The mere passage of the Jan Lokpal Bill will do little to eliminate corruption. The common man himself aids and abets in corruption. If we are caught on the wrong side of the law, we bribe the police. If we need some clearance with incomplete documents, we are ready to bribe the authorities concerned. And then we complain about corruption. We can cut the stem of a plant. But it will grow again. Let us stop nourishing it.
Satyam Arora,
Gwalior
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I support Mr. Hazare and congratulate him on his success. But I don't believe that we can end corruption by passing the Jan Lokpal bill. We forget that we are also a part of corruption. We give money to get things done. If we stop bribing officers, touts, peons, etc., for our benefits, corruption will end immediately.
Yashsvi H. Chandra,
New Delhi
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Can a law root out corruption? Many laws are passed but how many are effectively implemented? Take the Dowry Prohibition Act, for instance. Has dowry been eliminated? It is easy to blame the government for corruption. Are we not to blame at all? It is we, the people, who should resolve that we will not bribe any official to get our work done.
Allampally Supriya,
Rajahmundry
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Let me clarify that I am a 29-year-old whom Anna Hazare has inspired. But I do not agree with the form and partly with the substance of his agitation.
There is no substitute for good people in governance. The promoters and supporters of the Jan Lokpal Bill and the public agitation to achieve it are profoundly misguided. No tighter law anywhere in the world will be able to address the issues relating to corruption. Our country has a plethora of laws. The existing processes are already too complex and beyond the common man's interpretational skills. Why create a new law? Are we trying a dangerous short cut?
Ajay Dave,
Mumbai
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Four days and the government agreed to all the demands put forth by Mr. Hazare. Irom Sharmila, the Iron Lady of Manipur, is yet to get her demands addressed despite 11 years of hunger strike. Is it fair to deny justice to her and the people of Manipur because she is not a popular symbol of protest?
Vivek Kumar,
New Delhi
