DEMOCRACY REINVENTED

Anna Hazare is relevant. The main purpose of Jan Lokpal is to eliminate “monetary corruption” and black money from the system. Anna’s movement has proved that the Nation does not want corruption in the Indian governing system any more. All those sitting in the power position must therefore find ways to achieve this. Instead of finding ways to achieve this purpose, people in power are diluting the issue by propagating themselves and through their media as to why this can not be achieved. Mr. Jag Surya with all his good intentions has raised some issues in the editorial of TOI dated 16 Nov 11; Democracy reinvented:-

a. Does a popular movement – no matter how numerous its followers – have the legitimacy to “dictate” terms as to what laws parliament must make, and how and when it should make them?
b. Who should supervise the functioning of the super supervisor? Yet another supervisor, ad infinitum?
c. If voters have Right to recall, will partisan tactics ensure that no elected government completes its term of office and the country is in a state of perpetual elections - - - - would such a situation be pure democracy or pure anarchy?

Well, during all these years of independence no one has stood up firmly against corruption and black money. Unscrupulous fellows have been looting the national wealth and amassing it in other countries at the cost of national security and prosperity. Our elected representatives have not enacted strong laws to stop it because they are a party to this. We The People of India, the poor masses have been suffering due to the corruption of our so called public servants, watching and tolerating haplessly the rampant loot of our hard earned money. Anna and his associates; his movement has awaken the poor, hapless suffering masses to rise and unite against the corrupt and corruption. Jan Lokpal is the voice of the masses that should not be strangulated by any opposition of those who are a part of the loot or their mouth-pieces. Questioning that a popular movement – no matter how numerous its followers – have the legitimacy to “dictate” terms as to what laws parliament must make, and how and when it should make them, is only making a mockery of democracy. If parliamentarians are not making strong laws in the interests of the public at large, the public out cry to “dictate” a Bill like Jan Lokpal has all its legitimacy. The Indian constitution gives this right to the people of India who choose their representatives for the benefit of the people.

Next, who should supervise the functioning of the super supervisor Jan Lokpal? Law will take its own course. Make the offense of corruption punishable with death and confiscation of ill gotten wealth by the corrupt or his beneficiaries. If Jan Lokpal is found to be corrupt, he would face the same consequences. Fear is the key. Today corrupt are not afraid because the punishment is too less compared to the gains the corrupt makes. Create fear in the mind of the corrupt to the extent that he is convinced it is not worth being corrupt. Then who would decide about the corruption of Jan Lokpal? The law; lay down the guidelines/rules for deciding the corruption cases; and then honorable supreme court would have jurisdiction over him. Please listen to Mr. Kejriwal. Think positive; give a try; change the rules if it does not work.

We must think positive about the right to recall. We must expect that monetary corruption would stop to a great extent by enacting strong laws like capital punishment and confiscation of wealth and property of the corrupt and his beneficiaries. Then there would be hardly any case against the elected representatives and need to recall them. Knowingly or unknowingly we are already living in a corruption ridden anarchical democracy of Raja/Maharaja days, where most if not all of our own elected representatives like a coterie of cronies, are framing rules for their own benefit and ruling/trying to rule this democracy as their dynasty. We the public at large are working and earning mainly for their benefit. The proof is that even after 64 years of independence 80% of the masses are living below poverty line (BPL) and there is not much of development; even bijli, paani and sadak in the villages; beyond the elite cities. On top of it our ministers are trying to prove that those earning more than Rs.32 a day are above the poverty line; that the masses are being looked after well by them. All this shows that our representatives are not doing their job well. If the elected representatives can suspend even an IAS officer for not doing the job well then why not to recall/suspend them for the same reason?

To fight the corrupt/corruption is not an easy task. That too when the corrupt is protected by rules and sitting in a dictating position. Today our PM/CM/ministers have become maharajas and rajas of the past and we, the king makers, their prajaa. We have to change this mindset. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely, we know. We, the public in a democracy, must keep the power to control them with us; hence the right to recall. We should not have hypothetical fears about the right to recall which of course would serve a great deterrent to the elected representatives of the public. Let us do all we can to change the present corrupt system.

Corruption lies in our psyche due to the instincts of greed and fear. We feel insecure thus afraid due to the fear of the unknown and some times known. We can not eliminate our basic instincts. However, we can keep under control the weaker instincts by stronger instincts. Greed is a weaker instinct compared to anger, fear, hunger and sex etc. Let the fear of severe punishment take over the greed of the corrupt. Make the punishment so severe that the greed of monetary gains becomes unattractive to the corrupt.

Some may argue that strong punishment like death and life/seven years in jail is prescribed in law for crimes against the state, murder and rape; still rape and murder are taking place every day. Why; because rape and murder are normally committed in spurt of moments of anger and lust; very powerful instincts controlling human behavior, where the emotions over take the discretion. The offender mostly feels sorry after committing such crimes. That is not the case with the offence of monetary corruption driven by the instinct of greed. The corrupt knows well that he has discretionary powers, can twist the rules, cause avoidable delay & inconvenience to the client all within the ambit of law, and knows that going to court to seek justice would cause the client great financial loss and delay and that justice delayed is justice denied. The hapless client has no option but to grease the palm of the corrupt. There is no prudent justification comparing corruption with these offences.

There has to be a genuine desire to end corruption at political level and the will to fight it at public level. The anarchical democracy as feared by Jag Surya, if not controlled in time would ultimately lead to avoidable class war in the long run.

Wing Commander Vishnu Singh (Retd.)