Most of us work in some company or not, to higher or lower post, but as workers nonetheless. Now you can work on another side gig, but try disclosing this to your company and see their reaction. They would make you read (and probably re-sign) the contract that you had signed while joining the company. You are simply not allowed to work anywhere else until you are on the payroll of a certain company.
Then how come our politicians whose job of being an MLA or MP should be a full time one, are allowed to do all kinds of things from judging comedy and music shows to doing cricket commentary? Why are there different sets of rules for our Ministers and for the Janta?
Today's blog is provoked by this news article informing most of the officials who were supposed to attend the meeting to discuss Delhi's toxic air pollution chose not to attend it! I mean how dare they?! The children and families of these officials should be forced to live in this toxic environment whole year around. May be when they will see their loved ones getting ill, they might take this issue seriously.
While it's an emergency like situation in Delhi right now, but Delhi's (and in fact most of North India's) pollution level remains worrisome all year around. Just imagine : you are inhaling toxic year ever second of your life since past many years. Just imagine the havoc this must be creating to your internal systems, eating you up from inside bit by bit.
Supreme Courts and High courts are continuously summoning the officials and making them answerable. Still our shameless politicians and officials are either busy squabbling or just don't care!
One person out of this list of absentees stands out: Gautam Gambhir. I respect him a lot as a straight talking person . But this is the same man who till a few months was saying that his criticism of Delhi Government was just as an ordinary citizen and he had no plans for joining politics. Anyways, he joined and people like him are welcome. Although I don't like the fact that there are so many party workers who work day and night to give strength to the party and all these celebrities come out of blue during election times, get tickets and win on the strong mandate of the party's face. But that's another point.
Gautam Gambhir is just a case in point. My larger point is that if you are a politician ( of any political party ), and an elected representative whether an MP or MLA you should be dedicated to the development and issues of your area full time. Yes, you should be allowed to take breaks and vacations and have hobbies and downtime just like rest of us. Yes, if your salary is less then it should be increased proportionately. You should get handsome perks so that you feel motivated to work .
But how come you are allowed to have other commercial interests like running TV channels or IT companies or doing cricket commentary etc. ? These people must only be allowed to become ministers if they quit their existing commercial interests.
All these people especially our MPs are only seen or heard while making some controversial statements or during election times. I myself see my MP only on posters while giving wishes on Diwali/New Year etc. or taking credit for any scheme launched by the Central Govt. Why are they not seen front and center raising our issues in the Parliament, getting the additional grants, launching schemes or development work in our respective areas?
Our politicians are non-serious when it comes to our welfare and that's why we are lagging in so many areas. If all our MPs and MLAs get to work and at least do the tasks assigned to them (beside their party whip) , there is no problem we can solve in a quick span of time.
As per another report, Delhi is the most polluted city on Earth. The question is, is anybody listening?
