Dear Friends:
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Given below is a great message for all of us - from all walks of life and of all age groups. It reminds us of our sacred duty towards our motherland. This is not an ordinary message.
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You have to appreciate that Mr Arvind Kejriwal, a young man in his thirties or so and an IITian who quit his otherwise top-of-the-shelf job as Assistant Commissioner Income Tax with Government of India to take up his fight against corruption and Right to Information, is one of the forces behind the current crusade against corruption.
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His appeal below is self explanatory. He and other stalwarts mentioned in his appeal are giving us the WAKE UP CALL. Please go through the text below and join the crusade against corruption. Give the contents a wide publicity so that like minded people join the march on 30 January 2011. God bless the stalwarts - Baba Ram Dev ji to Kiran Bedi to Arvind Kejriwal - and God bless you so that you too make a decision now as to how you and me can support the Cause that needs attention sooner than one can perceive.
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I am available to you 24x7 for any support incase you need at 98183 90099
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JAI HIND.
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India Against Corruption
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India Marches Against Corruption
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Thousands of people will take to streets to demand effective anti-corruption law
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J M Lyngdoh, Swami Agnivesh, Kiran Bedi, Anna Hazare, Prashant Bhushan, Most Reverend Vincent M Concessao Archbishop of Delhi and others will march from Ramlila Grounds to Jantar Mantar on 30th January, the day Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated, at 1 pm to demand enactment of a law to set up an effective anti-corruption body called Lokpal at the Centre and Lokayukta in each State (the existing Lokayukta Acts are weak and ineffective).
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Kiran Bedi, Justice Santosh Hegde, Prashant Bhushan, J M Lyngdoh and others have drafted this Bill. Please visit our site for full text of this Bill. A nation wide movement called “India Against Corruption” has been started by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Swami Ramdev, Swami Agnivesh, Most Reverend Vincent M Concessao Archbishop of Delhi, Kiran Bedi, Arvind Kejriwal, Anna Hazare, Devinder Sharma, Sunita Godara, Mallika Sarabhai and many others to persuade government to enact this Bill.
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Mrs Sonia Gandhi recently announced that Lokpal would be set up. However, the Lokpal suggested by the government is only a showpiece. It will have jurisdiction over politicians but not bureaucrats, as if politicians and bureaucrats indulge in corruption separately. And the most interesting part is that like other anti-corruption bodies in our country, the government is making Lokpal also an advisory body. So, Lokpal will recommend to the government to prosecute its ministers. Will any prime minister have the political courage to do that?
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Please participate in large numbers in this march to persuade the government to enact the Bill drafted by the people. Please turn overleaf to read how this Bill will help in effectively checking corruption.
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Can India turn around?
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There was much worse corruption in Hong Kong in 1970s than we have in India today. Collusion between police and mafia increased and crime rate went up. Lakhs of people came on the streets. As a result, the government had to set up an Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), which was given complete powers. In the first instance, ICAC sacked 119 out of 180 police officers. This sent a strong message to the bureaucracy that corruption would not be tolerated. Today, Hong Kong has one of the most honest governance machinery.
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India can also turn around if we also had similar anti-corruption body. Hong Kong government enacted ICAC Bill because lakhs of people came on streets.
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Join the march on 30th January (Assembly at 1 pm at Ramlila Ground)
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If you plan to join or volunteer with us, do call us 9717460029
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How will the Lokpal Bill drafted by citizens help curb corruption?
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Existing System
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No politician or senior officer ever goes to jail despite huge evidence because Anti Corruption Branch (ACB) and CBI directly come under the government. Before starting investigation or initiating prosecution in any case, they have to take permission from the same bosses, against whom the case has to be investigated.
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No corrupt officer is dismissed from the job because Central Vigilance Commission, which is supposed to dismiss corrupt officers, is only an advisory body. Whenever it advises government to dismiss any senior corrupt officer, its advice is never implemented.
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No action is taken against corrupt judges because permission is required from the Chief Justice of India to even register an FIR against corrupt judges.
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Nowhere to go - People expose corruption but no action is taken on their complaints.
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There is so much corruption within CBI and vigilance departments. Their functioning is so secret that it encourages corruption within these agencies.
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Weak and corrupt people are appointed as heads of anti-corruption agencies.
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Citizens face harassment in government offices. Sometimes they are forced to pay bribes. One can only complaint to senior officers. No action is taken on complaints because senior officers also get their cut.
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Nothing in law to recover ill gotten wealth. A corrupt person can come out of jail and enjoy that money.
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Small punishment for corruption- Punishment for corruption is minimum 6 months and maximum 7 years.
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Proposed System
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Lokpal at centre and Lokayukta at state level will be independent bodies. ACB and CBI will be merged into these bodies. They will have power to initiate investigations and prosecution against any officer or politician without needing anyone’s permission. Investigation should be completed within 1 year and trial to get over in next 1 year. Within two years, the corrupt should go to jail.
