Understanding Indian Democracy Vs Democracy

I returned home on 11th May evening and was preparing for my dinner while watching CNN. Suddenly CNN made an announcement that Gordon Brown, was about to make an announcement from 10, Downing Street the Official residence British Prime Minister. It was already into 5th day since 2010 British election results have been announced and yet there is no sign of forming a new Government. For four days Conservatives and Liberal Democrats have been discussing on a possible coalition Government. Labour which did not do well but they too made a feeble attempt to form a rainbow Government with an a la carte of parties.

I switched to my British channels to see the developments. Smiling Brown along with his wife Sarah came out of the number 10, and made a brief speech. The summary was, he was about to resign and recommend David Cameron to Queen be the next Prime Minister. He also announced that with immediate effect he was resigning Leader of the Labour Party. After completing the speech, he posed to world media with his family (two small kids) and then slowly walked to his official car. He was more relaxed and at ease than I have seen ever since he was in New Labour Government holding the powerful Chancellor of Exchequer post (Finance Minister in India).

Piloted by two motorcycle riding Metropolitan Police and probably two more cars behind him, Gordon Brown drove to Buckingham Palace to submit his resignation. Traffic was stopped en route to the Place briefly and none of the public were put to any  inconvenience. Brown and Sarah were received by Protocol officials and then both went inside to see Queen. After about 20 mins - Gordon Brown returned back to his car as an ordinary citizen (Still Ex-Prime Minister).

He did not have any official escort since then. No traffic was stopped. His car had to follow all the traffic rules. He did not go back to 10, Downing Street. First he went to Labour Party office in Central London and thanked all party workers. Beaming, relaxed and cool - that was perhaps for the last time nation has seen Gordon Brown on the national TV. He was the most powerful man of the 13 year New Labour Government perhaps until that hour.

From Central London, Brown along with his family drove to Heathrow and from there flew (no special plane) to Fife, Scotland his home town. He is still a Member of Parliament. He lives just like any Citizen of United Kingdom with complete privacy and freedom.

David Cameron entered 10, Downing Street exactly an hour later. Going to Buckingham palace as a citizen (same official protocol as given to Brown when he left the palace) with no police or security escort in lone car with his wife Samantha.

Labour Party started the process to elect a new leader. During the 13 year Labour Rule when Conservatives were defeated, none of the party leaders continued to lead the party - until Cameron came close to success but fell short. If Conservatives were short of another 50 seats that would have seen a Labour Government this time - we would be seeing party elections process for the new party leader.

Now coming to India  - Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Advani, Yadav's, Pawars', Chandrababu Naidu, K Chandrasekhar Rao - name anyone, I would never imagine them doing the same. Secondly, none of these parties allow rank outsiders to rise  - let it be Gandhi's in Congress or Nandamuri / Nara family in TDP or KCR in TRS. BJP may be exception until now. Then we have unelected PM's like Manhohan Singh who are selected by power centres.

Finally from my own experience, some years I was travelling in a train from Hyderabad to Tirupathi with my family in II AC. Near to us we had three gunmen with automatic guns. My daughter though very young was afraid seeing those gunmen. I found out that an ex-MLA was travelling in the same coach to Guntur. Along with us. all other passengers (who paid the fares unlike these political class - people who were paid by public tax) had to suffer until the train reached Guntur. When ever I go to Hyderabad I see plenty of incidents and high handedness of any neta to prove his power at the cost of public purse.

Every country had it's own share of problems and short comings. But when to comes to the art of misusing power in the name of democracy perhaps none can beat Indian politicians. Still India is the largest working democracy in the world (like Chinese Communism!). Do not except politicians to change but it is the people who have to change to elect the leaders who make them proud.