Rampant corruption

According to a recent survey, one-third of South Asians pay bribes. The survey was conducted by Transparency International’s 2011 Integrity Index in respect of corruption in India. Barring a few individuals who carry on with their work honestly, many of our politicians and government servants are less than clean. Since the supervisory officers are not themselves honest, they are not able to check their subordinates.

Because the executive has many corrupt elements, it cannot control the bureaucrats. With the lower judiciary reportedly tainted, it cannot check and balance the other two wings of the country’s democracy. The fourth estate, the media, which can exercise tremendous influence, also stands compromised.

That a government, established by law, feels nervous when Anna Hazare, till recently an unknown individual, throws a challenge to pass the Jan Lokpal Bill on the issue of corruption, is indicative of the fact that the government acknowledges the presence of massive corruption but does not know what to do about it. Vote-bank politics and serious economic and social inequalities have further compounded the problem.

The executive, the legislature and the judiciary must put their heads together to set things right to prevent a people’s uprising.

VIJYENDER SHARMA, Kangra

Anna, move on

After the successful implementation of the Right to Information Act, 2005, another milestone of the UPA government was the tabling of the Lokpal Bill together with the Whistleblower’s Bill and Judicial Accountability Bill, as visualised in the editorial ‘Safety of whistleblower’ (December 29). Whatever the ruckus over the Lokpal Bill, both the central government and Team Anna deserve credit as they made an attempt to refurbish the tarnished image of India vis-a –vis corruption. As per observations recorded since the launch of the movement in April, 2011, there has been a perceptible change in the mindset of corrupt people. Any loopholes in the implementation of the Lokpal Bill, if and when passed, can be plugged by amendments from time to time.

Anna and his team should now divert to electoral reforms which are essential for checking graft. The Whistleblowers’ Bill would protect the bona fide informers and punish those who make frivolous complaints.

GURMIT SINGH SAINI, Mohali

II

People have started seeing through the haze around Anna Hazare and members of his team.

If one created a flutter by voicing anti-India sentiments on Kashmir, the other stated that the unelected Anna was above Parliament. The only cure for the cancer of corruption is for people to make it a principle in life not to pay a bribe.  Hazare opposing the Congress and supporting the BJP and the morally-bankrupt Badals is proof enough that his team wants to create a political front.

PARAMJIT BAHIA, UK

Welcome decision

A Russian move to ban the holy book of the Hindus, the Bhagwat Gita, was a condemnable step that hurt the sentiments of the Indian masses. Now a Russian court has lifted the ban. The Siberian court found nothing extremist in the sacred literature. If Russia had banned the book, it would have created tension among different sections of the society. The people of our country, who gain divine knowledge from this holy book, will appreciate the Russian court’s decision.

We should always understand the religious sentiments and culture of every country and respect them.

KAMALJIT MALWA , Mansa

Opposite Ds

The Indian masses have never been able to differentiate between dynasty and democracy. Since Independence, we have trudged the path of democracy-holding the fingers of the Gandhi family from Jawaharlal Nehru to Rahul Gandhi. Democracy is for the people, by the people and of the people. We foresee Rahul Gandhi as the next Prime Minister of India. Why is dynastic rule still a rule in our Indian polity?

RUCHI WALIA, Kaithal

Pressure tactics

This year the killing of Osama bin Laden by the US forces in Pakistan brought some good news for India. Strike when the iron is hot. The time is ripe for India to pressurise the US and other countries to declare Pakistan as a terrorist state. Once it happens, it would become easier for India to seek extradition of other terrorists like Dawood Ibrahim, who are hiding in Pakistan, and punish them for killing innocent Indian citizens. 

SANJAY CHAWLA, Amritsar