Can an Aam Admi Become India’s Prime Minister?
“I am an aam aadmi (common man). If I can become the Prime Minister, then so can you. I came from a very ordinary, lower-middle class family. It is because of my education that I am what I am”
These words were uttered by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to children during the Children’s Day festival in New Delhi today. Education is very important and statistics show that the achievements of an individual greatly depend on the level of education of that individual. Clearly people who only have a high school degree earn far less than individuals who have college degrees. This theory holds true in many areas but does not hold true in politics.
I think that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for a moment forgot the role that he is currently playing. Before I start I want to point out that in my opinion Jawaharlal Nehru, Manmohan Singh and Atal Behari Vajpayee are three of the best Prime Ministers India has ever produced. They have a very clean image and have the respect of the general public. For the most part they keep the best interests of the country in mind when they are making critical decisions (this however cannot be said for some members of their cabinet, party members, MLA’s and MP’s). However, Manmohan Singh is not a politician. He does not have a real political base and cannot win an election if not for the Congress Party nominating him from very safe constituencies.
Not having a real political base has its problem. Manmohan Singh appears to be a front man for the real powers that run India. Most people speculate that the power lay at the hands of the Congress Party chief Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi. During the Prime Minister’s term most of the important dignitaries who have visited India and met with our PM have also met Sonia Gandhi. In all important occasions (including the Children’s Day celebrations) you will find Sonia Gandhi standing next to our PM. This is deeply disturbing.
Studies have shown that in the 2004 and 2009 elections that almost 136 out of 543 members of the Indian Parliament faced criminal charges including rape, murder and kidnapping (this gets worse at the state levels where in states like Uttar Pradesh over 50% of the elected members have criminal charges that are pending). At the national level over 50% of Indian MLA’s and MP’s have little or no education. It is clear that Indian politics is slowing getting into the hands of the criminals and thugs. Serious reform is needed immediately (It should be noted that the voting process itself is getting better. The election results definitely reflect what is going on at the voting booths. In the 70’s and 80’s it was very common to see booth capturing and rigging of elections but the Election Commission has become very independent when compared to the past).
So is the Prime Minister right when he is telling young children that education is the best possible way to become a Prime Minister? I think it is the ideal but reality is different. These kids are more likely to taste political success if they become criminals. There is no room in Indian politics for the aam admi and the educated man. Now it is the time of the armed admi and the illiterate admi.
Related posts:
- You Are Welcome Mr. Prime Minister
- The Back Seat Drivers
- Mamata Banerjee is Unfit to be Cabinet Minister
- Rahul Gandhi – India’s Confucius
- Shared Legacy: George Bush and Manmohan Singh
Category: News & Government