One bright lesson from Bill

The US president holds the most powerful office in the world. But we found him wearing a wan smile in the Map Room of the White House, fa...

The US president holds the most powerful office in the world. But we found him wearing a wan smile in the Map Room of the White House, facing a federal grand jury. If this is not an illustration of the triumph of democracy, what is?

The president bowing before those who are officially his inferiors, submitting to questioning for hours and apologising to the nation 8212; these should not be dismissed as ordinary incidents. Clinton did not do justice to his family or to his high office. And he could not escape the legal system of his country either.

An impartial judiciary is integral to a true democracy, as evidenced by several instances taken as blessings by the people of this country, but occasionally labelled as judicial activism. India is lucky to have a genuine democracy, in sharp contrast with Pakistan. It is true that there had been an erosion of democracy, culminating in the Emergency, but the pendulum swung back soon enough.

But now, how our democratic leaders are fallen. Men who have amassed crorespretending to be honest, shamelessly making allegations of corruption against their opponents. History-sheeters in Parliament and the Assemblies. In our democratic republic, every party speaks in terms of minority and majority. If we were genuinely secular, could we divide the people thus on the basis of religion? Is it not true that the term minority8217; is a euphemism for Muslims, and groups such as Sikhs, Christians, or Jains are sidelined?

Having divided its people on religion and caste lines, does not our country lose the services of the most competent because of the illogical system of reservations? Is it not unfair to brand the members of particular castes as intellectually inferior to others? Are we going to keep them permanently at a substandard level? It is a matter of shame that some of the best brains in the country cannot make it into technical courses. Can any country progress if the talented and the gifted are rejected?

Assume that you need the services of a neurosurgeon. Would you not preferto be attended by the most capable professional? Then where is the justice in throwing out the brilliant at the time of admission in order to make room for the second-rate? Top politicians do not have to worry about such matters. Remember that the Mandal Messiah rushed to the West when he himself needed medical treatment. He used to praise the backward classes from the rooftops, but he couldn8217;t trust anyone among them to take care of his own anatomy.

These are the inescapable evils of politicising every activity, showing scant regard for the national interest. People have been brainwashed to such an absurd extent that when one speaks against communal reservation, it is automatically assumed that one pleads for reservation based on financial criteria. You cannot possibly be anti-reservation per se. But why can8217;t we have a purely merit-oriented system?

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All the disadvantaged sections of society, without reference to caste or creed, should be given educational and other assistance in kind, never in cash. Asthe principal of an educational institution, I could see that assistance in cash is regularly misused. Monetary assistance for buying textbooks often wends its way to the cash registers of bars and restaurants.

The talk of social justice by politicians advocating concessions based on caste is a ruse to grab votes. Poor tribals deserve all assistance in joining the mainstream. We should not try to keep them socially handicapped for ever, offering them reservations that amount to condescension.

We have to be more optimistic about the future of Indian democracy, despite the occasional appearance of time-servers in the political firmament. If the Lewinsky scandal holds anything of value for us, it is this bright lesson.