The bribe-giver is as guilty as the taker

The ongoing saga between Indian activist Anna Hazare and the authorities has thrown up two very important factoids: one, the UPA government has failed to gauge the pulse of the people and two, the people in their feverish sponsorship of Hazare have ignored a democracy's golden rule — that legislations are tabled and passed by a parliament elected by the people and not by individuals in civil society.

Herein lies the conundrum posed by activists, politicians and the common man. The important point to remember is that the much fought over Lokpal Bill — if passed by parliament — will not solve India's corruption problem. The onus for eliminating corruption lies with every individual. The bribe-giver is as guilty as the taker. This philosophy should trickle down to becoming part of the country's social consciousness. With the eradication of corruption, India will emerge as a more potent economic force globally and this is reason enough for every Indian to seize the day.