Round Table Conference on Lokpal in Delhi

New Delhi: 22nd April, 2011
Distinguished citizens drawn from diverse fields of public life are gathering at India International Center on Sunday (April 24, 2011) to hammer out a consensus on mechanisms to combat corruption in the country.The Lok Satta, Center for Media Studies, Foundation for Democratic Reforms and Transparency International are organizing the Round Table in the wake of the Union Government constituting a joint committee of civil society representatives and of the Government to draft the Lok Pal Bill.It may be recalled that the Government decision followed an indefinite fast by social activist Anna Hazare early this month. The fast triggered a nation-wide upsurge for the creation of an independent and robust Lokpal to eradicate corruption which has become all pervasive, monumental, and chronic.
Citizens with rich and varied experience in judiciary, legal profession, constitutional authorities, anti-corruption agencies, civil society movements, and media are taking part in the Round Table. Significantly, civil society members on the Lok Pal joint committee too will be taking part in the Round Table.
As a galaxy of eminent and experienced thought leaders and institution builders are coming together in the Round Table, it will provide a platform to reconcile many different perceptions and resolve issues and pave way for a robust, independent anti-corruption institution in the country.
In a media statement released here today, Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan the coordinator of the Round Table said that although there is unanimity on the need to constitute a strong and effective Lokpal there are genuine differences among its proponents on the contours of the institution.The Round Table, during a daylong session, will grapple with the contentious issues, work out a consensus, and present it to the Prime Minister and his concerned colleagues, and leaders of all parties in Parliament.Dr. JP said in his statement, “We are at a historic turning point in our struggle against corruption. Let us not stray away from the straight, narrow, and arduous path by slinging mud at each other and defeat the very purpose for which the entire nation has risen as one man.”
Regards,Surendra Srivastava
Volunteer - Lok Satta Aandolan

