“Corruption will be out one day, however much one may try to conceal it: and the public can as its right and duty, in every case of justifiable suspicion, call its servants to strict account, dismiss them, sue them in a law court, or appoint an arbitrator or inspector to scrutinize their conduct, as it likes.” – Mahatma Gandhi (1928)

Today India’s most trending subjects on twitter, facebook and other social network sites, are looking up the Lokpal Bill and Anna Haraze! Try this.

First passed in the 4th Lok Sabha in 1969 but could not get through in the Rajya Sabha. Subsequently introduced in 1971, 1977, 1985, 1989, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2005 and in 2008, yet never passed and still pending, the Lokpal (literally derived from the Indo-Aryan words, “lok” (people) and “pal” (protector/caretaker), is a bill that provides for filing complaints of corruption against the prime minister, other ministers, and MPs with the ombudsman, with a hope of reducing corruption in India.

Leading the movement for passing a stronger anti-corruption Lokpal (ombudsman) bill in the Indian Parliament, is social activist, Anna Hazare who started a fast until death from 5 April 2011 at Jantar Mantar in Delhi, to press for the demand to form a joint committee of the representatives of the Government and the civil society to draft a new bill with stronger penal actions and more independence to the Lokpal and Lokayuktas – a citizen-developed bill called “Jan” Lokpal that will create an independent body, selected by judges, constitutional authorities and citizens with enough power to investigate and punish corrupt politicians, where no minister or bureaucrat will be able to influence its investigations.

A movement that’s gaining momentum with thousands of people from all walks of life joining in to support Hazare’s effort. Young or old, school children or doctors, many social activists including Medha Patkar, Arvind Kejriwal and former IPS officer Kiran Bedi lending their support to Hazare’s hunger strike and anti-corruption campaign. Spiritual leaders Swami Ramdev, Swami Agnivesh, former Indian cricketer Kapil Dev, even bollywood celebrities like Shekhar Kapur, Siddharth Narayan, Anupam Kher, Madhur Bhandarkar, Pritish Nandy and Aamir Khan are showing their public support through twitter. While no politician would be allowed to sit with him in this movement, and the movement gaining momentum with youth and today’s generation joining in and providing their support in Internet social media such as twitter and facebook, the outcome has already resulted in Sharad Pawar quitting from the Group of Ministers formed for reviewing the draft Lokpal bill, on 6 April 2011.

A movement caused due the resentment following the differences between the draft Lokpal Bill 2010 prepared by the government and the Jan Lokpal Bill prepared by the members of this movement, which has received huge public support:

Draft Lokpal Bill 2010 Jan Lokpal Bill
Lokpal will have no power to initiate suo moto action or receive complaints of corruption from the general public. It can only probe complaints forwarded by LS Speaker or RS Chairman. Lokpal will have powers to initiate suo moto action or receive complaints of corruption from the general public.
Lokpal will only be an Advisory Body. Its part is only limited to forwarding its report to the “Competent Authority” Lokpal will be much more than an Advisory Body. It should be granted powers to initiate Prosecution against anyone found guilty.
Lokpal will not have any police powers. It cannot register FIRs or proceed with criminal investigations Lokpal will have police powers. To say that it will be able to register FIRs
CBI and Lokpal will have no connection with each other. Lokpal and anti corruption wing of CBI will be one Independent body.
Punishment for corruption will be minimum 6 months and maximum up-to 7 years. The punishment should be minimum 5 years and maximum up-to life imprisonment. 

Lokpal will not be a monopoly for particular area

References: Wikipedia

Drafted by Justice Santosh Hegde, a former Supreme Court Judge and present Lokayukta of Karnataka,  a senior lawyer in the Supreme Court and Arvind Kejriwal (RTI activist), along with the members of the India Against Corruption movement, the Jan Lokpal has more stringent provisions and wider power than the Lokpal (Ombudsman) and envisages a system where the corrupt found guilty would go to jail within two years of the complaint being made and politicians and bureaucrats can be prosecuted without government permission.

From providing protection to those who are victimized for raising their voice against corruption to the entire functioning of Lokpal/ Lokayukta being completely transparent, or members of this committee being selected by judges, citizens and constitutional authorities and not by politicians, through a completely transparent and participatory process, here’s a fight that need the youth of today to join in.

With corruption at its peak with the 2G scam, the Black money scandal, the CommonWealth Games scam, will the government seize this ‘pal’ and listen to the “Modern Mahatma” and an India unifying in 42 years to make this bill a possibility? To conclude in the words of the Mahatma, Corruption in public life can only be eliminated when, “a small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history”.