INDIA DOWN THE DECADES AFTER INDEPENDENCE - NEED OF LOKPAL

When the country was fighting its freedom under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi none had intention to misrule the country and enjoy the freedom of the country to  one's own benefits . The leaders were selfless people dedicted to the cause of freedom of the nation . They  were all stalwarts , well educated and scholarly with no motifs to acquire assets and fill their houses with wealth . Most of them were members of Indian National Congress ,  the sole representative party of Indians established in 1885 .  A few belonged to the left groups and other organisations . After the freedom of the country in 1947 the leaders handled the affairs of the country right from first Five Year Plan with  sincerity  and strived hard to put the economy of the country on the right tracks . In 1951 first general elections were held in the country and the people elected the best able persons as their representatives .

What happened afterwards . The economic plans   from 1951 onwards  invested huge  amount  in different developmental projects of the country . The people initially remained honest and committed to the nation . But temptations  were bound to emerge gradually . A large number of brokers and middlemen surfaced due to  large scale investments in different sectors of economic development. They acted as liasioners , to use the sophisticated term , between politicians and industrialists on the one hand and the industrialists and bureaucrats on the other hand . The nexus resulted in corruption , and to be specific , 1980 onwards corruption became intensified . The new economic policy launched in 1991 added to further woes of countrymen as it resulted in further larger influx of money and thus larger exodus of illegal money to brokers , middlemen , politicians , bureaucrats , businessmen and industrialist . This huge exodus of illegal , unaccounted money earned through backdoor  was  known as black money . This is now in billions and trillions lying  underground for the fear that if detected by government agency it will be seized . Thus we see that black money which should have been in circulation  and could have generated employment and removed poverty in India  remained out of  normal monetary stream and   caused  liquidity problem in the country . Most of the black money today is deposited in foreign banks or in private Indian banks in fake names . Many account holders who have deposited such  money in the private/public banks are not turning up for years to make any single transaction . They are afraid if they transact they will be detected and caught . So all such money is out of tax net and the government of India is failing to collect any revenue out of it . The development of nation is thus checked badly . 

what should have been done . This is a million dollar question any would like to ponder . A strict surveillance  as well as Punitive machinery should have been floated with the introduction of New Economic Policy way back in 90's to contain the economic corruption visualising that absolute political power , dying and decaying morality , lust for luxury , false status symbol i.e. an obsessive socio - psycho disorder of mankind would tend Indians to become more corruption prone . The middle classes followed the corruption of rich class and the commoners inspired by these two classes also indulged in petty practices of corruption . Corruption became the common practice of the land . Everybody accepted corruption as a way of life and those who committed and chose to be honest were laughed and ridiculed as either fools or timid . Those who took to wrong and corrupt practices were called brave and bold . Those who chose to be honest were made to feel demoralised  .  An era of demoralisation started for the honest at the behest of the corrupt ones  . The demoralisation caused the honest to hide in shells whereas the corrupt held their heads high . The honest and just workers were being  sidelined in  establishments . The chief functionaries in goverment offices and establishments did not want honest persons on their panel for the fear  they  would know their wrong practices and may expose them if the time comes . 
 

What is being done . The government after forty second year of conceiving  a Lokpal Bill is now ready to get it passed in Parliament . Quite ironically  it was first tabled in Parliament in 1969  . Altogether it was tried for nine times, if I am right, to convert it into a law but was aborted for various reasons so far . Interesting fact about Lokpal is that it was a term coined by former MP late Dr. L. M. Singhvi as the Indian equivalent of the scandinavian concept of an Ombudsman in 1963 . The term was   translated as Lokpal in Hindi and was  incorporated in Hindi dictionary by Singhvi , the father of present chairman of Parliamentary standing council , Sh. Abhishek Manu Singhvi . It is this committee which has to recommend the provisions of the bill to parliament for final approval . Though the issues contained in  the Bill have been consented and approved by the Parliament yet the responsibility of  Shri Abhishek Singhvi has become greater to get the bill passed in Parliament in the form it is  approved  by the house . It will be a great tribute by a  son to  his father .   Thanks to  leaders that they have finally come to understand the difficulty of a common man . The bill that the government  chose to table in Parliament was a weak one so they tabled different bills in the house and resolved to consider three most important provisions of Sh. Anna Hazare . What Anna Hazare and his team has put in the Lokpal is strong but lacks in the respect that it is not practical to some extent  .  Let us see what good comes out finally with consensus .

 Seeing the corruption as a demon  all should lean forward for restoring prestige to a common man . The young generation should remain more alert and watchful that the bill is passed in Parliament to become an effective law  because the environment and the kind of education youths are getting they would not be able to cope up with the continuing  corruption . They are more understanding , frank , cultured and honest and want to enjoy their life without shame of corruption . I think it is better to serve in heaven than to reign in hell .  

By - SUDHANSHU KUMAR

HISTORY OF LOKPAL  

 (Outsourced material )

   The Lokpal Bill has been pending for the last 42 years. Though it was passed in the Lok Sabha in 1969, the Rajya Sabha rejected it.
The Bill was re-introduced in the Rajya Sabha as many as nine times and yet it could not get the nod of the upper house of Parliament. The Rajya Sabha saw the Bill in 1971, 1977, 1985, 1989, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2005 and 2008. The Bill is still pending adoption into law.
The Lokpal Bill is important in the sense that even people occupying high public offices including the Prime Minister, ministers and MPs can be probed for corruption charges. The Bill seeks to create the institution of Lokpal or ombudsman of India, who will receive complaints even against the Prime Minister.
The institution of Lokpal was first contemplated way back in early 1960s with an aim to rooting out corruption in public offices. The Lokpal Bill was based on the recommendations of the Santhanam Committee for Prevention of Corruption in 1966.
The Lokpal Bill (as introduced in 1998) seeks the establishment of the institution of Lokpal to inquire into allegations of corruption against public functionaries. The Lokpal Act of 1998 seeks to provide for setting up office of Lok Pal with a chairperson and two members for fixed terms of three years or until attainment of age of 70 years, whichever is earlier.
The Lokpal will inquire into complaints filed by any person other than public servant, alleging that public functionaries have committed an offence punishable under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
The Lokpal will have the powers of a civil court to summon and enforce attendance, receiving evidence and issuing commissions for the examination of witnesses or documents.
Those exempted from the purview of Lokpal are the President, the vice-president, the Speaker, the chief justice of India and other judges of Supreme Court, CAG, CEC and other members of Election Commission, and chairman and members of UPSC.
The Lokpal has the powers to conduct an inquiry into the allegations in an open court.
Is there any time limit for the inquiry?
The time frame for disposal of complaints filed before the Lokpal is six months .