LOK SATTA MOVEMENT - People Power

List of invitees for Round Table on Lokpal on 24th April 2011 in Delhi

1. Justice MN Venkatachaliah, Former Chief Justice of India
2. Justice JS Verma, Former Chief Justice of India
3. Justice Santosh Hegde, Former Supreme Court Judge & Karnataka Lokayukta
4. Justice Rajindar Sachar, Former Chief Justice - High Court of Delhi
5. Justice Mukul Mudgal, Former Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court
6. Sri Fali S Nariman, Distinguished Indian Constitutional jurist & Senior advocate to the Supreme Court of India
7. Sri Soli Sorabjee, Former Attorney General of India
8. Sri Ram Jethmalani, Former Law Minister of India & a Senior advocate of Supreme Court
9. Shri Shanti Bhusan, Former Union Law Minister & Well Known Supreme Court Advocate
10. Anil B Divan, Sr. Advocate Supreme Court
11. Sri Prashant Bhushan, Advocate Supreme Court
12. Sri Ashok Arora, Advicate & Former Secretary Supreme Court Bar Association
13. Sri Sanjay Parikh, Advocate Supreme Court
14. Admiral RH Tahiliani, Former Chief of the Naval Staff
15. Sri B B Tandon, Former Chief Election Commissioner of India
16. Sri N Gopalaswami, Former Chief Election Commissioner of India
17. Sri JM Lyngdoh, Former Chief Election Commissioner of India
18. Sri TS Krishnamurthy, Former Chief Election Commissioner of India
19. Sri P Shankar, Former Chief Vigilance Commissioner
20. Sri Pratyush Sinha, Former Chief Vigilance Commissioner
21. Sri Prakash Singh, Former Director General BSF, DGP UP and Assam,
22. Dr R.K.Raghavan,, Former Director, CBI
23. Dr. Trinath Mishra, Former Director, CBI
24. D.R.Kaarthikeyan, Former Director, CBI
25. Dr Kamal Kumar, Former Director, National Police Academy
26. Sri C Anjaneya Reddy, Former DGP Andhra Pradesh
27. Sri PS Ramamohan Rao, Former Governor Tamil Nadu
28. Sri Julio Ribeiro, Indian Ambassador to Romania & Former DGP Punjab
29. Sri BR Lal, Former DGP Haryana and Jt. Director CBI
30. Smt Kiran Bedi, Social Activist & Former Police Officer
31. Sri K.N. Govindacharya, Thinker and Ideologue
32. Shri Anna Hazare, Social activist
33. Dr. Subramanian Swamy, President of Janata Party & Former Law Minister of India
34. Dr Jayaprakash Narayan, Ex- IAS, MLA – AP, General Secretary, Foundation for Democratic Reforms & Founder of Lok Satta and Lok Satta Party
35. Sri Sudesh Agarwal, President of Smast Bhartiya Party.
36. Sri TSR Subramanian, Former Cabinet secretary
37. Sri Naresh Chandra, Former Cabinet secretary
38. Sri V. Ramachandran, Former Chief Secretary to Govt & Joint Secretary to Prime Ministers (Smt. Indira Gandhi and Shri. Morarji Desai), Chairman, Centre for Management Development
39. Sri P.S. Bawa, Chairman, Transparency International India
40. Ms Maja Daruwala, Director, Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative
41. Sri Wajahat Habibullah, Chairman , National Commission for Minorities,
42. Ms Aruna Roy , Ex-IAS, Member NAC , Social Activist of MKSS
43. Shri Harsh Mander, ex- IAS, Member NAC & Centre for Equity Studies,
44. Smt. Vineeta Rai, Member Secretary, 2nd ARC
45. Dr Bhaskara Rao, Chairman, Centre for Media Studies
46. Sri Shekar Gupta, Editor In Chief – Indian Express
47. Sri B.G.Verghese, Former Editor, Indian Express and Hindustan Times
48. Sri K C Sivaramakrishnan, Former Secretary to Government of India
49. Sri Pratap Bhanu Mehta, President & Chief Executive - Centre for Policy Research
50. Ms Madhu Kishwar, a leading feminist, and editor of Manushi (a Journal devoted to human rights and women's rights issues)
51. Prof Yogendra Yadav, Social Scientist
52. Sri Subhash C Kashyap, Member of the National Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution and Chairman of its Drafting and Editorial Committee. Former Secretary General Loksabha
53. Sri VA Pai Panandiker, Academy of International Education
54. Sri N Ram, Chairman and Editor in-chief The Hindu
55. Smt Indu Jain, Chairperson, Chairperson, Times Foundation,
56. Smt. Shobhana Bhartia – Chairperson, Hindustan times
57. Sri PARANJOY GUHA THAKURTA, SENIOR JOURNALIST
58. Sri. Priteesh Nandi, President, Centre for Civil Society
59. Sri Shailesh Gandhi, Central Information Commissioner
60. Dr. Mridula Mukherjee, Director Nehru Memorial
61. Dr. R. Balasubramaniam, Founder, Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement,
62. Shri Aravind Kejariwal, Social Activist, Parivartan
63. Sri Nikhil Dey. Social Activist, Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan,Rajasthan
64. Sri K. K. Jaswal, Social Activist, Common Former Rajya Sabha Member & Columnist
65. Sri Parth J. Shah, Causes
66. Sri Sukumar Muralidharan, International Federation of Journalists
67. Sri Shekhar Singh, Working Committee Member, National Campaign for People’s Right to Information (NCPRI)
68. Sri Venkatesh Nayak, Programme Coordinator, CHRI
69. Smt Devaki Jain
70. Sri Surendra Srivastava, Board Member, Foundation for Democratic Reforms & Founder of Lok Satta and Lok Satta Party in Maharashtra and In charge of promoting Lok Satta Aandolan / Party across India.

Mubarak's detention extended

Ousted Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's detention has been extended by another 15-day, amid reports that the authorities are mulling sending the former strongman to jail or to a prison hospital.

Public prosecutor Abdel Maguid Mahmud Friday ordered extension of Mubarak's detention for further 15-day as a team of investigators went to the Red Sea resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh to question the toppled president who is undergoing treatment at a hospital there, official news agency MENA reported. The renewal of his detention comes in the backdrop of Mahmud ordering a probe into Mubarak's role a deadly crackdown on protesters and corruption. The former president was first remanded to custody on April 15.

"The state prosecutor has decided to renew the detention of ex-president Hosni Mubarak for questioning... effective when his last detention period expires," the agency said.Mubarak's extension of detention comes as the authorities ordered a medical team to rush to Sharm el-Sheikh to ascertain the former president's health condition to have him transfered to Tora prison or to a prison hospital.Earlier this week, a government judicial panel had fixed "ultimate responsibility" on Mubarak for use of brutal force to suppress the popular uprising against him, which led to his stepping down from power after 30-year of rule.The panel comprising serving judges had said that at least 850 people had been killed in three weeks of country wide protest in Egypt since January 11, almost double the number previously banded by Mubarak and his associates.There have been conflicting reports on the state of health of the former president and the reason for his hospitalisation, but the state news agency yesterday reported that the 82-year-old former strongman's health was unstable.
Arab media reports said Egyptian authorities had ordered preparations to be made at the hospital in Tora prison, south of the capital Cairo to house Mubarak.His two sons, Alaa and Gamal and several of his former ministers and senior aides are already lodged in the prison complex on various charges as part of a sweeping probe into corruption and abuse of office.