Lokpal Bill: We need to think and debate not just march out on streets

At least those of us who have been trained to think should really try to think various issues related to the ongoing clamor about the Lokpal bill in India, instead of just blindly supporting a bunch of self-proclaimed representatives of the 'civil-society'.

While it is great that some people in India are taking interest in they way the politicians and the bureaucrats have been running the country and are willing to sacrifice their life for the cause.  But we should ask ourselves if this is the way we want to run the country where laws are made because some one (Anna Hazare) is threatening to kill himself? If so then why we are ignoring so many others who are protesting in the similar vain? Media is completely devoted to the cause now and Anna Hazare is projected as the savior the country and as if there is no other news. But clearly Anna Hazare is not India and India is much bigger than that?

We should once really think about the following:

• What this Lokpal bill is and why since its inception in 1969 it is still not implemented? Is it only the political unwillingness or are their some inherent problems with this concept which are specific to the Indian context?
  
• Is it going to solve the problem India as a country is facing?
  
• Is it the kind of beginning we want to (re)solve national issues?
  
• How correct Anna Hazare's methods are?
  
• To what extent we are ready to compromise democracy and the institution of parliament?
  
• Are we really ready for the meritocracy that the so called 'civil society' is trying to introduce in name of the Lokpal?
  
• Can Lokpal really change things on small time scales when this new institution is expected to work with the existing police and judiciary? If not how are we going to change the executive arms of the Lokpal?

There are many similar and pertinent questions and instead of just sitting with a man who is really low of glucose and is certainly not in a position to think for himself, or agreeing to the ideas and fancies of some self-proclaimed representatives of the 'civil-society', we would do better service to the cause by thinking about the associated issue and contributed to a better Lokpal bill. Those of us who have read various versions of this bill understand its shortcoming and more brains can only help us better structure the bill.