Service and Gratitude

There is a difference between politicians in India, and politicians in the United Kingdom. Just like there is a difference between an orangutan, and a bowl of peas. To say that the people of India worship their politicians would be an understatement, an oxymoron, and rather pointless. The people of India worship anything and everything anyone with halfa mind tells them to. And why hsouldn't they..after all...we are a country with more temples than homeless shelters, more gods than the people of Luxembourg. But, where it has all ogne wrong, and this is no side effect, but the main deal...is that it has gone to the head of those in power. Because, in our country, being a politician is not just another job...it is a throne.

You needn't have read Acton to know that power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. But you would need a course in Advanced political studies to know that the power given to a politician isn't really power at all, it's a responsibility. And that's where the difference originates. Because no one really knows the difference, and very few people care. Let me elucidate.

A politician's job is just that, a job. They come in at 9, leave at 5. Sit at their desks all day. Have breaks to use facebook,the restroom or the lounge. Except that it isn't.

And why not? Because we have become way too used to being ruled....instead of being served. We think of our MP or our MLA as our ruler. Where in truth, he is our server. This is where comparisons with the UK are patent.See, those idiots have never really been ruled over...by anyone. THe Romans, Germans, Russians...and more recently the Bangladeshis and Pakistanis, have tried, and failed. As a result...the MPs there, aren't really rich, or obscenely powerful.

And as far as misappropriation of funds, and graft goes, its startling to note, that a country with 10 times the GDP per capita of our country, takes tougher action, on cases of graft that are a 100 times less than that of ours. Derek Conway...of the Conservative party, lost his hat, his seat, and his respect, after he supposedly misappropriated the equivalent of Rs. 9,60,000. Yes, thats all the zeroes. In that figure, we find our salvation. The Members of Parliament are just doing their job. Unfortunately, they haven't realised that as yet.

Neither have we.