on the proposed Lokpal

Readers will be aware of my views on what needs to be done to fight the challenge of black money, specially Indian black money abroad.

Now a friend, in a chat with me, makes the following observation: "Lokpal (is) the only thing that can bring slightest change in theaready doomed fate of ppl of Republic of Inida".

I responded: "Dear XXX, please don't say that! Young people should have more hope! And not only in a Lokpal, which could be either effective or ineffective depending on the people who are appointed to run it. I don't mean only the top people, but also all the others down to the chaprasis....if they are corrupt, or corrupted, how will Lokpal help? The essential dilemma was raised by the Roman poet Juvenal in the 1st or 2nd century AD: "Who will police the police?" In other words: agar Lokpal logon ki palan nahin karengen, to log kya karenge?". No. Lokpal is only a mechanism. It could work or it may not work. It is wrong to put too much faith in it. We have to put our faith in examining and resolving the basic problem, wihich is the character of our people, particularly our leaders (and the Lokpal will also be one of our leaders). The character of our people was based on social restraints and on spiritual resources. Social restraints have gone as society has become more mobile and social values have anyway changed and are still changing. And our spirituality (which was never very incorrupt anyway) has become itself even more corrupt.... So these are the things that need to be addressed. New spiritual resources need to be put in place, and new mechanisms of social guidance."