Institutional credibility should not be eroded, says

Institutional credibility should not be eroded, says
President who wants cancer of corruption to be eliminated
New Delhi, Aug 14 (PTI) In an apparent reminder to civil
society activists campaigning for a "strong" Lokpal, Indian
President Pratibha Patil said Sunday there should be no effort
consciously or unconsciously to erode the authority and
credibility of institutions like Parliament even as she wanted
the cancer of corruption to be eliminated.
In the context of the campaign by social activists led by
Anna Hazare for an all-encompassing Lokpal bill as the means
to fight political and bureaucratic corruption, she said,
"There cannot be just one panacea or remedy to deal with it
(corruption) but a system of transparency and accountability
should be put in place at various levels and then effectively
enforced.
"Credibility of institutions depends upon their conduct,
which must be in accordance with the constitutional framework.
We should strengthen them and their ability to take corrective
actions, whenever required. There should be no no effort,
consciously or otherwise, that will lead to the erosion of
institutional credibility and authority," Patil said in her
Independence day-eve address to the nation.
The President's remarks assume significance in the
context of debate over Hazare's campaign for a Lokpal Bill he
feels is appropriate and the charge that he was ignoring
Parliament's authority over lawmaking.
Hazare is slated to go on an indefinite fast on August 16
in pursuit of a Lokpal that would cover the Prime Minister,
higher judiciary and conduct of MPs in Parliament besides
other provisions. He has rejected the government bill which
has kept these institutions out of its purview.
Patil said Parliament represents people from all parts of
the country and a broad spectrum of political thought.
"Its legislation is an outcome of collective thinking and
application of minds. Many path-breaking laws have been made
by Parliament of our country. New laws will also be formulated
by legislative bodies. There can be discussions, debates,
discourses among the people of the country for public opinion
to emerge, which is an essential input in a true democracy."
She said the different shades of opinion should be
channelised, through elected representatives for formulation
of necessary legislation. "We should not not forget that we
have to preserve the democratic values of our country, and for
this, healthy conventions of parliamentary procedures should
be upheld."
Hailing the initiatives of young MPs cutting across party
lines to work on issues like malnutrition, Patil said there is
possibility of other such issues which could be collectively
addressed by Parliamentarians belong to all political parties.
On corruption, she said, it was a cancer affecting the
nation's political, economic, cultural and social life and it
was necessary to eliminate it.
"Government, Parliament, Judiciary and society at large,
should ponder about this, and find out ways to handle it in a
manner that is practical, implementable and sustainable."
Making it clear that there cannot be just one panacea
for fighting corruption, the President said it would require
preventive and punitive measures as well as adoption of
rational approaches as the anti-corruption agenda is pursued.
"India is known for its sobriety and wisdom, balanced
and sensible thinking," she said and cited a Sanskrit shloka
to assert that anything in extreme should be avoided.
"We need strong institutions and we need good governance
in the country. Our institutions need to be fortified and our
governance constantly improved. We should analyse the
situation and find considered solutions to address the
challenges we are facing in a thoughtful manner," the
President said.
Patil said the constitution of the country has served
well. "The institutions created by it - the Executive, the
Legislature and the Judiciary - have been stable and have
achieved much. The separation of powers, the elaborate system
of checks and balances, have given our country a governance
structure in which equilibrium is maintained, when every
institution respects the field of responsibility of the
others.
"We can be proud that we all belong to a country, that
has proved its greatness through values, which have found such
a wide resonance."
She said it was a moment of pride for the people for the
of the country which has proved its greatness through values
and found such a wide resonance.
"We, as the inheritors of that great legacy, carry a
responsibility to stand by truth and justice; to continue to
conduct ourselves, in a manner that is in consonance, with
India's standing, as a progressive and responsible country,
where values of democracy, harmony and tolerance are deeply
embedded," she said.
The President said while the nation Sunday stood at a
threshold, there were many important issues that need to be
focused on and stand guard of not straying away from main
objective.
"This is a time for introspection, a time to take
well thought out measures, and to prepare well for the future.
There have been occasions earlier, when confronted with many
questions, we did find answers. The real strength of a nation
is judged not by the challenges it faces, but by its
responses.
"Therefore, as we analyse, make policies, legislate,
implement schemes and enforce laws, we must not, forget that
the purpose of all our efforts is to move on the path of
progress while ensuring that morals and ethics in our society
do not get eroded," she said.