The Centre, upon a directive from the Supreme Court, has finally set up the Lokpal. This is one of the NDA government’s last acts. With a panel headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi clearing the name of Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose as the first Lokpal, a long-held demand from the anti-corruption activists has come to fruition. How this matter would now play out will be closely watched.
The Modi government was obviously not keen on introducing the Lokpal system, which would have authority to proceed against former prime ministers, present and past ministers, bureaucrats, MPs and other public servants as and when complaints against corruption are referred to it. It can look into the complaints and refer the cases to a special court. The Lokpal bill was passed by Parliament in 2013 during the UPA II period, after activist Anna Hazare reached up to Delhi and staged a massive show to press for steps to check corruption in public life. The Manmohan Singh government did not proceed further and left it to the Modi government that took power the next year.
All through the five years of the NDA, action on the Lok Pal legislation remained stalled for the reason that the Opposition nominee Mallikarjun Kharge boycotted the selection panel meet repeatedly. The reason was that he was called in as a special invitee, and not as a full-fledged member of the panel, on the ground that he was not Leader of the Opposition, per se, due to the fact that the Congress party did not have the required 50-member strength in the Lok Sabha to claim that position. This matter could have been sorted out sooner than later, but the Modi government took no serious initiative in this direction. With the Supreme Court intervening and putting a February-end deadline, the government was forced to act.
The appointment of Lokpal – alongside the already existing Lokayuktas in states – by itself means little. How things would now shape up in respect of its functioning is important. Corruption has spread its tentacles in public life so deep and wide that such sharks are capable of subverting any system that undercuts their sway. Putting too much hope on the judiciary as the ultimate saviour might pose its own risks. Corruption can be controlled or checked only if there is the requisite political will; something that’s lacking in India with its weak vigilance systems, weak leaderships, and antiquated systems. Going round and round is not the right way to take matters forward or attain goals.