Biggest challenge for India is participative democracy: Prashant Bhushan

Moving towards a model of participatory democracy is the going to be a challenge for the social crusaders in the future. The biggest issue that has arisen from the Jan Lokpal bill debate is that of participative democracy, said senior counsel Prashant Bhushan at a function in the city on Sunday.

Since the proposed Lokpal bill put forward by the government does not conform to some of the important points put forward by the draft committee, including bringing the prime minister under its ambit, a referendum on the bill will be held in 10 constituencies across the country, including the constituency of Kapil Sibal — Jama Masjid in Delhi. In Karnataka, it will be held in Ananthkumar’s constituency in Bangalore South and in Veerappa Moily’s constituency of Chikkabalapur.

“We need to develop a model where people can participate in governance. But that is the next phase in the campaign against corruption. The real challenge in the future will be direct democracy but first there needs to be pressure to move the Lokpal bill,” said Bhushan, a member of the bill’s drafting committee.

He said that if the non-negotiable ones are not looked into, the indefinite fast by Anna Hazare will be staged on August 16. “In the standing committee, it can be discussed if the prime minister and the judiciary are in the purview of the Lokpal Bill. Besides that, all the other demands are non- negotiable,” said Bhushan.