India:Disadvantaged Democracy

If you are a little concerned about the future of this country, you must be worried today because of the total scarcity of good and capable leaders in almost all political parties who only constitutionally can and will run the government of the country.

I was amused while hearing the statement of Salman Khurshid whom I considered an intellectual. Khurshid appeared to me a sycophant of the highest order, when he was making the statement about his commander Rahul who has been recently selected to lead the election campaign in 2014 for Congress. It has come even though Rahul’s failure to win a single state election, be it Bihar or UP. And Gujarat is so scaring to him that he never dared to head the campaign there.

None in Congress can even dream of becoming the head of the Congress party, but one from the so called Gandhi Nehru family. None but Rahul can become the prime minister too even if he may not the right choice for running the government. And following the Indian inheritance tradition, Sonia long back decided to keep Priyanka with better potential out of the race.

Unfortunately, Rahul refused to get experience of administration under Manmohan. Perhaps the mother never wished to expose him as cabinet minister that could have been useful. Rahul even never tried to prove his parliamentary skill. The nation will have to wait to the administrative acumen of Rahul for some more time.

When Sonia couldn’t become the prime minister because of her foreign origin , she appointed an extremely loyal Manmohan to keep the seat warm till Rahul gets into it. And in the process, Manmohan has remained the prime minister for almost ten years now that will be the maximum period exceeded by only the first legendary prime minister of India.

As it appears Rahul will take the position if he can be lucky enough to make Congress win the next election.Unfortunately, even in Congress there is hardly any to lead the nation as the prime minister even if Sonia wishes so. Chidambaram has his own problem though he has gone sober over the years, others are just sycophants and also intolerably arrogant.

However, the crisis of leadership prevails in all parties. BJP is having too many top leaders and they can’t agree to elect one without the interference of the mentor, RSS that could have kept itself aloof of the working of BJP and focused on improving the social ills of the majority community. However, those who lead RSS must themselves change their mind sets to become more acceptable by the younger generation of the country that hardly like to be communal..

Regional parties also have similar problem. Who is the next man of Nitish Kumar? Mamta is another class that can win election but can’t run a government. Every one working for her must follow her. Under such a situation, a sound governance system can not get planted and grow. Even senior leaders in political parties such as TMC, BSP, or AIDMK or even Shiv Sena and NCP can’t freely express their views and participate in framing the policies in the interest of the country because of the fear of the boss.

With a large number of legal cases of corruption and misuse of the discretionary power against the top leaders such as Mulayam, Mayawati, Jay Lalita, or Sharad Pawar, the followers will hardly come clean when an opportunity knocks.

Unfortunately, none of these political parties have established sound norms for internal democratic working. Most of them are running one person show by and for the boss . None of them actually work in any constructive way providing social services such as education, healthcare or skilling at grassroots level to develop good performing leaders. The sole job of the party is to keep the vote bank happy and on its side at all cost, even that of the national interest.

Unfortunately, the induction of Manmohan in 2004 could have provided a good model if Sonia would have given him the free hand. Sonia has deprived the nation to have non political prime minister or president in absence of the right person through parliamentary democratic system.

It was really in spite of the government that India story became so attractive. Let us see what 2014 provides.