What is the Jan Lokpal Bill?

Based on reports from Gaurav Pandey, Astha Singh and Rajni Anand Luthra

Literally translated, Lokpal means ‘protector of the people’. The first ‘Lokpal Bill’, as the name suggests, was a proposed legislation aimed at creating a ‘Lokpal’ body introduced in the Parliament back in the late 1960s. The Bill never made it to ‘Law’ stature.

Now, years later, the Lokpal Bill has phoenixed, thanks to Anna Hazare and his team of supporters. With the aim of creating an ‘anti-corruption’ statute, the Government of India proposed a Lokpal Bill in 2010 to create an ombudsman, an ‘advisory body’ which would attend to complaints forwarded by the Speaker of the Lok Sabha or the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.

By design, the powers of this Lokpal were to be limited to forwarding reports on these complaints to yet another ‘competent authority’. This proposal seemed inadequate to the average Indian tortured by red tapism and corruption.

As a result, anti-corruption activists such as Anna Hazare came together under the ‘India Against Corruption’ (IAC) banner to formulate and propose the Jan Lokpal Bill, or the Citizens’

Ombudsman Bill, which proposed an independent watchdog to tackle the mammoth task of deterring corruption, redressing citizens’ grievances and protecting whistle blowers.

Many days of hunger strike, demonstrations throughout the country, efforts and meetings of surprised politicos, tweets and slogans later, a special and all exclusive session of Parliament was convened and a resolution achieved, which ‘in principle’ agreed to a citizens’ charter bill, as well as to create state level ombudsmen, an announcement that Mr. Hazare termed as “a battle half-won.”

If the bill becomes a law, it will result in an independent body, the Jan Lokpal, with powers to investigate, monitor and prosecute the Prime Minister, the judiciary, members of Parliament and government employees.

The Jan Lokpal will merge with the anti-corruption wing of the CBI, have powers to register FIRs and prosecute the guilty to suitable punishment which would range from 10 years to life imprisonment.

The parliament of India recently agreed to create an independent anti-corruption agency, known as the Lokpal, giving in to Anna Hazare, a 74-year-old anti-graft campaigner who almost starved himself to death in a 12-day hunger strike which was the focal point of a tense standoff between Team Anna, comprising Hazare and his supporters, and the lawmakers in India.

Anna Hazare’s hunger strike found unparalleled public support from Indians across the world. In India, his campaign became a platform for hundreds and thousands of people to express their frustration at the endemic problem of corruption, as well as their disillusionment with politicians in the country.

The movement also found resonance among Indian Australians who came out in support of Hazare, adding their own voices to those of their countrymen back home.

UIA protest: Harris Park, Sydney

In Sydney, peaceful protests were held in support of Anna’s demands.

On August 27, the United Indian Associations (UIA) organised a gathering at Harris Park in Western Sydney which attracted about 200 people from the community.

The gathering reiterated the need to fight against the menace of corruption in India, and sought the support of the youth in this fight. UIA President Amarinder Bajwa exhorted people to take a stand against corruption and follow the principles of Anna Hazare.

What started as signature and education campaigns gradually gained momentum as Anna’s message reached more and more people from the community. The gathered crowd roared out slogans like, “India is Anna, Anna is India!” and “Inqlaab zindabad”.

“Corruption has two sides, givers and takers. But we should also ensure that we cleanse ourselves and make sure we are not a part of this menace,” said Subbarao Verigonda, Managing Director of IPP Technologies.

“We need to come together and act as one community. We need to get out of the mentality to accuse others all the time. Especially in a small country like Australia, it becomes all the more important for us to behave as one community,” said Anuj Kulshetra, Editor of Hindi Gaurav, an Indian community newspaper.

Gargi Tripathi, founder of www. australianindians.com.au, who had been on a continuous fast in support of Anna Hazare, also addressed the gathering and expressed her gratitude for the support and solidarity shown by Indian Australians. The group ‘AustralianIndians’ was formed to gather support for the fight against corruption in India.

“We started a signature and education campaign on the issue during India Australia Friendship fair recently,” said one of the participants in the gathering. “Later we decided to join members of the community in supporting this message.”

The following day, the UIA congratulated the Indian Australian community after the Parliament of India gave in to the demands of Anna and his team. The UIA termed it as the “first victory of people power” in India.

