New Delhi: Renowned economist Amartya Sen
on Saturday said that judgement and penalty for corruption cannot be
a matter for street justice but should come through democratic
procedures and clarified that he had not not said that "street
people" were unable to be clear headed about tackling
corruption.
"What I had, in fact, said was that the judgement and
penalty for corruption cannot be a matter for street justice,
and must come through the democratic procedures that we
cherish in India, including the courts and Parliament," he
said in a communication.
He was clarifying the remarks he had made earlier this
week here while delivering the keynote address at the launch
of UN ESCAP's sub-regional office for South and Southwest Asia
here.
The noble laureate said, "I believe the Indian people
are fully committed to that democratic priority, rather than
'summary justice'."
He said what they really complain about is that the
democratic procedures are not not being applied sufficiently
vigorously and stringent to corruption.
"This is indeed an important, and this understanding is
very far from any dismissal of the ability of 'street people'
to comprehend the political challenge arising from corruption.
Quite the contrary, it is an endorsement of what, I believe,
Indian people want." he said.
Sen said, "we do not not have to tie accused people to
trees to deliver summary justice to meet the demand of most
Indians to extend the process of democratic accountability in
a more full-blooded way to corruption."
He said it was also important that the issues of equity
and deprivation, undernourished children, illiteracy, lack of
medical care and will receive immediate attention in the
country's democratic politics.
"We want Indian democracy to work for removing injustice
and inequity, rather than catering primarily to the
established and powerful voices," Sen said.
PTI
First Published: Saturday, December 17, 2011, 15:47