Bills are to be introduced in Parliament to fight black money. Will they be enacted into law is anyone’s guess. There is a proposal of imprisonment of seven years or ten years for hiding assets in foreign countries. Will this take place after litigation of 14 and 15 years a la Lalu and Jayalalitha only to be out in a few days? Have we heard of the influential ever spending time in jails? Instead of facing prosecution by the law, the privileged and the entitled know they will be protected by the law. One more law is not going to help, if the authorities do not intend to seriously implement the same, without fear or favour. If government is serious about black money it should first make political parties come under the ambit of RTI and be transparent on their funding. Corruption and quid pro quo starts at their very door steps.
D C Dias, Taleigao
