A Magsaysay award winner, Anna Hazare brought to the movement against corruption his considerable reputation and the moral strength derived from his social work in a village in Maharashtra, Ralegan Siddhi. It appears that corruption is a great unifier. If he had chosen the moral path, he would have addressed the social conditions that made corruption possible.
The government functionaries who are sharing the table with Anna now may help create another fortress around the beleaguered state. Many people believe that the hunger strike he undertook and the ultimatum he served were coercive in nature and have no place in a democracy.
Greed is good' is the new social mantra. A redirected movement must therefore ensue, exposing the ironical lack of transparency in the movement fighting for just that, and the majority of the Indian population must be accounted for.
It is the government, which will take a final decision in this regard, not an individual or a minister," Khurshid told mediapersons in Parliament House here. This 'materialism' and import from the West necessitates a strong anti-corruption regime and rules.
If one were to recognize the lack of governmental transparency as the cause of these ubiquitous practices, a logical remedy to treat this would be the implementation of an ombudsman.
It cannot be reduced to a question of morality alone, nor can a solution be found by punishing individuals as a deterrent. Moreover, by solely scrutinizing members of parliament, the Jan Lokpal Bill ignores the corrupt activities of large corporations and NGOs, who are equally guilty of the allegations.