NGOs differ on Jan Lokpal, pick on Team Anna’s shortcomings Conflict Amongst NGOs? * Great response to Anna seen as success of civil society * NGOs agree on wiping off corruption in government, not on solutions * They celebrate the middle class finding voice; but mourn lack of reach among villagers * Divergence in views seen as healthy for debate; onus on govt to take final call *** First the good news:...
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Profound alienation from political parties by Swapan Dasgupta
During the Emergency, the citizens of India weren’t merely exposed to Indira Gandhi’s 20-point programme. They were subjected to the additional torture of being exposed to the five point-programme of ‘youth leader’ Sanjay Gandhi. One of Sanjay’s more memorable nuggets of wisdom was: “Work more, talk less.” I recall it being carefully painted on a billboard somewhere close to the “Leader is right, future is bright” hoarding in Delhi’s Connaught...
More »“Sense of House will have only persuasive value” by J Venkatesan
-The Hindu It may not be binding on the Standing Committee: experts The ‘Sense of the House' resolution adopted by Parliament on the three key issues raised by social activist Anna Hazare on the Jan Lokpal Bill may not be binding on the Standing Committee, considering the draft but it will have persuasive and even moral value, say legal experts. The resolution moved by Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee says: “This House agrees...
More »The search for a perfect Bill by Amitabh Sinha
Over the last few days, as a desperate government tried to tide over the Lokpal Bill crisis, it received over half-a-dozen variants of the draft legislation. On Saturday, both Houses of Parliament took up the subject and though the debate was mostly confined to the Jan Lokpal Bill, it made the political point that while an effective law should be devised to tackle corruption, Parliament’s supremacy must be maintained. The...
More »Ex-CM's son quizzed in Shehla murder case by Suchandana Gupta
The son of a former Madhya Pradesh chief minister has been questioned by police in connection with RTI activist Shehla Masood's murder. Two other BJP leaders have been sent notices to appear before the investigating team. BJP MLA from Bhopal Dhruv Narayan Singh, who is also the son of former late chief minister Govind Narayan Singh, has been questioned about his relationship with Masood. Of the two other BJP leaders,...
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