Reforms sans violence possible, says Lok Satta leader

Hyderabad, Aug 3 (UNI) The Lok Satta Movement has demonstrated that political reforms could be brought about without resorting to violence, Lok Satta Convenor Jayaprakash Narayan today said.

Delivering the Foundation Day Lecture on the movement which completed a decade, Dr Narayan said there was no need for bandhs and rasta rokos in a democratic setup.

Colonial-era tactics had no place in Independent India in which people elected their own governments. Problems could be resolved and poltical reforms and improvement in governance could be effected through peaceful and constructive dialogue, he opined.

The Lok Satta had succeeded in initiating reforms in funding of political parties, limiting the size of ministries, tightening the anti-defection law and improving voter registration procedures, he claimed.

It was in the forefront of the campaign against the criminalization of politics and in the formulation of the Right to Information Act, the Former IAS Officer and Lok Satta Party Convenor said.

Dr Narayan said ''although the successes are significant, they are not sufficient.'' ''There are limits to what a movement can do. There is a wide chasm between what the Constitution decrees and what is actually practised.

''70 per cent of the people do not have growth opportunities although the Constitution promises equality. Unless there is a change in political culture, things can not be set right.

Lok Satta Party has been promoted to provide a platform to all those who would like to bring about a new political culture,'' Dr Narayan added.

He expressed confidence that his party would become a mainstream national party in the coming decade.

Lok Satta Movement Secretary Padmanabha Reddy said the movement would act as a facilitator and develop at least 100 villages in the state as model villages.

Dr Narayan released a special issue of the ''Jana Balam'' magazine to mark Loka Satta Movement's decennial celebrations.

UNI