The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Law-breakers cannot be lawmakers, says Vittal

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Nov 08, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Law-breakers cannot be lawmakers, says Vittal

By Our Staff Reporter

CHENNAI, NOV. 7 At a meeting in the Law College, the former Chief Vigilance Commissioner, N. Vittal, opened the topic for discussion: that corruption thrives on lack of integrity, and that to weed it out, there should be rule of law. The meeting, attended by law students, was organised by Yuva Shakthi, a voluntary organisation working for the development of youth, and Sri Krishna Sweets.

Stressing that the rule of law is the symbol of a modern developed society, Mr. Vittal said law-breakers should not be made law-makers. He said at least one-fourth of the Members of Parliament had criminal cases against their name. The extent of black money in the country, he said, amounted to about 40 per cent of the gross domestic product and political parties thrived on money from this source. Evasion of taxes was also a common phenomenon , he added.

Calling on students

Mr. Vittal said inadequacy of legal provisions sometimes handicapped anti-corruption movements. He cited the example of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, which was related to handling the proceeds of scheduled crime, as described under the Indian Penal Code, the Prevention of Corruption Act, the Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, the Prevention of Atrocities Against Women Act and the Arms Act. The list of scheduled crime, Mr. Vittal said, did not include other offences such as Income Tax evasion. He called on the students to look for loopholes in the laws and suggest measures to make them foolproof.

Some students asked Mr. Vittal how corruption at all levels could be fought. Others opined that Communism was the best answer to corruption as it involved "equal distribution of the cake among people." Mr. Vittal replied that while keeping in mind equal distribution, the cake could be made bigger to bring in prosperity among people.

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