All kinds of people took an active part in the recent campaign that centred on the charismatic grassroots community leader Anna Hazare. Some of them are known for suggestions and public pronouncements that cannot but fill us with dread. Nevertheless, it needs to be remembered at all times that the basis
on which Mr Hazare was able to rouse the conscience of the nation pertains to the notion of transparency in governance, the absence of which has bred corruption at all levels on a gargantuan scale. Over the six decades that we have been a self-governing, sovereign republic, our governing elite — both political and bureaucratic, at the Centre and in the states — have encouraged the creation of a thicket of rules that have rendered opaque the functioning of our democracy. These have virtually ruled out interrogation of the so-called servants of the people. The direct consequence of this has been to alienate the people, in whose name policy is framed and public money spent, and exalt those in positions of authority. In many spheres, especially on the political side, a self-perpetuating fiefdom of the undeserving has emerged. Whether the cry of the war on corruption yields long-term results of value, there is little doubt that this is exactly what the average citizen would like to see.
While we hope the bill to establish an effective Lokpal, or national ombudsman — to formulate which a committee of senior ministers and respected civil society figures has been set up in the wake of Mr Hazare’s energetic campaign — will see the light of day within the stipulated period, we take the opportunity to reiterate the need for transparency in all aspects of governmental functioning. Any rules and regulations made, any amendments effected to these, and even chargesheets framed against public officials, should be made available in the public domain. In this Internet and mobile age, it is much easier to enable this than it would have been in an earlier era. As of now, ordinary citizens have to run from pillar to post — in the process spending money and time — to access the most basic information that they should have as a right. These are symptoms of a pre-democratic order and must change as we seek to push for the political grammar of entitlement. In short, the privilege of the governing elite to think they know best must now end.
Mr Hazare has said there should be video-recording of the deliberations of the joint panel to frame the Lokpal Bill. The idea is not without merit, although there might be pitfalls in it too. A video-recording, which might be subsequently telecast, might encourage some to play to the gallery. Something akin to this is visible in the two Houses of Parliament since live telecast of their sessions began. A midway point could be sought — perhaps a detailed record of the committee’s deliberations on the Lokpal Bill draft could be made public. The idea is not as radical as it might sound. The debates of the committees of the US Senate and House of Representatives are available for public scrutiny, barring some exceptions.
In addition to making the record of its deliberations public — let’s say by placing it in the Parliament House library as well as on its website, for anyone to read and publicise — the panel to draft the bill might also see it fit to invite suggestions from the public. While the country debates and ponders over various suggestions, the government would do well to make its views known in the light of the changing mood of our people, instead of pursuing the old way of citing procedures and rules to block ideas which emanate outside of the traditional establishment.