Are all politicians bad and cannot be trusted?. Review on Lok Sabha

GO THRU THIS,SAYEED

A mature democracy does not allow excessive concentration of power in any agency. It is said that the United States has the largest number of final decision makers in a country. Power is dispersed horizontally and vertically, and there are checks and balances everywhere. 80% of the real power in India is concentrated in the hands of the DM of the district, CM of the state and the PM. However wise and worthy these functionaries may be, this power has to be dispersed, exercised transparently and made accountable.

Now, are all politicians bad and cannot be trusted? Far from that. Politicians have an extraordinarily difficult job to do in a complex society. They reconcile conflicting interests, and make difficult choices in the face of unlimited wants and limited resources. If healthy skepticism degenerates into revulsion of politics, democracy is endangered. What we need is more politics, not less; more democracy, not less.

We need to understand the primacy of politics in a democracy, and appreciate the compulsions under which politicians work today. Unthinking invective, and hasty judgment make us, a part of the problem. The cost of elections is skyrocketing. The Saidapet assembly byelection in Tamilnadu is reported to have cost over Rs. 10 crore!(year-2002) Byelections to Kanakapura, in Karnataka, Vuyyur, Medak and Siddhipet in AP entailed astronomical expenditures. In order to sustain themselves, governments and parties have to pander to the whims of legislators elected at exorbitant expense. Any major party which attempts to break the unwritten rules has to pay the penalty.

The cadre and ideology-based left parties are the only significant exception. But they too are facing problems of poaching and defection in some states. Parties are torn between their desire to please the public, and their need to appease their legislators and cadres. No wonder, they attempt to run with the hares, and hunt with the hounds. It is easy to sit in judgment of politicians. Real reform is possible only when we understand the nature of our electoral system, and approach the political process with great respect and sympathy.

Then how will change come? Unsustainability of status quo is forcing change. The license raj and kleptocracy of the 70's are much harder to sustain today. And yet, politics has become far more expensive, demanding evermore returns. Meanwhile media are more aggressive, and communications revolution brings the scandals and scams to our drawing rooms instantly. All this presages fundamental change. If we understand the nature of the problems, and focus on the solutions, this transition will be less painful and more orderly. We need to bring back glory to politics, not undermine the political process further. A Musharaff will not provide a solution; he will add to our problems. The greatest asset we have is democracy. In our exasperation, if we look for a knight on a white horse, we will have discarded our most precious possession, our liberty. Equally, the politicians must seize the opportunities for political reform, not resist even the slightest improvements for fear of exposure and loss of patronage.They should stop behaving like frightened animals in a cage.

BYE

Vrushali

Student of Media