--- On Sat, 2/7/11, [email protected] <[email protected]> wrote:
From: [email protected] <[email protected]> Subject: Goanet Digest, Vol 6, Issue 618 To: [email protected] Date: Saturday, 2 July, 2011, 12:30 PM Message: 6 Date: Sat, 2 Jul 2011 08:44:04 +0530 From: Marshall Mendonza <[email protected]> To: goanet <[email protected]> Subject: [Goanet] DEFENDING THEIR FEIFDOM-LOKPAL BILL Message-ID: <camhuf+harm0bbvjrayav4de2zcm14ejzd7xtytr7lcbey8c...@mail.gmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252 John Gomes;**** Nobody can act like Superman/Dictator,Everything will be transparent and accountability is built in! The Lokpal has many members, with well thought out checks and balances, and arms in all States. There are stringent selection processes, procedures for removing members or the Lokpal, all actions/decisions subject to judicial review. It will be a body like the Election Commission.Do not believe the propaganda by the government.They keep repeating it on TV and in print! Justice Santosh Hegde is also with Supreme Court service AND is a practising Lok Ayukyta,TRY AS HE MIGHT IS unable to move and reign in corruption in the Karnataka government.I spoke to him on these very points when he was in Goa! Further,this is not a magic wand but required since the many laws in existance are definately more than enough but are just not being or allowed to be implemented.Permission has to be taken from those**** alleged culprits to even start enquiry.,CBI is their handmaiden and CVC hamstrung etc.The Civil Society members are experienced and eminent people,the best we have for this purpose of drafting a strong bill.Yes,even if passed,it will have to be implemented for which electoral, police,administrative and judicial reforms must follow! Let us take positive steps possible and not pontificate without moving forward .For forty years they have blocked this Bill**** .ARE YOU GOING TO LET THEM DO IT AGAIN?**** * * Response: **** Dear John, Please do not get me wrong. I am all for the Lok Pal Bill. However, kindly pardon me if I appear sceptical about how it is going to unfold. The draft bill of Anna Hazare & Co is at one end of the spectrum and the draft bill of the government is at the other end. The issue is of the twain meeting. Anna?s bill is highly idealistic and not driven by ground realities. It also suffers from certain presumptions and creates an exclusive club of who will stand in judgement. In this regard, I would recommend you to read Shekhar Gupta?s article in the Indian Express (Our Singapore fantasy http://www.indianexpress.com/news/our-singapore-fantasy/808505)**** Unless, there is change in the basic structure of funding political parties, reforms in the police and judicial processes and systems, revampment of legislations to bring them in line with today?s needs and realities like that done in the financial sector ( witness the transparency and smooth trading with the advent of online trading systems, the disappearance of investor?s complaints by dematerializing stocks and securities, etc) , it would be expecting too much from the Lok Pal. He would need an entirely parallel apparatus of policemen, investigating officers, judicial officers, witness protection, judicial powers to call for and preserve documents, if he is to do justice to his post. (Look how Narendra Modi's government has destroyed all records and evidences relating to the 2002 Gujarat killings or how sensitive Adarsh files have gone missing) How on earth will anyone with the best of intentions pin the guilty under conditions like this? Regards, Marshall Response Dear Marshall, Skepticism is good,idealism is better! Why the hell has this whole thing arisen? Arent the PAC and Election Commission,CIC organisations we can rely on to uphold the law without prejudice?This is no exclusive club but an independent TRANSPARENT AND ACCOUNTABLE organisation which will not say you are unelected and unelectable,so shut up! Sure,we can endlessly ruminate on what should be.You reach for the sky and maybe you land on a treetop insted of wallowing in the dirt. Frail Anna is willing to risk his life for this "blackmail".The least we can do is back him and his eminent team who are still discussing and will modify their stand but keeping civil society and anti-corruption in mind.How on earth will................???????????They are suggesting a path! What is your solution? Sincerely................JEG ------------------------------
