Muslim Stand On Lokpal.

Muslim Community’s Stand on the Lokpal Issue

New Delhi, 24 August 2011: A broad-based consultation among Muslim organisations was held yesterday at the All India Muslim Majlis-e Mushawarat (AIMMM) Central Office to discuss and formulate the Muslim community's stand on the Lokpal issue. The meeting chaired by AIMMM President Syed Shahabuddin, was attended by representatives of Jamaat-e Islami Hind, Markazi Jamiat Ahle Hadees, All India Milli Council, Welfare Party of India, Muslim Political Council, Students Islamic Organisation and Lok Janshakti Party. A representative of the CPIM also took part as a special invitee. 

The Meeting decided that the Muslim community as a weaker section must fully support any movement to reduce and eliminate corruption in the country. It supports the idea that the proposed Lokpal should cover the political executive, including the Prime Minister and the higher Bureaucracy and the Legislators should also be brought under the purview of a strong and effective Lokpal. However, the community has reservations about the methodology adopted by Anna agitation which seeks to impose its draft of Jan Lokpal Bill on the country. The same method may be used tomorrow to pressurize the Government and the Parliament to concede unreasonable, even unconstitutional demands. Democracy demands Parliamentary supremacy in the field of legislation which should be based on national consensus emerging out of discussion and dialogue. No Committee or group or party can claim to have absolute wisdom or script the last word.

            

The Meeting was of the view that the creation of a single entity to fight all kinds of corruption at all levels is not a correct approach because such a mega authority, amounting to a super-government or a parallel government, will be impracticable and crumble under its own weight and breed new sources of corruption.

The Meeting agreed that corruption in judiciary should also be tackled but separately and for that reason it should not come under the purview of the common Lokpal. Its independence cannot be allowed to be undermined.

The Meeting also came to conclusion that lower bureaucracy should have a separate complaint-redressal system, which should be effective and be subject to monitoring by the Lokpal.

The Meeting demanded that the corporate sector, the NGOs, the professional classes and the mass media must also be made accountable through separate legal mechanisms to Lokpal-like controls.

The Meeting was of the view that the existing mechanism of Lokayukt, the CVC and the CBI should be strengthened and freed from government control.

The Meeting was also of the view that basic political and electoral reforms were essential, to create a corruption-free super-structure of governance.

Finally, the meeting stressed the need for creating social awareness and a transparent environment so that struggle against corruption becomes a common task of all enlightened citizenry.  

'Alaykum Salam.