8 can be expected of them. thr r much brighter brains n man of integrity available in this country than the present one's . t r they not representing this society. thr main aim is to ve absolute power without any resp. india is no tunisia, egypt , syria or libya whr a jasmine kind of revolution can take place nd a popular govt b overthrown, n let anarchy prevail in this country. this will b worst case scenario 4 this country."


My thoughts:
Respect your sentiments Nishant, but likewise oratorial rhetorics by seasoned party spokesperson cannot not bestow ethical legitimacy to self-serving interpretations of parliamentary democracy. If some of our countrymen won't get swayed by such eloquently written articles, there are an equal number of them who will and should too. We may pound our chests with pride with successful conduct of this sham of democratic exercise year after year, but we certainly do not deserve the avatar of democracy unleashed upon us by these same set of "elected representatives" in the course of the last 64 years post independence.


Policy making may be the privilege of the parliament through these "elected tyrants" in consultation with the executive and judiciary. But what do you to when these entire body of representatives have colluded and with their collective might, have subverted the entire policy making process, making it easy to get away with all the ills that they themselves have propagated as well as patronized in our country today? More unfortunate is the fact that these same set of "legitimate, elected representative" manage to get away with graft under the garb of that same legitimacy bestowed them by the constitution, baulking at every attempt to bring a system of inherent check and control over them. Why? Because it will kill the goose that lays the golden eggs for them?? 64 years after independence is a long enough time to put this system in probation, I should say!


Yes, I agree with you that there is a need for educating the mass about the provisions of the Lokpal Bill, and when these same "keepers of democracy" have failed to not only educate the masses but also resorted to every available method to keep such a regularity provision from coming into existence for years and years on end while they did their item numbers over the tomb of democracy, what is a way out? Specially when we have a huge population who are not tutored in the letters enough to enable them to read and interpret those provisions? The civil society members, who may have taken it upon themselves to knock some method to this unrestrained madness, may have questionable antecedents; however, I am sure they (most of them, at least) can't be as corrupt as the group they are attempting to bridle by forcing the govt's hand in bringing about a strong Lokpal bill! Also, had the government machinery displayed such uncharacteristic haste in getting after their own ilk, in exposing the graft for their brethren and brotherhood (as they are now doing against these "extra-constitution" people), I am sure there wouldn't have have been need for these people to launch such a movement. As for the other much brighter brains and men of integrity available in this country than the present ones, where are they? I haven't seen too many of them, and if someone did, I would love to see them sometimes in my lifetime. After all I do want to leave a better country for my children, if I myself have not enjoyed it yet. 


Yes, these civil society may not have been authosised by some members of the country to represent them, but there is an equal number (maybe more) of our countrymen whose emotions and sentiments they represent for sure, and who has no opportunity to bring the murderers of democracy to book, or even realization. Theirs may not be a well-coordinated and planned effort, but that is only because this is a spontaneous movement - and is bound to be totter and stumble in its buildup. Casting aspersions at their intentions is akin to falling prey to the very concerted efforts of the "constitutional tyrants" to discredit them. A Jasmine revolution equivalent may bring anarchy in this country, but which right-minded, scrupulous, well-meaning citizen will agree that we are not already in an advanced stage of anarchy? Specially given the fact that the reins of this ill-fated nation is in still the hands of the same crop of constitutional authorities who have held it for all the years post independence...