Concern for India

Sharing hearts and minds, Yezdi Malegam, Justice Sam Variava, Jam­shyd Godrej and Anu Aga have joined heavyweights of the corporate world like Azim Premji, Deepak Parekh, Keshub Ma­hin­dra, N. Vaghul and other well-known citizens such as B. N. Srikrishna, Bimal Ja­lan, etc in penning a fervent plea to the government to tackle more vehemently the cancer of corruption plaguing India.

Clockwise from top left: Anu Aga, Jamshyd Godrej, Yezdi Malegam, Sam Variava

"We are alarmed at the widespread governance deficit almost in every sphere of national activity, covering government, business and institutions… Possibly the biggest issue corroding the fabric of our nation is ‘corruption.’ This malaise needs to be tackled with a sense of urgency, determination and on a war footing. There is a need for every state to have effective and fully empowered Lokayuktas (ombudsmen). The institution of Lokayuktas, vested with adequate powers, would go a long way in effecting the needed correction, as is evident from the example of Karnataka,” the letter states. (In Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh, the Lokayukta is the vigilance authority with a dedicated police force, with all powers for investigating the deeds of corrupt public servants.) "Apart from speedily installing independent Lokayuktas, it is essential that their investigative agencies and law-enforcing bodies should be made independent of the executive,” recommend the 14 eminent citizens who also want an early introduction of the Lok Pal Bill at the national level for "highlighting, pursuing and dealing with corruption issues and corrupt individuals.”

The group is deeply worried that India’s huge growth potential and poverty alleviation challenges will be diluted or digressed from. The time is also overdue, they believe, for the country’s elected representatives to distinguish between dissent and disruption, and for the differences in perception between the central and state governments to be resolved, particularly on critical issues like environmental concerns. "This letter is the beginning of our aim to develop specific actions and recommendations which shall be placed in the public domain from time to time,” notes the letter reproduced in The Indian Express, January 19, 2011. The citizens’ concern found front-page center space in The Times of India, January 18, 2011.

Of the signatories, chartered accountant Malegam is an RBI (Reserve Bank of India) director and an architect of key SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India) and RBI regulations. [The Malegam panel on microfinance institutions (set up by the central board of the RBI) made its recommendations in January, as reported in The Indian Express, January 20, 2011.] Variava is a retired Supreme Court judge, Godrej is the chairman of Godrej and Boyce Manufacturing Company Limited and Aga is the former head of Thermax Limited and a member of the National Advisory Council.