The Indian Political ThroughScenario, Through the Looking Glass

It is unlikely that anyone will say that India's political scenario or even the
world's political scenario for that matter is facing a few hiccups. However
most people are not worried because a few hiccups are to present
themselves, peoplethey grow accustomed to it, and they even begin to
expect themit. There is a big problem in this way of things. And the fact
that many will not even agree to believe that there is something terribly
wrong in the way things are, only reinforces it. People, through the news
and other social media platforms, get accustomed to seeing people dying
in violent crimes. Do we really feel any loss, or guilt when we see such
horrific news? I dont think so, instead we just feel blank, as if it is a daily
phenomenon, and is bound to happen.
One of the biggest problems in our country as well as the world is that we
blame others, we blame the leaders and the people-in-charge. We think
that it is their job to control such tragic events, and, many times we have
held them directly responsible. On our part, we suppose that electing
people to powerful positions would make the world a happy and bright
better place, and we are very small or insignificant to help in any way.
Many of us think that mending the society we are living in is not our
problem at all.
On the other hand, the government promises us reforms, technological
advancement and whatnot. We blindly follow them, and think that
everything that was promised would be delivered. However, we must
think why the world is going down the drain. Has the mankind become so
desensitized that we do not now care for things which disrupt peace and
tranquillity of the society? We do not take any concern for social welfare,
and even when we do, most of the time we end up blaming others for one
thing or another. People just keep on reassuring themselves as well as
others that they could not have done anything to prevent the evil forces
at work. Instead, think about it, cant we actually do something to make
the world a better place, a peaceful place to live in.
When one votes for a candidate for a certain position of power, shouldnt
we actually see what things are on his or her agenda, what is his history,
was he involved in any kind of crimes in the past. Do we ever go to that
person to make our grievances known, so that he can actually work on
them? Yet, we held the person who is in a position of responsibility
accountable if something bad happens during his/her term, we held him
responsible if he doesnt deliver on promises he never made.
Now looking towards the corporate life, which apparently is very different
from the political life, one is given targets which he has to achieve in a
certain time frame, and underachievement of targets often results in loss
of job. In this case, one is held responsible, and everyone is expected to
complete the job for which the person was selected. If such is thea case in
the corporate environment, then why donesnt the same rules apply toin
politics too if a person who is there to govern the people and maintain
peace in the society isnt able to deliver, why shouldnt he be removed
from his position? The onus, as per what I believe, should be on the
common man to make sure that the government is delivering what it
promised, and review the progress it has made time to time. This is how

things were supposed to work in a democracy, which unfortunately in our

country is nothing but a plain word with no actual meaning.
Newscasters start telling you so many people died in violent crimes right
when we're having your morning coffee and what do we feel? Loss? Guilt?
We just feel blank. We feel nothing. Even though these numbers keep on
increasing day after day, year after year.
We blame the leaders and the people in charge, after all it is their job to
control such outbursts, that's why they are given that power. And beyond
this we won't hesitate to throw it in their face, and even directly hold them
responsible for the loss of many lives and various inhumane activities that
occurred. And it is our firm belief that we cannot do much about it, we
cannot help in any way. And after all it isn't our responsibility.
The government promises us reforms, technological advancement and we
believe them when they say that they are giving us just what they
promised. Are we so desensitized to unnatural things, things which disrupt
peace? Things which end innocent lives, are not our concern, we don't
even think about them twice. And when we do, it is just to blame it on
someone else. And people will reassure themselves that there is nothing
they could have done to stop this. Well this isn't exactly true. We could
have stopped this.
When you voted for who you wanted to represent you politically, did you
care enough to know what was in his or her agenda, did you make your
grievances, your thoughts known to that person? Did you hold that person
accountable if at the end of their term they didn't deliver on their
promises? No. If someone steps all over you and walks away, would you
let that person get away? Well that is all you did. And not just you.
Everyone before you. It's just the way things have become.
At a corporate job we are given very strict targets that we have to adhere
to, and if we don't we lose your job, plain and simple. It is a part of our
job, and if we fall short we are held accountable, and we accept that with
no second thought. After all that is what we were hired/selected to do, and
there are others who are in line to replace us, hence we take it seriously.
But analogous to this, isn't governing the people like a job? Is the onus not
on us to make sure, the government is doing what it promised, and review
their progress? Our mentality says that this is how things are in a
democracy, at last, we cannot have complete participation. Alas we
cannot have an ideal situation when it comes to living in a democracy,
there are various variables in play and various obstacles.
People go to vote but they say that they encounter unpopular leaders of
popular parties. It a common belief that in our elections only symbols are
elected and not politicians. Actually, the scenario of the Indian elections
shows that people are truly disappointed by our political leaders. They are
always corroding the very essence of democracy. They are undervaluing
public-moral.
In Plato's Ideal Republic, Plato, one of the earliest most noted and the
most politically influential philosophers of the world says that the best
ruler or a monarch that you can have is a philosopher. Someone who has a
keen sense of right and wrong, and someone who completely immerses
himself in musings of whether they are doing what's the best correct thing

to do for the people. And this was almost 3000 years ago. Are today's
politicians anything like this? Do they hesitate even once before they kill a
man on suspiciously consuming certain controversial' foods in the privacy
of his own house without harming anyone? Before civilization started and
hunter gatherers had to hunt animals to survive, did they first ensure
whether consuming the meat of the particular animal in front of them will
be in their best religious interests? No they didn't. They felt hungry and
they ate. They might be called savages because of this. But killing a
member of your tribe for eating a 'hunted' animal is not something they
would do. Yet it's been 4000 years and that's what has happened. Have
we moved one step forward and two steps backward? Or have we moved
anywhere at all?
-Chirag Puri