On January 17, 2011, we, a group of like-minded citizens deeply concerned with the state of affairs of the nation, addressed an open letter to our leaders. This letter focussed on four issues: one, growing governance deficit; two, galloping corruption; three, the need to distinguish between 'dissent' and 'disruption'; four, environmental challenges. The open letter received wide exposure in the public domain and was gene-rally perceived as being timely.
As mentioned in the first open letter, the aim of the group is to develop specific actions regarding the above-mentioned issues and place these in the public domain from time to time. It is in this context that we put forward our second open letter.
August 27, 2011 marked a high point by the historic debate leading to the 'Sense of the House' in Parliament on the Lokpal Bill. The event reinforced the inviolable primacy of the Indian Constitution. It was also an event of relief and reassurance to the vast and silent majority who constitute India's core civil society.
We support the need for the urgent passage of a well-crafted Lokpal Bill by Parliament. We, however, believe that the Bill is only one small but critical step in the national task of weeding out the plague of corruption. This draft Lokpal Bill is intended to address episodic corruption, but is unlikely to have any significant impact on day-to-day corruption which is insidious and demeaning.
We, the people, seem to have no recourse in our daily life which is vitiated by corruption in almost every sphere. Almost every interface of the common man with public officials is impaired by corruption, especially in the most routine transactions, such as the grant of 'pattas ' , issuing of birth/death certificates, utility connections and availing of entitlements. Similar cases of continuous daily harassment are widely faced by small and medium scale enterprises and numerous services and manufacturing entities.
The group wishes to put forward some issues which call for urgent attention and action to make reforms effective and have a positive and perceptible impact on citizens' day-to-day life.