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Lets Get Ruled By Criminals...

So at long, long last our political classes do unite... wouldn't have thought it possible. Silly me. Of course they can unite; but this is for something important. Where is the need to unite for stupid, inconsequential and frankly pointless idiocies such as education, health, corruption, economic scenario et al? Now if you consider the really important deals and ideals like pay for politicians, or criminalisation of politics: and they will unite like a shot! Hey presto! Abracadabra: and before you can blink your eyes, unity! And who the hell says we have a divided house and a multiplicity of parties? Look around you now: you will find only one party! 

The main objection raised is that old familiar bit of nonsense: supremacy of parliament. And silly, stupid, idiotic, naive me thought that the people were supposed to be supreme, that Democracy was for the people, of the people and by the people. That politics was about serving people. That the political class exists to serve the people, to solve their problems, to run the country efficiently, to ensure equity for all, to ensure robust institutions in the country. How wrong could I be? Wow, man! And those civics books that I studied - who gave them the right to teach us that rubbish regarding of and for the people? What utter nonsense I mugged up to clear my civics courses in school! What a waste of time! Let us change that : politics is of the politicians, for the politicians, and by the politicians. Let us further change the meaning of Democracy, which will now mean "any system of government that the political class deems fit". Let us further stipulate that Democracy and Politics are interchangeable and synonymous. That is the reality, is it not? So why should we we learn such rubbish as Of The People, By The People and For The People? 

Let us also further stipulate that anyone without a conviction cannot enter Parliament; that you need to have a long criminal record to enter politics. How can a clean person tackle those ugly criminals that are rampant nowadays? How can a clean person run the country, with all its corruption, its massive problems? You actually need a bad man! (Oooooops, sorry Gulshan bhai... didnt mean you). That way, the decent and clean men can concentrate on trying to live and earn a living. Whether or not they succeed in their endeavours of earning and getting rich is another matter entirely. And the bribe givers can merrily bribe their way to all their needs and requirements. 

A Parliament is the highest body in a Democracy; the only means through which we people can exercise control on the Government. It is - or should be - sacrosanct. (Stupid thought, I know. Humour me, please). It befuddles my admittedly uneducated mind (uneducated in the finer aspects of politics mentioned above, at least) as to how criminals in this august place can be a benefit? I think I need a re-education along the line mentioned above. My hopes, my dreams of a clean political class lie in  tatters, torn to tiny shreds in the light of the efforts of our political class to fight the supreme court on this matter. 

And the people? What to say of them? Well, what is there to state? They (the people, that is) have been honed in the fine art of modern politics. The silence, as usual, is profound and total, the people uncaring. Maybe my education was wrong; maybe the problem lies with me, and people of my ilk - who dream of equality, equity, inclusive growth, clean politics, a great and thundering India, minimal corruption. Maybe we should stop expecting for all the above ideals and objectives...

Meantime, our critical parameters keep slipping on health and education. Meantime, our GDP growth keeps plummeting. Meantime, businessman after Indian businessman continues to take money for outside investments. Meantime, scam after scam continues to rock India. Meantime, infrastructure projects get jammed due to lack of investment paucity and corruption. Meantime, Indians continue to suffer malnutrition and poverty. Meantime, business confidence continues its downward spiral. Meantime... there will come a day when our international rating gets downgraded to junk; when we slip to the old 3-4% growth rate... 

Jaago Sonewaalon!
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