As India heads to the polls to elect its new Prime Minister with over 900 million eligible voters in India; regardless of whether we always agree with our politicians or not this is a huge democratic exercise and one that every Indian should be proud off.
However, majority will agree that politicians all across the world do not hesitate to give out inaccurate information during election campaigns and almost never deliver what they promise. So why is there no accountability for politicians? Is it because we accept that if they do not do a good enough job every 5 years, we will get the opportunity to decide their fate again? A CEO in an organisation would never be allowed or deemed fit to run an underperforming organisation for that long a period, and will almost certainly face serious consequences for presenting inaccurate information to its shareholders.
So why do politicians hold no accountability? Why are they free to say whatever they want to influence people to vote for them? Democracy is an exercise far greater and far more powerful than any other, but yet the very foundation of it is based on lies.
We can all argue that Indian politicians are corrupt, and this is a fact not an opinion. According to the trading economics latest figures, India ranks as the 78th least corrupt country in the world out of 175 countries. This figure has grown year on year and it is not the kind of growth a nation wants to be proud of.
Corruption in India has increased by over 100% over the last two decades. The issue of faith in politicians isn’t just threatening India but seems to be a theme across the world.
Regardless of where you live you cannot escape Brexit and the likes of Boris Johnson who lead the leave campaign in the UK not only misrepresented facts but made the consequences of their own political parties’ policies into propaganda, and this is a good example of how to **** it up and then blame thy neighbour.
The fact that Syrian refugees where such a huge point of contention during the Brexit campaign was due to the failed and ill-judged policies of the Labour and the Conservative governments on the Middle east. The likes of Tony Blair can continue to shout that the world is a better place without Saddam Hussain, but the fact is their failed policies and misjudged decisions has given rise to extremist groups such as the ISIS in the Middle East. The very reason why the Syrian refuges wanted to escape Syria was not for a better life in Europe but survival of them and their families; as a consequence of politician’s interference and them not taking any responsibility to clear up the mess.
We surely have to give this some serious thought, because if we continue to not hold politicians accountable for their decisions then this will one day threaten our faith in democracy if it already hasn’t, and politicians will move on regardless. As in the case of Tony Blair his firm Tony Blair Institute for Global Change now heads the peace mission in the Middle East after causing such great instability in the region. You can be cynical if you want.