Thursday, December 15, 2011

On a day Anna Hazare threatened to lay siege to the homes of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi and fill jails from January 1, Nobel laureate Amartya Sen said “people on the street” could not deal with corruption “in a very good way” and favoured a parlia

On a day Anna Hazare threatened to lay siege to the homes of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi and fill jails from January 1, Nobel laureate Amartya Sen said "people on the street" could not deal with corruption "in a very good way" and favoured a parliamentary solution.

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1111216/jsp/frontpage/story_14889198.jsp

Word of caution on street power

OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

Amartya Sen

New Delhi, Dec. 15: On a day Anna Hazare threatened to lay siege to the homes of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi and fill jails from January 1, Nobel laureate Amartya Sen said "people on the street" could not deal with corruption "in a very good way" and favoured a parliamentary solution.

"I don't personally think the people on street could, in a very good way, deal with the corruption issue," Sen said while delivering a lecture after meeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the morning.

The economist said no effort should be spared in fighting corruption, adding that it should have a parliamentary feature. "We need to do whatever anti-corruption thing we have to do. It has to have a parliamentary feature, reality feature, rather than going outside politics and reality of action in India," Sen said.

"...I am not a believer that it could be done in the way exemplary punishment is meted out by panchayats to deal with the guy who drinks. I think we have to be careful about this," Sen said. The economist made no reference to Hazare, a votary of thrashing people who drink.

"I welcome the fact that corruption has become a bigger issue.... It is important that corruption is in some way (being) highlighted and it seems that the people hate (the corrupt)," he added.

Sen said he "had the privilege this morning of talking for about an hour with my old friend Manmohan Singh, the Prime Minister."

Hazare said he would sit on protest outside the residences of Sonia and Rahul if Parliament failed to enact a strong Lokpal law during its current winter session.

Hazare appealed to his followers to stage dharnas outside the residences of MPs of political parties who oppose the passage of a strong Lokpal Bill and court arrest if they are prevented from doing so. The agitation will be in addition to the indefinite fast that Hazare plans to start on December 27, possibly on Mumbai's Azad Maidan.

The 74-year-old anti-corruption activist exhorted people across India to exert more pressure on the Congress-led UPA government by coming out on the streets from January for a "jail bharo andolan".

The government is considering the possibility of extending the winter session to discuss the Lokpal bill, which is likely to be tabled on Tuesday.

Hazare demanded that the session be extended to pass the bill.

NDA convener and Janata Dal (United) leader Sharad Yadav sought a special session. "The Lokpal bill should not be hurriedly passed. All members should be given a chance to give their opinions," he said.