Govt likely to decide on Jan Lokpal Bill today

New Delhi: As Anna Hazare's fast enters the eighth day on Tuesday, a worried Government is likely to take a decision on placing the Jan Lokpal Bill before the Parliamentary Standing Committee. With no quick-fix formula in hand, the Government is weighing over various options.

Under pressure, the Congress Party's main troubleshooters Pranab Mukherjee, P Chidambaram and Ahmed Patel held a meeting at the Prime Minister's residence on Monday to discuss the party's strategy on the issue.

Sources tell CNN-IBN that the Government is thinking of placing the Jan Lokpal Bill as a corrigendum in Parliament.

Sources also say that there is no plan to withdraw the Government's version of the Lokpal Bill and that the Government will take the final decision on Tuesday.

Sources say that the Government is also considering bringing the Prime Minister under the purview of the Lokpal.

Sources also said that the Government is exploring the option of getting the Opposition to support the idea that Anna Hazare cannot be allowed to bypass Parliament.

The Government is contemplating the option of requesting the Standing Committee to ensure that its proceedings are completed within two months, said the sources.

The Government's next option, say sources, is calling a special session of Parliament if needs be.

The Government may consider appointing political negotiators to directly talk to Team Anna as Anna Hazare has said he doesn't want to talk to non-political negotiators, but someone from the PMO or Rahul Gandhi.

Meanwhile, Team Anna on Tuesday reiterated that they are ready for direct talks.

"A solution can be found through dialogue and not through media," said Arvind Kejriwal.

"There are two options before the Government - either introduce the Jan Lokpal Bill or amend their version of the Bill," he said.

Read more ...

Prison vigil for India's anti-corruption crusader

Delhi's Tihar Jail is a high security facility in which you will find drugs lords, militants and other prisoners including - over the past year - top government officials accused of corruption.

Its latest inmate is Anna Hazare - the anti-corruption crusader with a Gandhi-like zeal who is thoroughly embarrassing the government.

Outside the prison's high walls, the narrow lanes are choked with people.

Hundreds of them have taken up every available space, chanting, singing and waving giant Indian flags.

These are Mr Hazare's supporters, angered at the government's move to send him to prison and determined to persuade the authorities to release him.

"Isn't it ironic that the man who is fighting corruption is put in the same prison as those very corrupt officials he is trying to bring to justice," one elderly man said. Several others around him nodded in agreement.

Many of the people here have spent the night outside the prison, holding a vigil in solidarity with the 74 year old who has apparently refused all food and camped in the office of the prison chief.

"Anna carry on with your struggle, we are with you," the crowds chanted outside.

'Showing support'

Within minutes, one section broke into an Indian rendition of the US civil rights song, We Shall Overcome.

“Start Quote

We will stay here as long as it takes for the government to let Anna Hazare go ”

Protester outside Tihar jail

A large number of the protesters were college students, dressed in jeans and T-shirts and passionate in their support.

"It is really, really important for us to come out and show our support for Anna," says Rupali, a social science major at Delhi University.

"The message must go out that as Indians, we will not tolerate corruption."

Others included office workers who had chosen to skip work.

"Every institution in this country is corrupted," says Manju, an airline employee.

"You have to bribe for the most basic things. I had to pay thousands of rupees just to get my passport. And all these government officials sit there and do nothing."

Passions are high, especially with conflicting reports that Mr Hazare may be released soon.

Cheers ring out every time someone emerges from the prison gates, the crowd straining impatiently.

"Let him out, let him out," roars one man and the cry is soon picked up by others.

On what is also an unbearably humid day, volunteers hand out water and bananas.

The heat gets to one older man and he falls to his knees. Three young men rush to his aid and help him to the side.

"We will stay here as long as it takes," another man who was standing next to him stays.

"As long as it takes for the government to let him go."

Round one, it appears, has been won by the Hazare camp

Read more ...

LIGHTS GO OUT IN INDIA FOR DETAINED ANTI-CORRUPTION CAMPAIGNERS

Yesterday anti-corruption leaders in India called on citizens to turn off their lights in the evening to protest the detention of more than 1200 anti-corruption campaigners in New Delhi, The New York Times reported.

The campaigners were detained following the arrest of well-known activist and Transparency International Integrity Award winner Anna Hazare early yesterday morning. Local police arrested Hazare at his home, according to the BBC after he vowed to go ahead with a hunger strike in a public park against corruption despite local police denying him a permit to hold the demonstration.

The New York Times said that the likelihood of a showdown became evident when Hazare applied for a police permit to stage an indefinite fast. The police set 22 conditions for the protest to take place, six of which Mr Hazare refused to accept, including a three-day limit to the hunger strike and a cap of no more than 5000 protesters.

Transparency International India condemned the arrest of Hazare and other anti-corruption activists as unconstitutional and a violation of civil liberties.

“[The government] has not been able to check rising corruption in the country and is trying to muzzle the voice of those who raise their voice against corruption. This is undemocratic and [an] injustice to the people of this nation”
Anupama Jha, Transparency International India’s Executive Director in a statement

Leading up to the Lokpal Bill: Anna Hazare’s three-decade campaign against corruption in India

Hazare and his supporters have been calling for a law to establish an independent Ombudsman (Lokpal Bill) to tackle corruption, with the power to investigate any official, including the prime minister and judges.

Anna Hazare has been tackling government corruption in India for almost three decades. In 2003, Transparency International gave Hazare an Integrity Award for his efforts and spoke to him about his thoughts on how corruption can be overcome.

Public trust in the Indian government’s ability to tackle corruption is low after a series of recent corruption scandals, according to the article. TI’s own 2010 Global Corruption Barometer shows that 74 per cent of Indians think corruption has increased in last three years and that only 25 per cent think that their government’s efforts to fight corruption have been effective.

As discussions about the Lok Pal Bill heated up last month, our Chair, Huguette Labelle, recently gave an interview about the cost of corruption in India, and the importance of independent oversight bodies, see below:

Read more ...