Is the world’s largest democracy yielding to politicians before its citizens?

[xchrom]

http://blogs.reuters.com/india/2011/08/02/is-the-worlds-largest-democracy-yielding-to-politicians-before-its-citizens/

One would think India would be able to have a parliament worthy of its name to represent the world’s largest democracy.

But for many civil society activists, who have championed an anti-corruption campaign for months in the wake of government scandals, the Congress party’s ruling coalition is doing its best to water down a potentially game-changing anti-corruption bill which is slated to be brought to parliament during the ongoing monsoon session.

The Jan Lokpal Bill (citizens’ ombudsman bill), propagated by septuagenarian Gandhian social activist Anna Hazare, aims to form an independent, powerful institution to prevent corruption by prosecuting top officials.

However, the draft of the bill which the cabinet approved last week has, in line with the government’s wishes, omitted the prime minister, the judiciary and bureaucrats from prosecution while they are serving in office.

[marmar]

1. k/r

India seems to be a Kabuki democracy, much like the United States.

[xchrom]

2. kind of hard to resist the comparison. nt