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Lokpal and Lokayukta will have complete powers to order dismissal of a corrupt officer. CVC and all departmental vigilance will be merged into Lokpal and state vigilance will be merged into Lokayukta.
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Lokpal & Lokayukta shall have powers to investigate and prosecute any judge without needing anyone’s permission.
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Lokpal & Lokayukta will have to enquire into and hear every complaint.
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All investigations in Lokpal & Lokayukta shall be transparent. After completion of investigation, all case records shall be open to public. Complaint against any staff of Lokpal & Lokayukta shall be enquired and punishment announced within two months.
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Politicians will have absolutely no say in selections of Chairperson and members of Lokpal & Lokayukta. Selections will take place through a transparent and public participatory process.
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Lokpal & Lokayukta will get public grievances resolved in time bound manner, impose a penalty of Rs 250 per day of delay to be deducted from the salary of guilty officer and award that amount as compensation to the aggrieved citizen.
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Loss caused to the government due to corruption will be recovered from all accused.
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Enhanced punishment - The punishment would be minimum 5 years and maximum of life imprisonment.
Comments in two parts Part - 1
ReplyDeleteDear Compatriot,
I am sure you or someone close to you have felt the pinch of CORRUPTION that has started affecting all aspects of life. Whereas a large number of law abiding citizens are continue to suffer from injustice and exploitation due to corruption, there is a class of people who have risen in power and affluence enjoying fruits of CORRUPTION. Rape, murder, highway looting and broad daylight robberies have become order of the day even as Delhi has acquired the dubious distinction as ‘Rape Capital of India’. Corruption and politics have become so repulsively synonymous today in our country that that people are getting disillusioned with the very idea of democracy.
But talking in drawing rooms, bars and tea shops has not helped us all these years. We have to do a little more – and the fact is that we can all do it easily. The anguish you and I carry in our hearts against the evil of CORRUPTION, is enough fire to burn and cremate it provided we raise our voice and move together. Believe me it is from tiny ripples that tidal waves and tsunamis form. We have taken the initiative – the Ripple has started!
Karan Kharab
to be continued in Part - 2
Part - 2 (Continued from Part - 1)
ReplyDelete‘Gandhian Satygraha Brigade’, an all India NGO of Gandhian persuasion has launched a SATYAGRAHA against CORRUPTION in higher echelons of governance. Our demands are:-
(a) Appointment of an effective Lokpal. (Please note that the present draft bill circulated by the Govt suffers from serious inadequacies and will render the institution of Lokpal powerless and defunct from the very start. It, therefore, needs to be substantially improved before adoption);
(b) Confiscation of illegally acquired property (also recommended by Law Commission of India) and
(c) Disqualification of candidates seeking election to Parliament and State Legislatures against whom criminal cases have been registered/charge sheets filed. (Recommended by four successive Chief Election Commissioners including the present incumbent.).
(A copy of my letter to the Prime Minister on the subject is also enclosed herewith).
The irony is that there is no visible impediment in the way of the Government to accept and implement these demands and yet nothing is being done in this regard despite the fact that:-
· These are the recommendations of the Administrative Reforms Commission that was chaired by the present Law Minister, Mr Veerappa Moily.
· Government of India has formally accepted these recommendations of the ARC.
· The institution of Lokpal has been hanging fire for the past 42 years. The Bill has been introduced in the Parliament 8 times – every time to let it lapse.
· No political party or organisation has ever indicated any opposition to adoption of these measures.
· Institutionalising an effective Lokpal has been a Manifesto commitment of the Congress Party.
· The UPA Chairperson, Mrs Sonia Gandhi and the PM have repeatedly assured the nation to bring in effective measures to curb corruption.
Since all tall promises of the Government have turned out to be hollow, we have launched the Satyagraha. Shri Shambhu Dutta, a freedom fighter and Mahatma Gandhi’s contemporary, now in his 93rd year and six other highly respected personalities from different parts of India have already resolved to go on FAST unto DEATH with effect from 30th January 2011, Martyrs’ Day (Mahatma Gandhi’s Death Anniversary).
What comes as a booster to our mission is many national luminaries like Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Swami Ramdev, Swami Agnivesh, Most Reverend Vincent M Concessao Archbishop of Delhi, Kiran Bedi, Arvind Kejriwal, Anna Hazare, Devinder Sharma, Sunita Godara, Mallika Sarabhai and many others will also converge at the FAST unto DEATH site (Jantat Mantar on 30 Jan 2011) to honour and support them.
I therefore exhort you and your friends to please visit Jantar Mantar on 30 Jan 2011 between 10.00 am to 5.00 pm along with your friends and families to extend your moral support for this noble national Cause.
I also request you to kindly further circulate it to send the message to larger number of people.
For any further enquiry please contact us on phone Nos: Jantar Mantar - 2453-1110 (10:00 AM to 5:00 PM); Ashok Arora, Hony General Secretary, Gandhian Satyagraha Brigade (98100-62089).
With regards and best wishes,
Karan Kharb