Indian Democracy

I have always felt that Democracy is not best suited system of governance to India. Sheer size of population, the vast spctrum of diversity - religion, culture, regionality and language etc. - are bound to fail the deemed good purpose of Democracy. Added to this, India has a low percentage of literacy. We can only boast we are the biggest surviving democracy in the world; not its success. I will give below a couple of recent happenings at the highest governing body - the cabinet of ministers.

Shashi Tharoor, a member of the cabinet of ministers was abruptly asked to resign by the prime minister. Reason? Well, he tried to stash away a few crores of money via his new lady friend. The gentleman coolly resigned with out sound. I am not trying to justify what he did, but consider this: M. Karunanidhi, the octogenarian chief minister of Tamilnadu rushed to Delhi in wheel chair when pressure mounted on the prime minister to dismiss A.Raja from the cabinet, both from opposition and insiders for his dishonesty resulting in the Govt. revenue loss to the tune of a few thousand crores of money. Karunanidhi just reminded the prime minister that A.Raja is from Dalit community. The prime minister dropped the case; mission successful and the DMK leader returned back to Chennai with a smiling face. Loss of a few thousand crores is not a matter of concern to the elite ruling class in Indian democracy, but a few crores of black money being converted into white is. Why?

Did you know that Tharoor is a PhD. from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and has the distinction of getting a doctorate at the age of 22, the youngest in the history of the prestigious Institute. Perhaps A. Raja's only qualification seems to be a dalit leader with a regional mass base, and no party seems to dare questioning a dalit in this Democratic set up. Tharoor with his vast experience of being an International diplomat for many years would have been an asset in the cabinet. But who cares?

The second case is of Jairam Ramesh. He was summoned by the prime minister and told point blank that he should not interfere with ministries other than his. His sin? Well, he criticised the policies of home ministry. But Mamta Banerjee recklessly criticises almost all other ministries except hers. She is left scotfree. Why?

Jairam Ramesh is a mechanical engineer with degrees from IIT and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His innovative changes in the customs and traditions carried forward from the British for so many years were well applauded. His past record as a political leader is flawless. But again, Mamta is a regional satrap with mass support which Ramesh lacks.

While Tharoor is an upper cast Kerala Nair, Ramesh is a Mysore Brahmin, both belong to a class of persons - Indian in blood and color but English in tastes, in opinions, in morals and in intellect. Both the cases amply demonstrate that we do not want such people to rule us but we need A.Rajas and Mamta Banerjees.

That is the democracy we the so called intellectuals are forced to live with. The other day my good friend Manju (naikmm.blogspot.com) declared himself a dumbo and invited me to join his club of dumbos. I wonder if we are already not dumbos in the garb of intellect!...Any objection?