Lokpal Of India Celebrates Foundation Day: A Milestone In The Fight Against Corruption And Strengthening Democracy

Justice N.Santosh Hegde, former Judge Supreme Court of India and former Lokayukta, Karnataka, Padma Bhushan Anna Hazare, R.Venkataramani, Attorney General of India, Judges of the Supreme Court, Chief Justices of the High Courts, Judges of High Courts, Lokayukta of States, former and present Members of the Lokpal of India, Office Bearers of the Bar Council of India, Supreme Court Bar Association, Supreme Court Advocate on Record Association and Delhi Bar Association. Principal District and Session Judges and Additional District and Session Judges of Delhi Judiciary were present at the event. 

Padma Bhushan Anna Hazare joined the Commemoration through virtual mode.

Officers of various organisations like the CAG, CBI, CVC and CVOs of Public Sector undertakings were also present.

In his speech, the Chairperson, Lokpal of India, Justice A.M.Khanwilkar, while elucidating that the emergence of Lokpal of India is “a significant milestone born out of a transformative Civil Society movement demanding an Ombudsman to Combat Corruption”. He said - “This day, 16th of January, is not merely a celebration of the establishment of the Lokpal as an autonomous, independent and sui generis institution. It is also about the portrayal of the resolute commitment of all the like-minded to the core values that form the very foundation of our democracy and espousing corruption free governance at every level.”. While emphasizing that “the Lokpal is a vital instrumentality, in the ongoing mission of eradication of Corruption in public offices, Justice Khanwilkar underscored that “The challenges before the Lokpal are ever evolving. Because the model of corruption is evolving. The nexus between politicians, bureaucrats, and business interests has only grown stronger. That warrants continued vigilance and timely and effective follow up cleansing mechanism. ………”

Speaking about the vision as to how the functioning of the Lokpal will, Justice Khanwilkar stated in his speech that multipronged strategies to strengthen the functioning of the Lokpal have been formulated. Such as, simplification of process of registering the complaint and making it stakeholder friendly, integration of State-of-the-art technology and systems to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of processes, harnessing Artificial Intelligence applications for efficient data management and analysis, prioritising the recruitment of personnel with specialised expertise including in forensic accounting and cyber investigation to address increasingly sophisticated nature of corruption, propagating increased collaboration with Anti-Corruption Bureau (CBI), Vigilance Commissions (CVC and CVOs ), other law enforcing agencies, and the Judiciary, for creating a cohesive and united front in the fight against corruption.

While acknowledging the importance of having an informed populace, Justice Khanwilkar further stated that “we believe that a society aware of its rights and enjoys ease of access to the institution meant to protect them is one step closer to creating an environment that will no longer tolerate corruption”.

Vouchsafing to have a corruption-free Bharat, the Chairperson assured that the Lokpal will continue to expand its reach, improve the processes, and strengthen the public's trust in the institution.

Thereafter, Justice N.Santosh Hegde and Mr. R.Venkatramani were felicitated by the Chief Guest. Whereas, Padma Bhushan Anna Hazare was felicitated byMr.  Binod Kumar, Under Secretary, Lokpal of India at Ralegaon Siddhi on behalf of the Chief Guest.

While underscoring the contribution of Padma Bhushan Anna Hazare of having led one of the largest public movements against the corruption in recent time, the CJI Sanjiv Khanna stated that Lokpal upholds the principle central to our democracy – that power must be wielded responsibly and government must adhere to ethics, accountability and transparency. He further stated that the Lokpal is paramount to our constitutional scheme as it provides an antidote to the poison of corruption, a menace that has plagued democracies worldwide. 

Read:Corruption A "Hydra-Headed Monster"; Anti-Corruption Efforts Should Be Seen As Efforts To Promote Democracy : CJI Sanjiv Khanna

A video film on the journey of the Lokpal exhibiting the evolution of the Lokpal and the way forward, prepared by the IT Section of Lokpal was also displayed on the occasion. It was followed by a short Documentary film prepared by Doordarshan projecting the working of Lokpal.