Democracy has established itself as the most preferred form of governance. May be due to its popularity or wider acceptance, democratic governments have transformed into complex forms, often defeating the very idea of Democracy (rule of the people). One area in which democracy has lost its charm and even its meaning is in the selection, functions and conduct of the elected representatives.
In its native formats, elected representatives were meant to be accomplished members of the society, who would willingly set aside a fixed period of time from their otherwise gainful activity to serve the State and would step aside once their term is complete and return to their normal business or professional life. Elected representatives came to be called public servants, as they were rendering their services for the cause of the public.
But this idea has been sabotaged, distorted and mutilated by those who found politics as the best form of business with assured multiple returns with zero investment and nil efforts. That’s when this ‘public service’ became a good business, with this kind of profitable outcomes many undesirable elements such as criminals, black marketers, vagabonds entered politics. In some cases, the whole family or even the extended families became professional politicians.
At a time when politics have reached the peak of evil, a review in retrospect might save some finer elements of democracy, still buried underneath in this mountain of corruption, crime, immorality and injustice.
Politics as a choice business or profession has become a reality, a comparative review with other contemporary profession is not inappropriate.
Every business needs an initial investment and so is any profession in the form of its educational/training expenses. Then it also requires efforts and the outcome or success often depends upon the nature and amount of effort one puts in. Not so in politics, initial effort is nil, one is just being lucky to be born into a (political) family or has otherwise gained notoriety or fame by crime, gondagiri or has caste or political connections , with few exceptions . One does not invest or spare efforts to be in politics, comparable with any profession or business.
In any business or profession, while in the process of earning one’s income, one automatically, even unknowingly gives back to the organisation, society or community a larger benefit. If it’s goods, these goods are bought by consumers for their beneficial use, so are services, be it medical, engineering etc. In the ultimate analysis society is either directly or indirectly benefitted, while one is earning one’s own income. This does not happen in politics. The politicians derive various kinds of benefits from society apart from his official salaries and allowances, he derives huge benefits, often illegal or unethical.
There is no return benefit to the community, society or State from a politician. Of course the politicians are fond of boasting of all that they are doing, but all these are done with the tax payers money and could very well happen without the politicians being there or may be better without them as the costs would be much less and efficiency of governmental work much better and faster.
Any businessman or professional, would certainly agree that if there is no equilibrium between, the benefits earned by the individual and the benefits to the community, the business will collapse or the profession will disintegrate or sooner or later face natural death of the enterprise. It is therefore pertinent to any such activity that sustainability and equilibrium are maintained. These economic imbalances are minor and miniscule compared to the whoopingly huge amount of tax payer’s money spent on politicians, their meetings, travels within and outside the State, amounts spend on political propaganda and so on.
Can a developing country like India, with decades of deficit budgeting and millions below poverty line and huge unemployment, afford such a luxury as the flamboyance of contemporary politicians?
It is time that before the economic backbone of the country breaks and country disintegrates, to debate on alternative forms of Democracy or at least modify the role of politicians in the governance of the Nation.
One immediately achievable goal is to set up by law an All India Political council, like the Bar Council of India, Medical Council of India, or the Engineering Council, Pharmacy Council , Nurses Council etc.
Mainly to lay down ethical standards of conduct for politicians and a set of professional regulations, in the conduct of their business of politicking. This may at least prevent the present syndrome of mass crossing over defeating the very essence of people’s mandate.
India has a tradition of selecting and training various super intelligent, highly qualified and competent personnel into various government service cadres such as IAS, IPS, IRS etc, a British tradition but followed effectively. These personnel, by their intelligence, qualification, training and competence are more than adequate to govern this nation. But under the scheme of governance, they are subordinates to the elected representatives such as ministers, or chairperson of some boards, or PSUs, and have become mere puppets in the hands of these elected representatives. For fear of their career or safety, they often succumb to politicians demands.
It’s time to liberate this qualified and competent civil service personnel from the yoke of the politicians and political parties.
To ensure that the nation is governed according to Rule of Law and that justice and fairness prevails all over the country, politicians should be assigned the role of monitoring the outcomes of public governance at various levels –village, taluka, zilla/district, State level and so on. The politicians should report any non-fulfilment or aberrations to the house of the people. This way politicians will have an active role first of all in laying down policies and guidelines through an elaborate budget presentation exercise, periodic monitoring of the government works again in the house of the legislature. By this, not only that the States will be governed better but politicians will be able to exercise their true role as legislatures as much as possible and as frequently as possible. Besides all these, corruption will at least minimize when the politicians realise that their personal benefits are now out of the reckoning. Be it allotting contracts or approval of projects etc.
We are now at the stage of ‘Who will bell the cat?’
Will our politicians come together to enact a suitable law, to save the nation?
Rider: There are of course few politicians, who are genuine and honest but they are so few and scattered mentioning some will be at the risk of ignoring others. Hopefully they begin voicing their concerns, beyond their party’s interests.
(The writer is a Professor of Law & an Education consultant)
