Another fast from Anna Hazare won't help the Lokpal, the country and civil society leaders
SAUBHIK CHAKRABARTI, ET Bureau Jul 29, 2011
Anna Hazare has called the cabinet-cleared version of the Lokpal bill a "deceit on the nation". That kind of rhetoric pretty much indicates Anna and Co's future plans. If they stick to those kinds of plans ( Jantar Mantar protest theatre redux), this group of prominent people would miss a great opportunity - the opportunity to demonstrate their maturity.
Yes, the cabinet has cleared a Lokpal bill that differs in important respects with the civil society version. But, much more important, it is radically different from what the political class really wanted. There's almost zero chance that the government will yield any more. Another round of protest will, therefore, make all stakeholders worse off, especially civil society leaders who might find themselves pinned to the maximalist position. And since there's no revolution waiting to happen over Lokpal or corruption, another episode of Jantar Mantar-style brinkmanship won't change the rules of the game.
The mature thing for Anna and Co. would be to allow the game to play out now. Let Parliament debate the bill, let a parliamentary committee sift through it, let the bill be cleared and let the procedural details of the Lokpal be filled in - the time for aggressive interrogation, challenges will come then.
True, were Anna and Co to do this very sensible thing, they will fall off TV and Twitter star ratings, they will not be the principal actors anymore in the Lokpal story - elected representatives will be and after that, the institution itself, also, it is quite likely, politics being such as it is, politicians may want to start assuming credit for a reform they themselves had showed no inclination for. All this and more will happen - but that's how it is, and smart, pragmatic, serious reformers know it.
But, presumably, Anna and Co are in this for the cause, and not the show, and if the show shifts from Jantar Mantar to legislative and executive chambers, their interest should be in assessing the final outcome, not intervening in the process. That would be, to repeat, the mature thing to do