The Aruna Roy-led National Campaign for People's Right to Information (NCPRI) on Saturday described activist Anna Hazare's resolve to continue his fast till Parliament passed his version of the Lokpal Bill as "dangerous" and "undemocratic".
Affirming faith in the parliamentary process, NCPRI members said that while the government draft left much to be desired, significant changes could be made in the pending anti-graft legislation. Arguing that Anna Hazare should not deride democratic institutions, NAC member Aruna Roy said the Gandhian was" ill-advised" adding, "We must assert our rights. But to get rid of these institutions would be a great disaster for all the people in this country. We must make these democratic institutions work for us and they must work for us."
Roy said that NCPRI would take their version of the Lokpal bill and the accompanying basket of measures to the Standing Committee and the Hazare group should do the same.
In an apparent reference to Hazare setting a deadline to pass the Jan Lokpal Bill, she said, "I think Annaji is ill-advised.... anyone who says my view should be the only view is wrong."
Former Chief Justice of Delhi HC Justice A P Shah said that the deadline on Parliament was "dictatorial and undemocratic". He added, "What will happen to this country if every group starts insisting on passing their own laws ? It's a most unreasonable demand and I have doubts that they understand the implications of their demand."
Roy's colleague Shekhar Singh said that Hazare's was a "dangerous" statement. "If we have support of 1 or 2 lakh people we will take over the functions of the Parliament today...tomorrow it could be courts."
Another NAC member Harsh Mander said that it was the right of all people to be heard and no one could claim to represent all people.
On being asked about the NCPRI version of the Lokpal Bill, Hazare aide Prashant Bhushan said, "We have differences with Aruna Roy on two issues. We have recommended that all government servants should come under Lokpal but they suggest that there can be a separate body to look into the grievances against them."
The above is an article published in the TOI today, 21st August 2011.
The statements made by members of the NCPRI do contain some truth. A precedent has been set which will encourage a self-interested person or group of people or a section of the society to organise similar demonstrations in future to fulfill their demands, thus jeopardising the stability of the nation. As it is, the country has its hands full of sectarian groups ready to pounce on any frivolous issue. In the meantime, the BJP has taken advantage of the situation to stage a come-back.
It was foolhardy on the part of the UPA government in not taking the whole matter seriously. The Congress party failed to gauge the mind of the people, proving the beggarly condition of the party. It is rudderless, floating in Parliament, simply on numbers. The Congress will have to take full blame for anything that goes wrong in future.
1 comment:
Aruna Roy is just the front of the congress party who are trying to confuse the people. She is a member of NAC of which Sonia Gandhi is the chairman.
The UPA had agreed to all the terms of Anna during the last time he went on fast.After he withdrew the fast, they fooled him by making their own draft and asking him to accept it. When Anna and his group did not accept the government draft, they, the government, sent their draft unilaterally to parliament standing committee.
The congress thought that since Anna had withdrawn his agitation the masses would not be with him a second time on the same issue. What had made them even more foolhardy is the way they put down Swami Ramdeo's agitation. They thought they could use the same medicine. In fact this time they preempted the agitation and arrested Anna even before he started his fast.Unfortunately they did not expect such a strong reaction from the masses. Now seeing the people's reaction, they are trying to find a way out by using Aruna Roy.
There is nothing to discuss in Anna's version except for the judiciary coming under the Lokpal. This is because the government has agreed to introduce the Judicial accountability bill immediately.
Our MPs think that once they have been elected they can do what they want until 2014 and are advising Anna and his group to contest in 2014. In the meantime they can continue looting the nation.
Those days have now gone.
People's power has shown them who is boss.
MPs or the people.
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