Rahul Gandhi

Madam Speaker,

I have been deeply distressed at the developments of the last few

days. Many aspects of the situation have caused me anguish.

We are all aware that corruption is pervasive. It operates at every

level. The poor may carry its greatest burden but it is an affliction

that every Indian is desperate to be rid off. Fighting corruption is

as integral to eliminating poverty as is Mahatma Gandhi NREGA or

the Land Acquisition Bill. Yet it is equally imperative to the growth

and development of our nation.

Madam Speaker, we cannot wish away corruption by the mere

desire to see it removed from our lives. This requires a

comprehensive framework of action and a concerted political

program supported by all levels of the state from the highest to the

lowest. Most importantly, it requires firm political will.

Madam Speaker, in the past few years I have travelled the length

and breadth of our country. I have met scores of countrymen, rich

and poor, old and young, privileged and disempowered who have

expressed their disillusionment to me. In the last few months,

Annaji has helped the people to articulate this same sentiment.

I thank him for that.I believe that the real question before us as

representatives of the people of India today is whether we are prepared

to take the battle against corruption head on? It is not a matter of how

the present impasse will resolve, it is a much greater battle. There are no

simple solutions. To eradicate corruption demands a far deeper

engagement and sustained commitment from each one of us.

Witnessing the events of the last few days it would appear that the

enactment of a single Bill will usher in a corruption-free society. I

have serious doubts about this belief.

An effective Lok Pal law is only one element in the legal framework

to combat corruption. The Lok Pal institution alone cannot be a

substitute for a comprehensive anti-corruption code. A set of

effective laws is required. Laws that address the following critical

issues are necessary to stand alongside the Lok Pal initiative:

(1) government funding of elections and political parties,

(2) transparency in public procurement,

(3) proper regulation of sectors that fuel corruption like land and

mining,

(4) grievance redress mechanisms in public service delivery of old

age pensions and ration cards; and

(5) continued tax reforms to end tax evasion.

We owe it to the people of this country to work together across

party lines to ensure that Parliament functions at its optimum capacity and delivers these laws in a just and time bound manner.

We speak of a statutory Lok Pal but our discussions cease at the

point of its accountability to the people and the risk that it might

itself become corrupt. Madam Speaker, why not elevate the

debate and fortify the Lok Pal by making it a Constitutional body

accountable to Parliament like the Election Commission of India? I

feel the time has come for us to seriously consider this idea.

Madam Speaker, laws and institutions are not enough. A

representative, inclusive and accessible democracy is central to

fighting corruption.

Individuals have brought our country great gains. They have

galvanized people in the cause of freedom and

development. However, individual dictates, no matter how well

intentioned, must not weaken the democratic process. This

process is often lengthy and lumbering. But it is so in order to be

inclusive and fair. It provides a representative and transparent

platform where ideas are translated into laws. A tactical incursion,

divorced from the machinery of an elected Government that seeks

to undo the checks and balances created to protect the supremacy

of Parliament sets a dangerous precedent for a democracy. Today

the proposed law is against corruption. Tomorrow the target may

be something less universally heralded. It may attack the plurality

of our society and democracy.India’s biggest achievement is our democratic system. It is the life

force of our nation. I believe we need more democracy within our

political parties. I believe in Government funding of our political

parties. I believe in empowering our youth; in opening the doors of

our closed political system; in bringing fresh blood into politics and

into this House. I believe in moving our democracy deeper and

deeper into our villages and our cities.

I know my faith in our democracy, is shared by members of this

House. I know that regardless of their political affiliation, many of

my colleagues work tirelessly to realize the ideals upon which our

nation was built. The pursuit of truth is the greatest of those ideals.

It won us our freedom. It gave us our democracy. Let us commit

ourselves to truth and probity in public life. We owe it to the people

of India.

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