More than four decades after the Lokpal Bill was first introduced in parliament, the UPA government has promised to bring it back during the monsoon session. But it may not see the light of the day and will meet the fate of its earlier avatars, says G Sampath. Here are the reasons why the bill may go for a six.
‘Con’gress rule
Corruption is to the UPA what Hindutva is to the BJP. Which doesn’t mean that the Congress is not communal or that the BJP is not corrupt. Both are both. But over a period of time, both have come to define their brand identity around these specific core competencies. So when the entire nation is waiting with bated breath to hear about the next scam to roll out of the UPA government, it would be silly to expect them to pass something like the Lokpal Bill, which seeks to disincentivise corruption.
Corrupt netas bhai bhai
There is an all-party consensus on corruption. When the talks broke down between Team Anna and the government representatives on the Lokpal Bill drafting panel, the Congress immediately called for an all-party consultation on the Lokpal Bill. Why? Because corruption is one of the few issues on which all parties are united — they know that it is a matter of their bread and butter. It is the reason why a politician becomes a politician in the first place, it is the reason why they exist, it is what makes them feel alive and gives meaning to their lives. A politician who is not, or cannot, be corrupt sinks into depression and ceases to be taken seriously by his peers. A Lokpal Bill, obviously, is not good for the psychological well-being of the politician and hence, can never be passed.
Black economy
The economy will be affected. Nobody knows the exact figure, but it is well known that one of the key drivers of the Indian economy is black money. If you take the real estate sector, for instance, in which so many politicians have a stake, the primary fuel on which this sector runs is black money. If the Lokpal Bill is passed, then the arteries and veins through which black money circulates will get clogged with transparency requirements and corruption complaints. Neither the lalas, nor the netas, who are all on the payroll of some lala or the other, will let that happen.
Accountability — the unheard word
If Team Anna’s version of the Lokpal Bill is passed, it will mean that every bureaucrat will be accountable to the common man, instead of to a corrupt neta or a corrupt bureaucrat (himself). In other words, if a citizen’s work (say, getting a passport) is not done within a prescribed time, then Lokpal will impose a fine on the erring officers, which will be paid as compensation to the complainant. But every babu worth his grease knows that if this is allowed to happen, that too in India, the Earth might skid off its orbit and we might all be flung into outer space. So they will make sure that the Lokpal Bill remains a pipe dream, as it has been for 42 years.
Govt’s secret weapon
The bill aims to make the CBI report to the Lokpal. Hello! If the CBI reports to the Lokpal, how will politicians ensure that the investigation agency keeps filing such weak charge-sheets that their chances of standing up in court are less than that of a double amputee with a broken spine paralysed from the neck up? Can’t happen, obviously.
The lost battles
The Jan Lokpal Bill first tried to get through Parliament in 1969 but got stuck in the Rajya Sabha. It made many more attempts — in 1971, 1977, 1985, 1989, 2001, 2005 and 2008. Incidentally, all these attempts were piloted by politicians, without any help from civil society, and they all happily failed. This year, the civil society has been trying to shove down the netas’ throats a version of the Lokpal Bill they don’t like at all. Are the netas likely to swallow it? Well, they’d rather choke to death first.
