Babin - Thanks for your comment. My issue with T...

2011-08-09T13:09:21.684-05:00

Babin - Thanks for your comment.

My issue with Team Anna is not about their motive. But, i don't think they are being practical. I too want a really strong lokpal. However, by walking away and coming up their own version, i fear that they might have squandered the opportunity. I don't want them to come up with a perfect piece of bill (on paper) which might take forever to implement. I would rather start with a lokpal which keeps the high and mighty accountable first and work towards the bottom of the pyramid. By trying to do all at once, we might end up with a lokpal which is nothing but another bureaucratic structure incapable of doing anything. Also, i would like to see how the lokpal is held accountable too. We don't want to replace corruption with tyranny, do we?

I understand your views. Congress is not getting ...

2011-08-05T23:11:30.191-05:00

I understand your views. Congress is not getting enough credit for initially proposing this bill in mid 2010 and now bringing it up in the parliament. Unfortunately, the party is getting hammered from all sides.

But, as far as Anna, I strongly believe this is a case where the end goal justifies the means.

Anna’s end goal is to make lokpal as strong and accountable institution as possible in fighting corruption. He and millions of Indians with him should push for this goals as much as they can.

Governments draft has a number of key stubborn provisions that undermines effectiveness of lokpal such as 1) not putting below group A civil servants under lokpal 2) extraordinary trial mechanisms to help accused during the investigation and trial process and 3) intimidation tactics against complainants.

Only leverage Anna’s team has with the government is stirring up the public sentiment again thereby embarrassing the government. They can only stir up public sentiment through dramatic agitations, fast, strike, etc . They really don’t have any other options/leverage…
It is probably best for Anna’s to eventually cut a deal with the government but he should only agree to it when his leverage is high (i.e on the mist of an agitation/fast drama).

Indian institutions need substantial reforms to stay relevant and effective for the aspirations for billion+ people. When we got the independence, we just copied and pasted British Parliamentary system and very little changes were made to it since then. Many reforms are needed to keep Indian parliamentary system relevant and effective.

Comments on Glocal View: Lokpal - Observations

Babin - Thanks for your comment. My issue with T...

I understand your views. Congress is not getting ...