Protest march: Darling Harbour to Hyde Park, Sydney

In another protest, about 50 activists and supporters from various professions came together on August 27 for a peaceful march from Darling Harbour to Hyde Park. The march was led by Vidul Tyagi, Mayank Kedia and Saif Wasti, who had conducted a similar rally at Sydney’s Opera House on August 21. It was supported by Isha Foundation Sydney volunteers Sathasivan Karupanan and Kavi Kamachi as well, expressing their solidarity with Anna Hazare and the movement.

Chronology of an epochal fast

Chronology of a fast that forced the Indian parliament to acknowledge its people’s power and established civil society’s priority in a democracy:

Jan 30 Marches in over 60 cities to demand anticorruption Lokpal bill. Social reformer Anna Hazare, former top cop Kiran Bedi, activist Swami Agnivesh and lawyer Prashant Bhushan participate in Delhi rally.

Feb 26 Hazare announces fast unto death from April 5 if Prime Minister Manmohan Singh does not decide on civil society’s inclusion in drafting the bill.

April 5 Hazare starts fast at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar.

April 8 Hazare announces decision to end fast as government agrees to form 10-member panel of civil society members and union ministers to draft a stringent anti-corruption law.

April 9 Hazare ends fast.

April 16 Joint committee’s first meet cordial. Both sides exchange drafts.

May 2 Second meet with “no difference of opinion”.

May 7 Agreement on independent Lokpal with powers to initiate investigation and prosecution.

May 23 Agreement on empowering Lokpal to order list of movable and immovable assets of accused in corruption cases when sufficient evidence found to book them.

May 30 Differences appear as government disagrees on including prime minister, Supreme and High Court judges and MPs’ conduct in parliament within Lokpal’s ambit.

June 6 Civil society members boycott meet a day

A petition was also signed by about 35 Indians at Darling Harbour on the day and by others a day prior, at the Consulate General’s office in the presence of Amit Dasgupta, Consul General for India in Sydney, demanding the enactment of a comprehensive Jan Lokpal Bill to eradicate corruption in India.

During the march that started at 4.15pm, all the NRIs took a pledge of supporting the movement until a favourable decision is made and enacted upon by the government and law of India.

“Though I’m not in India right now, I’m concerned about the growing corruption in the country and its effect on the common man,” said Arpita Singh, an IT student.

“We live in a corrupt country – the time has come to throw all corrupt politicians out and reclaim our nation,” said Vidul Tyagi from Macquarie University.

Animesh Singh said, “I simply wish that India will become a country without corruption and people will be able to access and make use of the law successfully.”

Said Mr Surya, “The biggest hurdle for the development if India is corruption, and it should be completely eradicated.”

All the activists were holding placards, posters and handwritten charts with slogans such as: “Anna, we are with you”, “India against Corruption”, “Sydney supports Anna Hazare”, among others.

The support for Anna Hazare’s movement was tremendous, with several people coming forward with statements to the effect. Parminder Singh, Kanwal Dhillon, Dean Maloney, Deepak Gupta, Ambaris Mohanty and 40 other people signed the petition, and many more attended the glorious and peaceful march to support India against corruption.

Two rallies for Anna: Federation Square, Melbourne

For thirty-something Melbournians Arvind Bagla and Avinash Raina, the manner in after police crackdown against yoga guru Baba Ramdev’s fast in Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan. which their campaign took off came as a complete surprise. Arvind struck upon the idea on Friday August 19, sending a message out to close friends that he wanted to organise a rally on the Sunday August 21.

June 15 No consensus on inclusion of Prime Minister, Supreme and High Court judges.

June 20 Some ice melts amid war of words; government calls it “major step forward”.

June 21 Last meeting of joint committee ends on sour note. Both sides exchange drafts; Hazare warns of another fast.

Aug 15 Hazare denied permission to fast at Delhi’s Jayaprakash Narayan Memorial Park after Team Anna agrees to accept only 16 of police’s 22 conditions.

Aug 16 Hazare begins fast, detained early morning and sent to seven-day judicial custody to Tihar jail. Government decides to set him free late night. He refuses.

Aug 17 Hazare refuses to leave Tihar Jail till a solution is reached on fast venue. Supporters gather outside prison, Hazare continues fast from jail. Permitted to fast at Ramlila Maidan.

Aug 19 Hazare leaves Tihar Jail, continues fast at Ramlila Maidan.

Aug 23 Government invites Team Anna for talks.

Aug 24 Second round of talks, all-party meeting held. No breakthrough in impasse.

Aug 25 After meetings with political parties and Team Anna, government agrees to debate all versions of Lokpal bill in parliament.

