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{Citizens’ Initiative feature}

A civil society group under the banner of Gandhian Satyagraha Brigade has given a call for a “corruption free India”. Read the press statement to know what they have to say.

GANDHIAN SATYAGRAHA BRIGADE

Lajpat Bhawan, Lajpat Nagar IV, Delhi 110024

Dear Fellow Citizens, Dear Brothers & Sisters,

Sub: Crusade for a corruption free India, commencing with the elimination of corruption & criminality from Indian politics.

We may introduce ourselves as a non-party, not for profit all-India organization of Gandhian persuasion, free from the scourge of communalism, casteism, regionalism and other divisible tendencies afflicting our country. Our membership consists of Freedom Fighters, Sarvodaya and social workers, retired High Court Chief Justices and Judges, Educationists, Senior Lawyers, Doctors, Engineers, Chartered Accountants, and retired IAS, IPS and other senior Civil and Defence Officers – all concerned citizens from Delhi and other regions of the country, with none interested in power or money, name or fame.

2. As you are no doubt aware corruption accentuates poverty, aggravates economic disparity, thwarts development, undermines democracy and is a threat to national security and, what is worse, destroys the moral fibre of the Nation.  Of the various forms of corruption rampant in our country, we regard the political corruption, in some of our modern day Rulers (Ministers, MPs, MLAs and Senior Bureaucrats) as a greater betrayal of the Nation. No surprise that India has been branded by reliable International and Indian institutions as one of the 20 most corrupt countries of the world. Our Supreme Court in its various judgements has termed the country’s corruption as a ‘plague’, ‘cancer’,  ‘aids’.

3.             Having realised that to clean a stair case we have to begin at the top and after an indepth study of the problem and consultations with experts, senior retired Judges, leading Advocates and fraternal NGOs, we formulated & presented to the Parliament and Prime Minister, our following three demands or remedial measures to eliminate political corruption for all time to come-

(I)  Appointment of a three member effective Lok Pal (National Ombudsman or Rashtriya Lok Ayukta) to adjudicate speedily the bonafide and serious complaints made on affidavits against Members of Parliament, Union Ministers and Chief Ministers. These complaints may relate to abuse of authority for personal or party gains, corruption, bribery, misuse of Government privileges and facilities.

(II)  Disqualification of candidates for election to Parliament and State Legislatures against whom serious criminal cases involving moral turpitude, filed six months before the election, are going on (as recommended by former two Chief Election Commissioners), unless there is a stay or order in restraint by the High Court concerned.

(III) Forfeiture of illegally acquired property of public servants and functionaries, as recommended by the Law Commission of India under the then Chairman, Justice B.P. Jeevan Reddy, as far back as February 1999. The Law Commission of India even sent a fool-proof draft bill for the purpose to the Law Ministry but no action was taken.

4. It is noteworthy that all the above three remedial measures were also recommended in unequivocal terms by the second Administrative Reforms Commission appointed by the UPA(1) Government in their ‘Report on Ethical Governance’ submitted in January 2007.

5. Our last ten years efforts by way of appeals, fasts, PILs and year long Satyagraha have been of no avail and all we have are promises and manifestos, never implemented so far. We have therefore sent our last appeal to all Members of Parliament & the Prime Minister, and if there is no positive response by the end of August 2010, we shall resume our Satyagraha in the Gandhian way (i.e. no shouting of slogans, no obstruction to traffic, no violation of any law & no hatred for the wrong-doers), from 1st September 2010, to continue upto 1st October 2010, culminating in indefinite fasts by me and a few of my colleagues from 2nd October 2010.

6. In addition to the programme for Good Governance and Anti-Corruption Division, we are also engaged in establishing three more Divisions of GSB for important constructive programmes viz.-

(i)     Economic Justice Division, (unfair economic inequality, disparity and exploitation; ostentatious consumption)

(ii)    National Unity and Harmony Division, (elimination of divisive tendencies based on religion, caste, language, region etc.) and

(iii)   Education Division, (promotion of moral & ethical education in Schools, rural vocational education & educational reforms).

7. In the uphill task we have undertaken, we need your help by joining us (a) as a Satyagrahi Member or (b) as a Supporting Member or (c) give us your blessings as a Moral Supporter. All payments only by a/c payee cheques favouring ‘Gandhian Satyagraha Brigade’. Kindly respond early on the enclosed reply paid card and oblige.

Thanking you and with best wishes & regards,

Yours sincerely,

for Gandhian Satyagraha Brigade

Shambhu Dutta

One ot the founder promoters of GSB, now its Advisor

(a freedom fighter of Gandhi Ji’s 1942 Quit India movement in his 92nd year)

Mahatma Gandhi: Corruption will be out one day, however much one may try to conceal it, and the public can, as its right and duty, in very case of justifiable suspicion, call its servants to strict account, dismiss them, sue them in a law court or appoint an arbitrator or inspector to scrutinize their conduct, as it likes.

