CAG weighs in: Civil society must fight corruption,govt won’t

The CAG called for a “paradigm shift”,from the old paradigm of government action and civil society inaction,to one wherein the ultimate stakeholder takes upon himself the responsibility of improving the quality of governance. “That (earlier) model has failed. It will not deliver by itself,unless you and me make it deliver,” the CAG said.

“The idea of bringing civil society to the fore — the time has come to ensure that you motivate and make its voice credible so that it is heard,” Rai said,referring to the “kind of things being discussed at Jantar Mantar”.

He said that in the new paradigm,the responsibility of the government becomes that of enacting law and that of the citizens,civil society groups,opinion leaders and the media,to ensure the enforcement of these legislations. “In doing so,we will all be providing an element of vigilante which will keep government on its toes.”

Calling upon the people to “debunk the theory of a silent majority”,Rai said that speaking up will ensure the introduction of ethical governance. “It is this majority which will have to take courage and challenge the wrong doers in government and ensure that a government functionary actually performs as a government servant and not master of the citizenry. This majority can no longer remain silent,” he said.

When asked if he supported the kind of anti-corruption campaign initiated by Anna Hazare,Rai said: “He is a crusader,an activist. This is his way of protest. An activist,by definition,is adversarial,anti-establishment.”

There is a need to ensure that we don’t allow people in power to hijack government funds to areas that these are not meant for,Rai said. The silent majority,he pointed out,has indeed started raising its voice,citing the PIL in case of the CVC’s appointment,pursuit of the spectrum allocation case,relentless pursuit by the media in cases like the Jessica Lal murder and the unofficer-like behaviour of the Haryana DGP.

According to him,a vigilant public would insist on openness in government and assert their importance in the affairs of the state. “Public opinion can be shaped by civil society organisations and projected by the media. Civil society groups can be instrumental in raising the awareness of citizens and mobilising them in promoting public accountability,” he said.