From The Telegraph
OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
New Delhi, Aug. 17: The government today appeared to have convinced the Lok Sabha that Anna Hazare’s demand for accepting only his team’s draft for the Lokpal bill was unconstitutional, but was severely criticised for its handling of his campaign.
A breakthrough appeared to be in sight on the Hazare stand-off with the activist, now in Tihar jail, agreeing to hold a fast for 15 days at Ramlila Maidan from 3pm tomorrow. Delhi police had lifted all other conditions earlier in the day. If the deal survives the night, Hazare is expected to step out of the jail tomorrow afternoon.
Most parties chose not to raise any substantial questions when ministers P. Chidambaram and Kapil Sibal explained the consequences of unelected activists dictating Parliament on enacting laws.
While L.K. Advani only objected to the government’s decision to jointly draft the bill with the civil society group, Sushma Swaraj wanted to know why Congress leaders were ridiculing Hazare.
Janata Dal leader Sharad Yadav, who had countless questions in the beginning, only asked Chidambaram in the end why police were allowed to tackle Hazare instead of taking political decisions.
Despite repeated queries from Sibal and Chidambaram, nobody confronted the government’s basic premise that the Hazare team was wrong in trying to force its draft.
“Do not diminish the sovereign right of Parliament to make laws. The day this right is diminished even by one millimetre, that will be the saddest day for our democracy... people have the right to protest, to demand, to vote us in and vote us out but no right to make a law. That right has been given to Parliament,” Chidambaram said, replying to the daylong debate on the Prime Minister’s statement on the Hazare episode.
When Chidambaram asked if the members would let any group dictate Parliament on any legislation, there were loud chants of “no-no” without any contrary voice.
“Hazare said (his) protest will not end unless Jan Lokpal is adopted. I don’t accept that,” Chidambaram said. “He says he has faith in Parliament but not in MPs. This is an astonishing statement. Parliament is not rooms, chairs and tables. If all of you agree with these sentiments, I will also humbly accept it.”
The Prime Minister had earlier in the day said: “I acknowledge Hazare may be inspired by high ideals in his campaign to set up a strong and effective Lokpal. However, the path that he has chosen to impose his draft of a bill upon Parliament is totally misconceived and fraught with grave consequences for our parliamentary democracy.”
Singh said “a functional democracy” must allow “multiple voices” to be heard. “But differences of opinion must be resolved through dialogue and consensus. Those who believe that their voice and their voice alone represents the will of 1.2 billion people should reflect deeply on that position. They must allow the elected representatives of the people in Parliament to do the job that they were elected for.”
Sibal said: “We are cutting the tree on which we are sitting by allowing a group of activists to undermine parliamentary democracy.”
Although no speaker supported Hazare’s stand,most faulted the government for trying to suppress civil liberties by clamping down on protesters. All parties, except the RJD and the DMK, condemned the government.
The above debate in parliament just proves my point when I said earlier that where it comes to protect their turf, all parliamentarians, irrespective of their political affiliations, gang up like street dogs to bay for the blood of the impostor who has dared enter their domain.
They forget that for sixty five years now, by their sins of omission and commission, they have lost the right to pass laws.
The various courts all over the country, whom the parliamentarians accuse of judicial activism, have taken the reins of investigation.Why? Because parliamentarians have failed to do their duty.
Anna Hazare had earlier gone on fast to make them understand that society has had enough of their corruption. By deceit they got him to withdraw his agitation for they had no intention of passing a strong Lok Pal bill for if they did, most of them would be pulled up.
Their tamasha started just after he withdrew his agitation. Using one pretext or another they delayed discussions and then prepared a watered down version of Anna's Lok Pal Bill.
These elected representatives who have gone into parliament mostly by crook should understand that people have understood their intentions and will not tolerate corruption any more. If they understood the pulse of the people, they would not make the above statements. They are completely divorced from the views of the people who elected them
The agitation has been peaceful so far, thanks to Anna.
They should take a lesson from Egypt, Tunisia, Syria and other middle east countries and act on the people's wishes before they receive the same treatment as those rulers.
I would like to remark on this one statement of Chidarambam regarding Anna, "He says he has faith in Parliament but not in MPs. This is an astonishing statement. Parliament is not rooms, chairs and tables. If all of you agree with these sentiments, I will also humbly accept it
I have spoken to scores of people after terrorists attacked parliament house and some of our jawans were killed uselessly.
The general view of all the people of India is "the terrorist should not have tried to destroy Parliament House as the building is beautiful, but if they had killed the 500 or so MPs, we would be most happy."
That is my view also.
This is the view of the masses regarding our MPs who say they represent the people.
If the MPs feel that their view is the true view of the people then let them have a referendum regarding both versions of the Lok Pal bill.
Only 20 % of the government employees, police, politicians and some film actors who do not pay their taxes, would support the government. Its own employees would not support it wholeheartedly so the question of general masses who at the receiving end of this corruption supporting it is very slim.
The mass uprising all over India shows, who the people support.
And yet our MPs say they represent the people.
DO WE?
A BIG "NO" from me.
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