Lok Satta Party President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan today counseled Team Anna not to undermine our collective fight against corruption by making wild allegations in irrational exuberance and in reckless abandon for principle of elementary fairness and natural justice.
Sharply reacting to Team Anna’s demand for an inquiry by a panel of judges into allegations against Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and 14 other Union Ministers, Dr. JP said in a media statement that assuming every one is corrupt and every Government decision is tainted with corruption unless otherwise proved is a sure recipe for disaster.
“Nothing can be more illogical and untrue than assuming that everyone in politics is bad and those outside politics are angels.
“Those who fight against corruption must have respect for truth and evidence and not rely on hearsay and speculation.”
Dr. JP said the need of the hour today is building institutions and shaping policies that promote integrity and competence and not reviling everybody and creating conditions of anarchy.
“We may or may not like politics and policies of certain leaders. We may even be deeply offended by their approach to certain issues. But it will be a travesty of justice to accuse them of corruption.”
Dr. JP recalled that the Lok Satta took a similar stand when reckless allegations were leveled against Team Anna.
Dr. JP said that there is no place for vindictiveness and malicious propaganda in public life, and quoted Mahatma Gandhi as saying that the best and quickest way of getting justice is rendering justice to the opponent. “If we do not extend adversaries the same courtesy that we seek from them, then society becomes a living hell and nation becomes notional.”
Dr. JP underlined that there are many men and women in public life who maintain high standards of conduct and probity against heavy odds and named leaders like Dr. Manmohan Singh, Pranab Mukherjee, A. K. Antony, L. K. Advani, Arun Jaitley, Nitish Kumar, Buddadeb Bhattacharya, Navin Patnaik, Narendra Modi, Mamata Banerjee, Prakash Karat, Suravaram Sudhakar Reddy and N. Rangasamy.
Dr. JP asked Team Anna to focus on nation building and not on hitting headlines.
I agree that natural justice must be available to everyone. However, I don't agree with JP's clean chit to a huge number of people. The fact that they are part of the system which starts with crores of rupees of black money being used in elections, and false declarations made at the start of their parliamentary career, undermines any credibility these people might have.
ReplyDeleteMay be he got to reduce his standard a bit to respect the good that is left in those leaders in-spite of their long existence in politics.
DeleteWrong is wrong no matter what, and at same time, they may not be having any choice and they may not be thinking of doing any harm to society due to their actions.
I am 50:50 on this argument. We need a better argument on this aspect.
If you brush everyone with the same color is more dangerous.It blocks all the doors for some people who are atleast trying to make some difference.
DeleteDear JP garu,
ReplyDeleteThis time, I do not find any rationality in your arguments against Team Anna.
1) “Nothing can be more illogical and untrue than assuming that everyone in politics is bad and those outside politics are angels.
Please go through the IAC website. You can find the supportive documents. It may be very difficult to find evidence against those MPs. But, IAC argument is very logical.
Your argument against IAC is illogical.
2)“Those who fight against corruption must have respect for truth and evidence and not rely on hearsay and speculation.”
They respect truth and evidence. This is the basic reason for publishing those documents. If you remember, when they had discussion with Ministers team on Lokpal, they asked for video recording. But, Ministers rejected their request. It simply shows their honesty and strength, and respect for truth.
3) the hour today is building institutions and shaping policies that promote integrity and competence and not reviling everybody and creating conditions of anarchy.
They are the people who proposed Lokpal, Lokayukta institutions. You can not say they are not trying to build institutions, and not promoting integrity.
4) “We may or may not like politics and policies of certain leaders. We may even be deeply offended by their approach to certain issues. But it will be a travesty of justice to accuse them of corruption.”
I do not see like or against some leaders in their arguments. What is wrong in saying those leader are tainted, when the people are deeply offended by their approach to certain issues.
Ex: When they say Manmohan Singh is tainted. Following is the reason:
Dr. Manmohan Singh is the Prime Minister since May 2004 and was personally in-charge of the Coal Ministry from November 2006 to May 2009. Under his watch a major coal allocation scam took place which allowed private firms to make windfall gains, as is clear from the facts that are now out in the public domain and the report of the CAG.
Personally, Manmohan singh may not be corrupted and everyone respects him. But, why he was calm when 2G scam taking place, and Coal scam under his ministry taking place. Isn't his responsibility to sack corrupted ministers?
Whenever people ask critical questions, he says it is coalition politics.
Coming to his personnel declarations, he is an MP from Sikkim. When did he live in Sikkim? What is the need to give false claims. People are not asking these silly questions.
5) “If we do not extend adversaries the same courtesy that we seek from them, then society becomes a living hell and nation becomes notional.”
"The silence of good men is more dangerous than the brutality of bad men". This is quote I found in your website.
Do you want IAC should be silent? Questioning the government, ministers is part of democracy only. Debate is one of the pillars of democracy.
6) You have named few leaders:
Dr. Manmohan Singh: What he did when 2G was happening. Why he shut his mouth, and powers when Coal scam, 2G scam were taking place? personally he may be clean. As a PM he should act against corruption.
Pranab Mukherjee: Everyone knows what is how he is trying to save big names in fight against black money.
A. K. Antony: Why he is calm when Tatra scam is taking place?
These people are from Congress. Why they are in Congress when Congress is the most corrupted Party in India. Did these people make any corrections when Corruption is taking place?
L. K. Advani: Without him BJP wouldn't have grownup to this level. He may be personnally clean. If he has strong stance against corruption, why people like Gali Janardhan Reddy, and Yedyurappa are existing in BJP?
Thanks for asking important questions.
DeleteJP Garu,
ReplyDeleteCan you please give definition for Corruption?
So that I can say Team Anna's allegation are mere allegations and not against corruption.