How the deadlock was broken

The deadlock between the government and civil society activists over a notification on a joint committee to draft the Lokpal Bill was broken with the law ministry advising Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that such a course of action is feasible. In a letter to the PM on Friday morning, law minister Veerappa Moily said that while there is no precedent for a government order for a joint committee at the Centre this can be considered, an extraordinary situation warranted an out-of-ordinary solution. The official reluctance to issue a notification, as insisted on by the Anna Hazare campaign, was delaying resolution of the crisis despite the PM not being keen to prolong the standoff. The law ministry’s view helped break the logjam and give a push to negotiations. As Hazare’s fast at Jantar Mantar entered its fourth day concern about the stir becoming less amenable to a resolution as it gathered momentum grew in the government. A meeting called by the PM on Friday afternoon set talks with activists on course. The order, dated April 8, was finally readied just before midnight. It states a “joint drafting committee” will comprise five nominees of Hazare and five ministers. The government nominees are finance minister Pranab Mukherjee, as chairperson, home minister P Chidambaram, telecom minister Kapil Sibal, minority affairs minister Salman Khursheed and Moily. Well known lawyer Shanti Bhushan will be co-chair and other members are Prashant Bhushan, Arvind Kejriwal, Santosh Hegde and Hazare. Ahead of an evening meeting with Hazare’s representatives, the government’s negotiating team was expanded to include Salman Khursheed and Moily besides Sibal.

Difference of opinion has cropped up among the civil society groups over the inclusion of father-son lawyers duo Shanti Bhushan and Prashant Bhushan in the committee to draft the Lokpal Bill. Yoga guru Baba Ramdevasked in Haridwar why there was nepotism in the committee of civil society. Hazare, however, disagreed with him. He said: “Nothing wrong in having two members of the same family in the panel. We need experience. We need expertise”. Another leading civil society activist Arvind Kejriwal said “it is a coincidence that they are father and son. But they are experts, they are very experienced and independent lawyers”.