People against Jan Lokpal Bill | Dr. B. R. Ambedkar's Caravan

Argument should be for revealing the truth; not creating the truth.

There are two very famous messages – both polar opposite – circulating on the internet these days. One message seems to support Jan Lokpal Bill and Anna; other message denounces the Anna and Jan Lokpal Bill. My email-inbox is full of these two messages and my mobile inbox memory is crying to get relief of such messages. To get some relief from such messages and reply those who are sending me such messages again and again, here are my views on both the messages:

The Reality of Singapore’s Lokpal Bill

The message claims the following statement:

[In 1982, in Singapore, bill similar to Jan Lokpal was implemented and 142 Corrupt Ministers & officers were arrested in one single day. Today, Singapore has only 1% poor people & no taxes are paid by the people to the government, 92% literacy rate, better medical facilities, cheaper prices, 90% money is white & only 1% unemployment exists.]

I would like everyone to read report on “Eradicating Corruption – The Singapore Experience” by Mr. Muhammed Ali, acting assistant director of Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB), Singapore. CPIB is the agency responsible for combating corruption in Singapore and it was formed after the Singapore got self-government in 1959 not in 1982 as claimed by message. Continue reading →

I have been asked by my many friends to give my views on the recent ongoing movement against the corruption and Jan Lokpal Bill. Here in this article, I would like to present a young Dalit’s view on this bill and recent movement against corruption. I may disappoint many of you especially those who think that bringing Lokpal Bill will solve the problem of corruption from India (yes, we rank very well in corruption at world level, thanks to Congress government for making us proud!).

Birth of Jan Lokpal Team

Let’s start from the team members of Jan Lokpal Bill. Anna and his people choose five members and all of them were from so called upper castes. Anna and his team couldn’t find a single honest person from Dalit, Buddhist, Muslim, or Christian community. This wasn’t enough; the team members Anna choose were those who were at some time indulged in the corruption charges of one or another kind. The leader (Anna) himself at some time was involved in diverting the fund (Rs. 2.2Lakh) of the trust to celebrate his birthday and they gave the justification that it wasn’t a big crime! Who decided that it’s not a big crime? Ask a Dalit person who’s both hands were chopped off for stealing a penny. Or ask a Dalit who has lost both of his eyes for taking a bucket of water from the well without permission. A crime is a crime as said by Mr. Gandhi; it doesn’t matter whether it is small or big. But his chella (Anna) seems to differ at this point. Anna should have asked for the punishment if he would have been so serious about the corruption in recent times. Continue reading →