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PRESS RELEASE

 

“No Lokpal without Social Justice”: Thousands to march from Ambedkar Bhavan to Jantar Mantar on the 5^th of September 2011

 

This Public March is being organised by the Social Justice Forum on Lokpal comprising of various leading Dalit Rights organisations from the across the country. The march will take the following route:

 

Starting at 11.00 am from Ambedkar Bhavan, New Delhi

Culminating in a public meeting at 1.00 PM at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi

 

The Social Justice Forum on Lokpal (SJFL) comprising of Dalits and those in support of the cause of the Dalits and other marginalized communities, affirm that corruption in all its forms, expressions and ramifications has to be weeded out/rooted out and for the same an effective Lokpal at the centre and Lokayuktas in the states are necessary and even imperative.

 

It is very shameful and even shocking that Corruption is omnipresent in every fabric of our power structure especially in the inequalities that determine social, political and economic processes. Corruption in both public and private domains is a matter of great concern for all citizens, very particularly Dalits, Adivasis and other marginalized communities which bear the brunt of all forms of corrupt practices that include discrimination, exclusion, and denial of access to rights, entitlements and human dignity. But the current definition of corruption reflected in all the prevalent versions of the Lokpal bill does not address the real forms of corruption which affect these communities on a day to day basis.

 

The Public March on the 5^th of Sept will demand that the constitutional safeguards for Dalits, Adivasis, OBCs, Religious Minorities and Women should be respected and incorporated in the final draft of any anti corruption bill that is debated and finally put to vote in the parliament. This bill should ensure proportional representation of all marginalised communities and groups in the selection committee as well as in the final authority that is formed.

 

We also urge that the various versions of the Lokpal Bill drafted by various groups, require detailed discussion, debate and public scrutiny before it is enacted as law. We urge that Lokpal Bill is a very serious issue and it should be discussed in an open and transparent manner in order to ensure the diverse opinons of all stakeholders.  We believe that the Parliament and the Standing Committee are important constituencies in creating this space.  Any hasty and haphazard decision and enactment of the bill will only deepen the inequalities in society and pose a threat to our constitution and our democratic polity. 

For further information please contact Beena J Pallical at 9958797404 or email [email protected]