Aug 27 Both houses of parliament debate Lokpal bill, adjourn after adopting ‘sense of the house’ and agreeing to Hazare’s three demands that will be sent to standing committee on Lokpal bill.

Aug 28 Anna breaks fast on 13th day.

There’s not much time, his mates said. But the passion was so overwhelming that everything, even the approval from the Federation Square authorities, fell into place in no time.

With the message getting out on Facebook and via email, some 70-odd supporters turned up to lend their support to the anti-corruption movement in India.

“I’m not a politician or a social activist by any means,” the soft-spoken Arvind, a business analyst with NAB, told Indian Link later. “But I was touched that people from all walks of life participated, and we were able to send our message across to the Indian government. The people who came in support were everyday people, not associations”.

A second rally organised for 27 August, was just as well-attended.

“I’m glad that one person could unite all of India so successfully,” Arvind said of Anna Hazare, the man at the centre of it all. “Whatever people may say about him, he’s just demanding a system that punishes wrong-doers. The initial response by the government was harsh, but you know, some pressure can get things done! His intentions were good – his fight was about our country, at the end of the day.”

“We may live far away from our home country, but we care just as much,” Arvind continued. “Everything that happens in India affects us all directly or indirectly. The Commonwealth Games saga, for example, had us all so concerned…. And that’s why we organised these rallies”.

One of the attendees was a 74-year-old man who was visiting his son. Despite being a heart patient, he turned up at the rally to offer his support, with his entire family in tow.

“He told me, ‘I’m so proud to be here with you’,” revealed Arvind. Their particular campaign, Arvind stressed, was not against any particular political party or individual.

“We made a promise that day, that we will do whatever we can for a ‘cleaner’ India. We will say no to bribes whenever we go back home, and we will promote this message amongst our friends and family,” he added.

Motivated by Arvind’s passion, his father in Rajasthan’s Ganganagar city organised his own rally in support, along with extended family members and friends.

Avinash Raina, co-organiser of the Melbourne rallies, said he felt “very satisfied” that Anna’s campaign has produced results.

“I feel great to have been a part of it, in whatever small way. We gave our 100% to it. Rather than sit in our lounge rooms and talk about the corruption in India, we actually got out of our comfort zones and did something about it,” he said proudly. Avinash said he felt motivated to join simply because of the enthusiasm he saw in India for the cause. Quoting from Art Of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar (who has also been an ardent Anna supporter), Avinash said, “The Big C – corruption – can be combated with five other Cs: connectedness, courage, cosmology, compassion and commitment.”

It was quite a coincidence, Avinash stated, that a day after Anna broke his fast, his AOL group had scheduled a session of 108 sun salutations; his own, he dedicated to Anna Hazare.

Meanwhile his best mate Arvind Bagla claims he is a different person now, thanks to his brief interlude with Anna’s overall campaign.

“I feel I should stand up for what I believe in. Lately I have been voicing my opinion on a number of issues such as the refugee crisis in Australia, taking to blogs of all kinds,” he said.

Signing up in support

Melbourne’s Anand Prabhu has been doing his bit for Anna Hazare’s campaign for a few months now.

“It’s time that we Indians here come together and share the responsibility to join the fight against corruption,” Anand told Indian Link

When Hazare fasted for the first time in April, Anand joined in this unique form of protest by fasting for a day as well. A group of six others from the Jai Bharath Friends Association (JBFA) joined him.

“It was my way of bringing some motivation into the community here to do our bit for India,” Anand said. “When Anna fasted for the second time in June, eighteen other people joined me in my day-long fast. For the third fast in August, I was determined to have a larger number of people involved. So I decided to organise a signature campaign instead of fasting again.”

During the Association’s Independence Day celebrations on 21 Aug, some 186 people signed Anand’s petition for the Indian government to consider a strong Lokpal.

An automobile engineer by profession, Anand has been involved with community and temple activities ever since he arrived in Melbourne twelve years ago. This time round though, he was impressed by the wave of support across the diaspora for Anna Hazare in his bid to help rid India of corruption. “Matters have gone so out-of-hand in India that someone had to take a lead… Anna did, and I felt drawn in – I simply had to support him,” he said enthusiastically.

Demonstrations for support for Anna Hazare from within the Indian community in Australia were held at the Sydney Opera House (main pic opposite page), and (from top this page), Darling Harbour and Harris Park in Sydney and at Federation Square Melbourne.