Is The Jan Lokpal Bill Flawed? Interview with Usha Ramanathan

This is an interview with independent law researcher, activist and writer Usha Ramanathan who analyses the Jan Lokpal Bill with the hawk-eye of a lawyer.

Usha's perspective is extremely important considering that she was one of the lawyers who was part of the consultation during the drafting of the Jan Lokpal Bill and also knows Arvind Kejriwal and other members well.

In her view, the Jan Lokpal Bill is riddled with problems and needs to be analysed and corrected to get rid of those elements.

She says in the interview, "I do not think anybody who is making a law like this, would have seriously intended this to be passed and implemented. It is too absurd to believe that any rational person would believe that such a law could come to existence. I refuse to believe that people who we know and are part of the movement, could be so absurd in their rationality."

Usha points out many absurdities in the bill. She says, "For the first time in all these years that I have been reading law, it's not the politics that is telling you about the law, but the law is telling you about the politics. And the politics is not about the making of this law. It cannot be," while also candidly admitting that she is in no position to comment on the politics that is being used to drive this absurdity.

According to her the movement of the masses that rose up in favour of Anna Hazare, is not really about the bill.

She also points out some of the unheard of elements in the bill and some unconstitutional elements like phone-tapping. She says, "Jan Lokpal cannot be taken seriously. Because it is too full of contradictions and impossibilities."

Pointing out the difference between RTI that has had a huge impact against corruption, Usha says, "RTI says, we give the power of your destiny in your own hands, Lokpal says you become our subject and we'll protect you." In the same breath she says, "If you cannot democratize control over corruption, you cannot control corruption."

She has issued a clarification to the video, stating that, "Truth is, i do not think of it as a farce. Nor do i think it will increase corruption in the country. I think it is a flawed Bill. And i think that the kind of extraordinary powers that are given to the Lokpal will make it susceptible to corruption that such power brings with it."

You can contact Usha Ramanathan at uramanathan@ielrc.org

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Jan Lokpal Bill
• Usha Ramanathan
• Anna Hazare
• Arvind Kejriwal
• Kiran Bedi
• phone tapping
• RTI

[Wisdom909]

This OLD Ugly Bitch is a FAKE  Social Worker....

Criminals are Ruling OUR Country...

[nationafirst]

Lokapla bill is just a ruse, the real agenda is to overthrow the UPA government.

[winode6693]

strange that Usha Ramanathan has been fighting for sending Jan Lokpal to standing committee. that itself is not strange. the strange part is... government passes most bills without sending to standing committee. i have never seen Ms Usha ever fighting for sending bills to Standing committees. Only for lokpal she is fighting for standing committee. it is any one's guess why she is fighting suddenly for standing committees.

[luhar001]

Is Jan Lokpal a conspiracy to create a future dictator? Is this why America's Ford foundation supporting the movement?

[jukeboxduke]

Congress Agents and fake social workers are exposing themselves as they are thrown agaisnt Anna Hazare by Sonia the source of all evil.

[damania]

Laws are already being broken. New laws won't change anything. people need to throw their politicians out and put corrupt corporate executives in jail like the Egyptians.