The Jan Lokpal Bill proposed by the social activist Anna Hajare has raised some basic questions about the corruption in high places of administrative nature. It has stirred in a way, the hornest nest in the institutionalized corruption which is eating into the vital health of our economy. The first thing which comes to our mind is that what has been the reason that the proposal of Lokpal Bill first came up for discussion when the first non-Congress Janata Party government at the center brought it for preliminary discussion in 1978. But after the party was voted out of power in 1979 the chapter was closed forever. Does this mean that the successive Congress governments thought it prudent to bury the proposal without explaining it to the people who were the basic stake holders in matters of a clean administration. May be the government thought that it was not needed as the proposed Bill was meant to undermine the Congress regime under which corruption level had risen to a staggering level. The people in general fail to understand that why the present Congress led central government is bent on maligning the leaders of anti corruption drive on one pretext or the other. This does not auger well for the ruling party as well which has to go to the people for a popular mandate. There the party shall have to explain the logic behind the rough and tough attitude the government has adopted towards the social activists ranging from Anna Hajare to Baba Ramdeo. The recent statements by the chairman of the Drafting Committee Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee that the government cannot be pressurized into accepting whatever a handful of self styled social crusaders presses for. Ridiculously the seniormost Minister had also challenged Anna Hajare and others to fight election to prove that they have mass support. Actually, the minister has put a silly suggestion. People who are aware about the electoral system of our country know it very well that what are the formulas of winning elections. Even a rickshaw puller need not be explained about it. By ridiculing the crusaders of anti corruption drive the government has ridiculed itself. Democracy, as we understand does not mean only winning elections but also the public opinion counts quiet sufficiently if we really believe in democracy. But the question remains, how much the Indian National Congress sincerely believe in democratic ethos. The same senior central minister has said in the media that the situation today reminds of the days of emergency. Well. Pranab Babu has rightly said but unknowingly that it was the popular discontent in the country towards the rampant corruption, price rise and the autocratic style of functioning of the then central government. So, should we choose to think that Pranab Babu is threatening the social activists and the people in general that if the movement against the black money and corruption at the top echelons continues unabated then we have to once again resort to Emergency. But Pranab Babu should also bear in mind that after the misadventure of emergency the Congress was swept away from the power. The provisions of Lokpal Bill may be issues to be discussed in and outside Parliament but the way the government people are handling the issue is not civil towards the civil society. I think that the central Ministers and the party spokespersons are biased at the respectability which the non-political people command for their crusade for the just cause of the people. It is time that the members of the central and state governments see reason behind the social movements and try to feel the pulse of the popular mood. The image of the central government has already got an irreparable damage by coming heavily on Baba Ramdeo and his supporters at the Ramlila ground. Coming to sense shall be good for the ruling party, country and her people of whom the leaders claim to represent so humbly during the elections but forget once they occupy the high chairs given to them by the voters of the country.
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