Edmund Burke: All that is necessary for the forces of evil to triumph in the world is for enough good men to do nothing.

1.    Satyagraha is a tapasaya (penance) for truth; there is no room for untruth or violence in a Satyagraha.

2.    In Satyagraha, there is no enemy.

3.    A Satyagrahi knows no defeat.

- Mahatma Gandhi

MEMBERS OF THE WORKING COMMITTEE OF GANDHIAN SATYAGRAHA BRIGADE

1. Justice Kamleshwar Nath, Chairman GSB, former Judge, Allahabad High Court & Up-Lok Ayukta, Karnataka, Chairman, Gandhian Satyagraha Brigade.

2.    Shri R. Srinivasan  IAS (retd.), Vice Chairman GSB, former Union Health Secretary & former Chief Secretary, Bihar.

3.    Justice Rajindar Sachar, former Chief Justice, Delhi High Court.

4.    Admiral R.H. Tahiliani (retd.), former Chief of Naval Staff & former Governor of Sikkim, Chairman, Transparency International India.

5.    Dr. Y.P. Anand, former Chairman, Railway Board and former Director, Gandhi Museums.

6.    Shri M.G. Devasahayam, IAS (retd), former Administrator, Chandigarh.

7.    Shri B.R. Lall, IPS (retd.), former DGP, (Housing), Haryana & former Joint Director, CBI.

8.    Shri I.C. Dwivedi IPS (retd.), former DGP, UP.

9.    Shri R.K. Khandelwal  IPS (retd.), former DGP, CRPF.

10. Prof. Shoaib Azmi, Ph.D., Professor (retd.), Jamia Millia Islamia University.

11. Shri Prasannvadan Mehta, former Member of Lok Sabha from Bhavnagar for 12 years and Secretary, Servants of the People Society.

12. Shri Onkar Chand, Vice Chairman, Servants of the People Society, Chairman, SOPS (Chandigarh and Delhi Branches), and a Gandhian Sarvodaya worker.

13. Shri K.S. Sastry, Founder- Secretary, Gandhi Centre, Vishakhapatnam; a senior Freedom Fighter.

14. Prof. H.R. Dasegowda, Director, Gandhi Bhawan, Bangalore.

15. Ms. Radha Behn Bhat, Chairperson, Gandhi Peace Foundation, New Delhi.

16. Shri Bhagvanji Raiyani, President, Janhit Manch, Mumbai.

17. Prof Jagdeep Chhokar Professor (retd.), Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad and Founder Member, Assocaiton for Democratic Reforms.

18. Dr S K Agarwal, Vice Chairman, Transparency International India.

19. Shri Kishan Goradia, Senior Gandhian Worker Connected with Several Constructive Organisations, Mumbai.

20. Col. Karan Kharb (retd.), Author of books ‘Made to Lead’ and ‘Lead to Succeed’ among international bestsellers, worked for Gujarat Earthquake relief, Noida (Gautam Budh Nagar).

21.       Shri Shambhu Dutta (S.D. Sharma), Vice Chairman Emeritus, Servants of the People Society (Delhi Br) & Transparency Interna onal India; Hony. General Secretary, Gandhian Satyagraha Brigade.

OUR PROMINENT MORAL SUPPORTERS

(A)  Higher Judiciary:

1.     Justice R.C. Lahoti, former Chief Justice of India

2.     Justice Rajindar Sachar, former Chief  Justice of  Delhi High Court

3.     Justice Kamleshwar Nath, former Judge, Allahabad High Court & Chairman, GSB.

(B)   Members of Our People’s Lok Pal Commission

1.    Justice P.B. Sawant, former Judge of the Supreme Court, and former Chairman, Press Council of India

2.    Justice D.S. Tewatia, former Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court

3.    Justice S.N. Bhargava, former Chief Justice, Sikkim High Court and former Chairman, Assam Human Rights Commission

4.    Justice T.U. Mehta, former Chief Justice of Himachal Pradesh High Court

5.    Justice S.C. Verma, former Judge of Allahabad High Court and former Lok Ayukta, UP

6.    Justice M.F. Saldanha, former Judge of Maharashtra and Karnataka High Courts

(C)  Senior Jurists:

1.     Shri Soli J. Sorabjee, former Attorney General of India

2.     Shri Fali. S. Nariman (also former Member of Parliament)

(D)  Present & Former Governors:

