Dr.Manmohan singh ji

Prime minister,Govt.OF India

New delhi

Respected Dr. Manmohan singh ji

When on 5th of April I sat for the fast then your government agreed for a joint drafting committee.

With great expectations and absolute honesty we participated in this joint drafting committee. Since

the whole movement was for the Jan Lokpal bill, we had expected that except for certain minor

changes the joint drafting committee would accept rest of the demands. Unfortunately (even) after

two months of these meetings, we are still standing where we stood on 5th of April when the fast

began. There were two drafts on 5th of April- one janlokpal bill and one a government draft. Even

today we have two drafts. The draft of the government lokpal bill presented by the five ministers of

joint drafting committee is a joke with the country. The ambit of government Lokpal bill is so narrow

that it doesn’t cover the corruption which affects the common man. Corruption in the working of

Panchayat, loot of ration of the poor, theft of daily wages of NAREGA workers who are living life of

utmost depravation…Any instance of corruption which affects the common man has not been

addressed in the government lokpal bill. Government claims that Lokpal will investigate incidents of

corruption which are of enormous proportion. But even here government claim appears void as any

of the recently exposed scam doesn’t come under the ambit of government Lokpal. Adarsh

scam,commonwealth games scam, Food scam, Reddy brothers scam, Taj corridor scam ,Jharkhand

Mukti Morcha scam, Cash for vote scam, Fodder scam, Karnatka land scam etc-none of them is

covered under government lokpal bill. This thus raises a big question as to what comes under the

ambit of government Lokpal bill? Will the government lokpal bill would just become a façade then?

So far it has been the policy of the government –to create new agencies devoid of any right or

power. Government Lokpal is set to become exactly that kind of agency which would have neither

right nor power.

All state government employee have been kept out of this law. We say that to keep vigil on central

government employee Lokpal must be created and under the same law each state Lokaayukats must

be formed.Mr. Pranab Mukherjee said in the meeting that chief ministers of the states do not agree

to this. Firstly it wasn’t necessary to ask chief ministers on this. As this matter come under the

Concurrent list of the constitution. And central government can make law on this. And secondly, all

the chief minsters of congress rules state wrote that they would abide by dictate of party high

command. They would agree to the decision taken by party high command.

You toss the ball in chief minister’s court and they toss back in yours. Both are shifting their

responsibility on each another. How will this tackle corruption? we fail to understand why

government is hesitating to create Lokpal and Lokaayukts under the same law? Will the people have

to still wait for years to get rid from the corruption of state government.

In the joint committee meetings we repeatedly asked your ministers to cover all government

employees under Lokpal. A common man has to daily face corruption at lower levels and you kept

them only outside it? Every year Indian government gives the subsidy of 30,000 crore as ration

subsidy out of which 80% is looted. School,Hospitals,roads are the various works which face

corruption of various kinds which is not covered under the government lokpal bill. All this theft is

done by officers at lower levels.

Late Rajeev Gandhi said that only 15 paise out of a rupee reach the public and rest is stolen or its

benefit doesn’t reach the public. We say that out of 100 rupees if only 25 paise (i.e out of one rupee

only ¼ equivalent of a paisa ) is spend to prevent corruption then at the place of 15 % , 100 %

benefit would reach to the public. For 62 years after independence we didn’t create an effective

corruption prevention system. And even today government seems to have no will power to do so.

Your ministers said that there are more than 1.25 crore state and central government employees. To

keep a vigil on the corruption on the corruption of such large employees would need many

employees. We ask you this will you for this reason will you give a free reign to these to perpetrate

corruption .Ours is a big country. We have many government employees and thus it is obvious that

to keep a vigil on the corruption of these we need many employees.

I humbly want to know from where you where should a common man go with his complaint against

corruption? Is it not the duty of your government to provide a solution to him? Today after 62 years

of independence if your government finds itself unable to rid the common man from corruption

then it is unfortunate.

In the eyes of the law corruption is as serious a crime as rape and murder. Today corruption is in the

vein of the government .If tomorrow incidents of murder and rape become as numerous as incidents

of corruptions are today, then will the government would have the same attitude? I am of belief that

it’s the first task of any government to get rid of society of the crime. Under no circumstances a

government can say that it is unable to get rid of the crimes and this would continue like this only.

Your government has to take solid steps against corruption. We are not ready for anything lesser

than .I am determined to find solutions to the common man problem of corruption. And for this I

and my team members are ready to offer the highest of sacrifice. Few ministers of your government

and certain high have threatened that if I go on fast from 16th august than our movement would be

crushed like the movement of baba Ramdev. Such statements from these high are unfortunate. They

are against constitution as constitution gives the basic right to the citizen of these countries to

peacefully assemble without arms and protest. This is the infringement of our basic right. But if still

your government crushes our movement we are ready for any situation. We are ready to court

arrest, to face lathicharge but under no circumstance we will hit back. Whole movement will be

peaceful.

We are ready for all sacrifices but we will not tolerate more corruption now.

It has been heard that your government will table the lokpal bill in the first week of August. It is our

request to you to present janlokpal bill in parliament. The current draft of government lokpal bill has

various flaws. Those flaws have been listed and are enclosed along with this letter. It (bill) must be

presented only after those flaws have been removed.

What parliament decides on that bill- we are ready to wait for parliamentary procedures to take

their course. But your government must atleast present a strong law in parliament. If all the flaws

enlisted are not removed and a strong lokpal bill not presented in parliament before 16th of august

then I would be left with no option but to sit for an indefinite fast.When I broke my fast on 8th of

April then I said that if government doesn’t pass a powerful law before 15th august then I would

again sit for fast from 16th august.

I have full hope that government respecting public sentiments would show the courage of

presenting a strong bill in parliament. I would wait for your answer.

Yours sincerely

Anna hazare