How to end Lokpal impasse ?

The lokpal bill stalemate is becoming murkier as each day passes .Anna's fast enters the sixth day.He and his team is steadfast that their draft bill should be tabled in parliament to end the impasse.Another social activist Aruna Roy has come out with another lokpal draft bill and  she has presented it to the standing committee . The government wants Anna to present their draft bill also to the standing committee,which team Anna has rejected. Team Anna alleges the standing committee has corrupt leaders as its members.Aruna Roys's draft suggests separate institutions to deal with corruption. A lokpal for MP's including the PM , a vigilance Commission for bureacracy and  a separate lokpal for Judiciary without compromising its independence.On top of it a public grievance lokpal to address citizen's grievances and whistleblowers.Aruna Roy is also a member of the National Advisory Council headed by Sonia Gandhi. It could be an orchestrated move by the government to wriggle out of the impasse and weaken the Anna team.Aruna also said the Left parties and BJP are favourably inclined to her draft.

It must be noted none of the major political parties except TDP have come out openly in support of the Jan lokpal bill draft by Anna's team. The left has announced country wide protests on Aug 23 for withdrawal of government's lokpal bill.But they have not explicitly said they are in favour of Anna's draft bill.Left  merely said let the government bring a new bill.Karat said at a meeting of the so called third front, a unanimous decision was taken that the government's version is ineffective.But at the same time Karat said they did not discuss Jan lokpal bill.The nine parties are the four Left parties, Telugu Desam Party, Biju Janata Dal, Rashtriya Lok Dal, AIADMK and the Janata Dal (Secular).Perhaps this is what Kejriwal claims that he has the support of nine parties except BJP.But team Anna should remember they have not said any where they are in agreement with their version of the bill,Probably they want to play it safe .Because of the hype created by the media and the angry mood of the public,political parties want to line up with the popular sentiment.
All parties are vociferously protesting only over government's attempt to stifle democratic protests and they are not supporting Anna's draft..Because many of the provisions of anna's draft are against the political class.Another reason for the silence on the part of the political parties on Jan lokpal draft is the fact that there is growing support to Anna's movement .All political parties have guaged the public anger against graft and corruption in high places.The BJP is also staging a country wide protest to highlight UPA scams and government's attempt to suppress protests. Look how carefully these political parties have given reasons for their protest .No where they have said they are protesting in favour of Jan Lokpal .But at the same time they want to cash in the popular sentiment against the incumbent government.

Varun Gandhi of BJP is moving  a Jan lokpal draft as a private member's bill in parliament  But it is not clear if he is doing it with the permission of the party .But BJP is non committal about their support to Anna's bill.Independent Rajya Sabha member  Rajiv chandrasekhar is also moving another private member's bill  incorporating few provisions of Anna's draft bill.Probably the parliament can debate the salient features of all the four bills and arrive at a commonly agreed version and get it passed by the parliament. But it remains to be seen ,how far it deviates from the stringent provisions of Anna's draft bill.But both these bills are unlikely to be taken up in the current session of parliament,since a private member's bill can be introduced only after a month's notice.On the other hand Team Anna members Arvind Kejriwal, Prashant Bhushan and Kiran Bedi want the government to come forward and start negotiations to resove the impasse.The silence of all leading political parties on Anna's Jan Lokpal bill is intriguing. The ruling UPA is beleaguered.It is apparent none of the political parties want a detailed discussion on Jan Lokpal bill in parliament.But Varun Gandhi introducing the jan lokpal bill as a private member's bill will force parties to break their silence.

It was  quite a funny sight to see children less than 7 years holding 'I am Anna' and "we want Jan Lokpal bill " placards in one of the protests.Surely some one was behind these protests by kids. But  it has to be conceded that suddenly Anna has become a youth icon.Youngsters across the nation have taken an aggressive position against the central government.It is true that Anna has awakened India for a noble cause -fighting corrupton.In fact all political parties and political leaders are baffled over the support Anna has garnered nation wide.

Somehow the impasse over Lopal bill has to be broken. Deadlocks can be resolved only by dialogues and compromises.Team anna refusing to budge from their rigid stand gives the impression that they are stretching it  too far .Forcing the government to table "'my bill or no bill '' will never bring the government to the negotiation table.Due to the frenzy created  by the popular support  for the agitation ,Anna gave an ultimatum to the government .This did not go well with many.From the government side , the argument that corruption can not be completely curbed by lokpal or petty corruption can not be wiped out  does not in any way help to pass a strong lokpal bill. We have to make a begining somewhere.I feel when corruption at high places are curbed corruption at lower levels will also start to mitigate. Anna being a Gandhian is refusing for a compromise .Strong men don't compromise .But Team anna and government has to find a middle ground where they can broadly agree and end this impasse.But utmost care should be taken to draft a bill with all possible good clauses and no loopholes.Everyone can recogonise a good compromise .Becuase it works and makes sense.

Tamilnadu-Ahead of polls

The political scenario in Tamilnadu is still fluid and uncertain. Political realignments are still a possibility .This could become clear in a couple of days time. It all depends on how the left parties and DMDK react to the unilateral announcement of candidates list by the AIADMK, despite entering in to electoral pacts with DMDK and the left parties. In a glaring omission AIADMK has left out MDMK from its grand alliance. Vaiko was a steadfast ally of Jeyalalitha in the last 5 years .Ditching Vaiko and his party from the AIADMK alliance in favour of new found allies does not speak high of the AIADMK supremo. She has a dubious reputatuion of an unrelaibale alliance partner .With barely a month left for the elections to Tamilnadu ,the polarisation between two major Dravidian parties could witness some more unavoidable changes at the last minute,going by the current situation. The big brother attitude by AIADMK will surely be resented by the leftists,DMDK and other smaller parties.The disgruntled elements from this front like the LEFT parties along with MDMK , BJP ,some Pro_Elam outfits could still form a third front. The third front may not be formidable ,but will surely be capable of upsetting many results .It is surprising that other parties in the AIADMK front did not plead for the case of MDMK.Jayalalitha has conscioulsy chucked out MDMK with some sinister designs .This is very evident from the way MDMK was treated by the AIADMK front..All these 5 years Jeyalalitha has continously taunted the DMK government as a 'minority government'. Perhapas Jayalalitha does not want that phrase to boomerang on her government ,in case she returns to power .That may be one of the reasons for her to keep out MDMK and contest maximum number of seats in their front..By contesting more number of seats she believes her party will have a chance to become the single largest party to be called by the constitutional head to from the government,after the elections.

Whatever be the last minute political realignments in TN just before the polls, my surmise is there could be two possible outcomes to this poll in TN.In all likelihood it could be a fractured mandate. In case one of the front manages to get a simple majority to form the government, the margin of victory and the lead could be very slender. The most important factor of this poll is that TN would see for the first time POST POLL REALIGNMENT OF PARTIES to enable the largest single party to form the government.A coalition government is on the cards for the first time in Tamilnadu. Politics in Tamilnadu would touch new low after the elections and horse trading not herad of or seen ever before would happen .The DMK and congress front would also face stiff opposition this time and would find the going tough in many constituecncies. The Sri Lankan issue and Fisher men issue are likely to go against Congress and DMK in many constituencies. In urban constituencies 2 G scam will create ripples.In case the AIADMK front manages to surge ahead Jayalalitha could behave haughtily to her front constituents .Jayalalitha's imperious ways could distance her from her front parties even before the elections start and a realignment is on the cards. Jayalalitha should see reason and be accomodative to all partners including MDMK ,if she wants to taste victory.Else it would not be a surprise if her front partners walk out and start a third front.