Edit: Stop the brinkmanship

The introduction of the Lokpal Bill and its immediate rejection by the Anna camp as well as the BJP makes it clear that we are nowhere near the consensus we would need if we are serious about a new system to discourage corruption.

Without a working relationship between citizens — if the Anna camp can be assumed to represent their sentiments — and the government, it seems both sides are engaged in a game of political brinkmanship, rather than a constructive engagement to evolve better mechanisms for citizens to hold public institutions accountable.

That a Muslim quota on the Lokpal bench became the bone of contention as soon as the bill was introduced suggests that every party is looking to score political points, seeing that the issue of corruption has found a resonance, at least in urban centres.

Protest movements around the world reflect a realisation that representative democracy alone cannot deal with the corruption that is built into our political systems. Governments must respond to this disillusionment in a credible way instead of trying to put out one fire after another. But perhaps the dissensions within the UPA preclude such statesmanship.

As citizens, we too must understand that there are no magic bullets to end corruption. The Anna camp cannot claim to have the perfect bill. They too need to show that their agenda is to work out a system that can be implemented; otherwise it will appear that they just want to bring down the UPA government. With neither side willing to meet halfway, governance will remain at a standstill in the new year.

This is worrying amid signs that the global economic downturn is affecting India’s growth.