From the Prime Minister down, WikiLeaks has exposed the rotten state of the world's largest democracy for all to see. Food prices become intolerable for the poor. Protests against corruption paralyse Parliament. Then a series of American diplomatic cables released by the WikiLeaks exposes a brazenly mendacious and venal ruling class; the head of government adored by foreign business people and journalists loses his moral authority, turning into a lame duck. This...
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Save RTI, plead rights activists by Mahir Haneef
Right to Information Act (RTI) activists have planned a state-wide agitation to protest against the politicisation of the State Information Commission. A meeting of RTI activists held in the city on Sunday had agreed on an action plan on this score. Accordingly, the Save RTI Campaign would begin with a state-wide rally to sensitise people. Activists have alleged politicians were treating the RTI as a government department dividing information commissioners’ positions...
More »He should have waited, says Santosh Hegde by Sudipto Mondal
Karnataka Lokayukta Justice N. Santosh Hegde has expressed his reservations over activist Anna Hazare's decision to fast until the Union government passes the Jan Lokpal Bill (Citizens' ombudsman Bill). Mr. Hegde, who, along with Mr. Hazare and others, helped draft the Bill, said: “I wish he [Hazare] had waited for some time.” He was speaking to The Hindu on Tuesday after returning from New Delhi, where he participated in a consultation called...
More »BJP seeks all-party meeting on Lokpal Bill
The BJP on Tuesday appealed to noted social activist Anna Hazare to end his fast unto death agitation in support of the demand for enactment of Lokpal Bill and asked the government to hold an all-party meeting to discuss the subject. BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said in a statement that the government must hold a dialogue with activists and an all-party meeting to take prompt for creating an institution to...
More »Consultation shows consensus on Lokpal Bill may not be easy by Smita Gupta
The Sonia Gandhi-led National Advisory Council (NAC) and civil society groups are clearly not happy with the government's draft of the Lokpal Bill, intended to check corruption in high places. But a public consultation, a day ahead of the discussions that the NAC's Working Group on Transparency and Accountability is due to have with government representatives and others, demonstrated how difficult it will be to get a consensus on a...
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