1.     Shri N.N. Vohra, Governor, J&K

2.     Admiral R.H. Tahiliani, former Governor Sikkim

3.     Shri R.K. Trivedi, former Governor, Gujarat

4.     Shri O.P. Mehra, former Governor, Punjab

5.     Shri Govind Narain, former Governor, Karnataka

6.     Shri M.M. Rajendran, former Governor, Orissa

(E)   Vice Chancellors (Present & Former):

1.     Shri Rajasekharan Pillai, Vice Chancellor, Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU).

2.     Prof. K.K. Agarwal, Vice Chancellor, G.G.S. Indraprastha University, Delhi

3.     Prof. G.K. Chadha, former Vice Chancellor, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi

4.     Dr. Bimalendu Mohanty, former Vice Chancellor, Utkal University of Culture, Bhubaneswar, Orissa

5.     Prof. K.V. Ramana, Vice Chancellor Andhra University, Visakhapatnam (A.P.)

(F)   Gandhian Institutions & Gandhians:

1.     Ms. Radha Bhatt, Chairperson, Gandhi Peace Foundation, New Delhi

2. Sarva Seva Sangh, Varanasi, Shri Amarnath Bhai

3. Dr. Y.P. Anand, former Director, Gandhi Museums in India.

4.     Gandhi Seva Sangh, Sevagram, Wardha

5.     Gandhian Institute of Studies, Varanasi

6.     Shri Amrut Modi, Sabarmati Ashram, Ahmedabad, and 5 others.

(G)  Former Chief Commissioners

1.     Shri  N. Vittal, former Central Vigilance Commissioner

2.     Shri B.B. Tandon, former Chief Election Commissioner

(H)  Journalists

1.     Shri Kuldip Nayar

2.     Shri B.G. Verghese

(I) Former Union Government Secretaries

1.     Shri Kripa Narain

2.     Shri M.K. Kaw

3.     Shri R. Srinivasan

(J) Former Chief Secretaries of States

1.     Shri N.S. Sethi, former Chief Secretary, Madhya Pradesh

2.     Shri G.C.L. Joneja, former Chief Secretary, Orissa & former Director,  Lal Bahadur Shastri Academy, Mussoorie

3.     Shri R. Srinivasan, former Chief Secretary, Bihar

(K) Present & Former Ministers & MPs

1.     Shri Saifuddin Soz

2.     Shri Arun Shourie

3.     Shri George Fernandes

5.     Shri Sharad Yadav

6.     Shri A.B. Bardhan & 30 others.

(L) former Income Tax Commissioners

1.     Shri D.N. Chaudhari, I.R.S.

2.     Shri G.P. Garg, I.R.S.

(M) Retired Senior Police Officers

1.     Shri Trilok Nath, I.P.

2.     Shri I.C. Dwivedi, I.P.S.

3.     Shri R.K. Khandelwal, I.P.S.

4.     Shri B.R. Lall, I.P.S.

5.     Shri P.S. Bawa, I.P.S.

6.     Shri R.K. Kapoor, I.P.S.

(N) Retired Senior Defence Officers

1.     Army

(i)    Lt. Gen. Shekatkar

(ii)   Lt. Gen. Tejinder Jit Singh Gill

(iii)  Maj. Gen. B.K. Mehta

(iv)  Maj. Gen. Pran Nath

(v)   Maj. General J.N. Taimni

(vi)  Brig.  Kaicker

(vii) Brig. Sada Ram

(viii)         Brig. H.S. Kapur

(ix)  Brig. K.N. Sharma & 4 Brigadiers & 10 Cols. & Lt. Cols.

(2) Navy

(i)    Admiral R.H. Tahiliani, Chief of Naval Staff (retd.)

(ii)   Cdr Prakash Vasudeva

(iii)  Capt. C.M. Vyas

(3) Air Force

(i)    Air Chief Marshal, Arjan Singh

(ii)   Air Marshal, S.K. Sen

(iii)  AVM V.B. Batra

(iv)  AVM U. Khushlani

(O) Retired Senior IAS/IFS Officers

(In addition to those mentioned earlier)

1.     Dr. Bhupinder Singh, IAS

2.     Shri G.N. Mehra, IAS

3.     Shri M.N. Buch, IAS

4.     Shri Prem K. Budhwar, IFS

5.     Shri Saran Singh, IAS

6.     Shri V.S. Chaudhari, IAS

7.     Shri M.M. Khurana, IAS

8.     Shri O.P. Dube, IAS

9.     Shri D.K. Oza, IAS

(P) Special Mention

1.     Ms. Vimala Thakar

2.     Dr. S.N. Subba Rao

3.         Dr. Vinod Prakash, (NRI), U.S.A.