Speech by  Rajeev Chandrasekhar, MP

During The Debate in Parliament on

The Growing Incidence of Corruption in the Country

24 August, 2011

 

 

Sir,

 Thank you very much for allowing me to speak on this important debate.  As you are aware, India is witnessing an unprecedented mobilization of people and minds on the issue of Governance and Corruption, and more specifically, about the Lokpal institution which is being seen increasingly as a centerpiece of the architecture of a more transparent and accountable form of Government.

This movement which we are seeing outside Parliament today – and some have criticized it in and outside the House - comprises of millions of Indians all over the country, and is remarkable for its non-violent and apolitical nature – and, most importantly, is the most visible proof of the people’s participation and vibrant democracy since Independence.

Sir, I believe, and I speak for myself as a representative of the people within Parliament, it is the beholden duty of MPs to respond to this outpouring of views and concerns – voiced by our fellow citizens, but do so in a responsible manner.

Sir, let’s be clear that corruption, which is the focus of our debate today, is a consequence of poor or absent governance.  The Supreme Court has said that “Corruption is the worst form of human rights violation”; and corruption affects the poor and the rich equally, and in most cases, the poor suffer the consequences of corruption even more than the rich.  Poor governance combined with profligate spending and welfare scheme after welfare scheme, without even the faintest effort at linking spending to outcomes and objectives – has created a thriving ecosystem of vested interests and corruption.

Sir, the focus, therefore, needs to be on a holistic plan for Governance reforms and changing the way our Government functions – to bring in more accountability and a culture of value and respect for public money and assets. Most of our institutions of Government have long since been corroded through political interference and exploitation – These institutions need to be rebuilt and credibility re-established.   Like the judiciary and CAG have made the country proud, we need all the other institutions to make the people of India confident and trust its Government. In Weber’s memorable words, “Building public institutions is like slow boring of hard boards.”

Sir, the Lokpal that we are discussing is such an institution that we need to build to increase the credibility within our people.

I believe, Sir, instead of having a debate on the Government Lokpal versus Jan Lokpal Bill, we should be discussing what are the requirements of the Lokpal institution to be effective and give people confidence.  Let me lay out what I believe are the requirements for a credible Lokpal institution:

  1. It should be independent from the Government and should not be interfered by the Government.
  2. The Lokpal should have adequate investigative powers.
  3. The Lokpal should have adequate financial resources and must not depend on the Government for finances.
  4. The Lokpal should be able to investigate in confidentiality so that people who are accused of crimes have the opportunity to prove their innocence before they are indicted.
  5. The Lokpal should be manned by professional, well-trained and proper investigators so that there is no opportunity for misuse of the institution.
  6. The Lokpal should be constitutionally compatible.

 Let me end by simply saying this – if you apply these six criteria – the Jan Lokpal Bill is closer to what the people would be more confident in.  I do not subscribe to the Jan Lokpal Bill completely and I accept the argument being made by many wise Members of this House that the Jan Lokpal Bill is constitutionally incompatible in many ways.  Sir, let us be very clear – A strong Lokpal Bill and a strong law is the biggest deterrent to corruption.  Of course, there are some areas of Jan Lokpal Bill that need to be examined from a constitutional compatibility point of view.   This is an unprecedented opportunity for the Parliament to establish that it hears and is responding to the voices and concerns of the people by having a debate on the Lokpal Bill and a Lokpal institution that gives them the confidence that corruption and governance shall be reformed.

 Thank you.