Dr. JP sees a glimmer of hope in Lalu’s conviction

The conviction of Mr. Lalu Prasad Yadav, Rashtriya Janata Dal President and former Bihar Chief Minister, by a CBI court “gives some hope that the corrupt will be punished at long last,” commented Lok Satta Party national President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan today.

In a media statement, Dr. JP, however, pointed out that it took 20 years to finish the trial and appeals might take decades.

A CBI court on September 30 convicted Mr. Lalu Prasad and 44 others in the fodder scam dating back to the 1990’s.

Dr. JP said, “If 10 top politicians and officials are convicted in every State and their properties confiscated, we can reduce corruption.”

Dr. JP said the Lalu Prasad case exposes the political crisis in India. A product of the anti-corruption struggle and the Emergency, Mr. Lalu Prasad was the darling of media and masses in the 1990’s. Yet, he became a part of what is wrong. As Lalu had realized that ethical conduct and political power were unrelated to each other, he became a cynical practitioner of all unseemly methods in power politics – caste mobilization, sectarianism, patronage, corruption, polarization, short-term populism and criminalization.

“Mr. Lalu Prasad’s rise and fall are a symbol of a generation’s failure. We wasted three decades by delaying political & economic reform.

“In today’s India, honesty has become incompatible with power in politics. Good people have to quit politics or compromise on values.

“We need a system that makes honest, competent, committed persons electable. Right now they are a liability. Ethical and rational politicians should be seen as assets in a sensible system. We need the proportional representation system to change politics, and allow the entry and success of clean, rational and competent citizens in politics.

“Proportional representation at the top end, local empowerment at the bottom, and accountability everywhere – these are needed to cleanse our political system.

“Political reform, guaranteed service delivery, rule of law, opportunity for all and economic growth – these should be our mantras in the coming years. If we achieve them, our democracy will be safe, our youth will have a bright future, and our economy will prosper”.

(To know more about Dr. JP’s views on latest developments, please click www.twitter.com/jp_loksatta)