Four years of Mr Modi : Corruption - “ Are you serious ? “

Part II

Mr Modi ,supposedly, won two batches of honour in his decade long stewardship of Gujarat - Anti-Graft crusader and Vikas-purush. Fortuitously, in 2014 ,UPA II offered on a platter the very issues -rampant corruption and an economy put on hold against which Mr Modi was said to have won his spurs. To quote a worn out cliche , he seemed the right man at the right time. 

More than any thing, it was allegations of corruption that threw an obnoxious stink  around UPA II. And Mr Modi in his poll cries exploited it to the hilt, doing a V P Singh ,squared . With malicious glee he tore into the moral legitimacy of Congress to rule, promising his disillusioned, dispirited, aspirational middle class a regime that would  relentlessly, remorselessly hound the corrupt and uproot systems and processes that nurtured graft . 

That was four years ago. Now’s the day of reckoning, has Mr Modi delivered ? 

Take first the reform of eco- system breeding corruption. At the start of his tenure he had three cooked  anti - graft legislations pending enactment. Instead of pushing it through vigorously , he has allowed these to suffer deep legislative paralysis.

1. The Prevention of Corruption Bill 2013 that ropes in bribe-giver and commercial organisations for the first time is in limbo. Contrary to trumpeted intent not to give any quarters to the corrupt, amendments are proposed that dilute rigours of the existing law. Now prior approval is needed not only to prosecute but also investigate cases ; offence of obtaining a valuable thing or monetary reward without public interest has been dropped; and burden of proof shifted from accused to prosecution. 
2. The Whistleblower’s Act 2014 having previously wound its tortuous course through the parliament now stands arrested at the Gazette Notification stage. Meanwhile, hundreds of whistleblowers have lost their lives for lack of protections available under it. The Act will remain ‘unacted’ till amendments freshly proposed redo the legislative rounds. More than the delay, worrisome is the nature of the amendments. They emasculate the Act and dis-incentivise whistleblowers. For instance, disclosure of wrongdoings in institutions covered by the Official Secrets Act will not immunise the whistle against prosecution under the O S Act. Further, exclusions proposed are so wide that only a traffic cop need dread a whistleblower. 
3. Lastly, the big one, Lokpal. In a tortoise plod lasting half a century the Lokpal had finally crossed the finishing line in 2014. It was expected to be in business by now. However in the manner that appointment of a Gujarat Lokayukta was fended off for 10 years till Mr Modi could appoint one on the terms of the executive and to its liking, he neither follows SC directions to recognise the leader of largest party/group as LoP member (in cases where it lacks the numbers to be designated as LoP) in the selection committee, nor fulfils  its promise to amend the Act suitably to this effect.

That is ,one measure stuck at bill level, one at Gazette notification stage , and the last one at the operational level. 

Ironically, these measures along with RTI act came from a regime branded as most corrupt , while a regime with a strong anti-corruption pitch is yet to conceive one but is happy sending those of its predecessors to the morgue. 

The nation with ample justification is left to wonder “ are you serious ? ” 

Maybe the regime relies on stronger enforcement of existing laws to grease its anti-graft crusade. But has it done so and in what manner ?

To be continued .