PM can't be under Lokpal
Judiciary doesn't like the RTI                     
Babus can't be touched                                 
The rest will wear Rupa baniyan to jump the queue
We just love...."The Rule of Exemptions"

Why is the centre so adamant at keeping the prime minister and several other functionaries of the government, judiciary and bureaucracy out of the purview of the proposed corruption watchdog?

The key question at the heart of the raging debate over the Lokpal Bill also forms the theme of the June 16-30 issue of our fortnightly magazine, Governance Now.

Perhaps it is not surprising that the stalemate over the Lokpal Bill between the members of civil society and the centre continued even after their eighth meeting on Monday. It has to do with the Rule of Exemptions that governs us. To give you a sneak peek into the cover story of the June 16-30, here is the introduction to the package:

The government wants to exempt the prime minister, judiciary, MPs and lower bureaucracy from the Lokpal bill. And considering that we are not even considering bringing big business into its purview, it will effectively mean that the Lokpal will extirpate corruption from the country by catching and putting away pickpockets.

What is this tendency that prompts us to make a law with 300 clauses and bring it crashing down in one insignificant sub-clause that exempts somebody or the other or gives discretion to some people? Why do we allow that sub-clause, that one little asterisk to turn every potent law into a sterile piece of legislation? Why do we Indians, specially our leaders, want to be exempt from everything? Why then do we make laws?

Of course, exemptions are not something only our leaders seek and get. When, as ordinary citizens we are denied exemptions, we try to arrogate them by derived power of attorney: my uncle’s son’s friend’s golf partner is the police commissioner, you know... We want exemption from standing in queue for the ration card, movie ticket and research the lineage of the Regional Passport Officer even before we download the passport form. And, of course, the ultimate exemption: a free pass to the cricket match or to the concert. It’s almost like the day begins over the morning cuppa by drawing up a list of all the exemptions we want for the rest of the day.

This enormous problem is what the following five essays attempt to understand and underscore:

Exemptions: Our most popular sport after cricket, page 16
- No right like right to exemption!, page 19
- The Law of Exemptions, page 20
- It’s all about govt’s discretion, you see, page 24
- When Baba Ramdev hired a ground for yoga, page 26

Get your copy today. Call Md. Neyaz at 8860901537 or Rajshekhar Chakrabarty at 9873739266.