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'I wish a law would be passed banning elections in India'

I have totally lost confidence in our politicians. And why has this happened? It's only because these so-called leaders have failed miserably in holding the nation together. They show no signs of competence at all.

In the days when Parliament was being constituted, it was said that there should be only one king. Only one leader for the nation. But the people were against it then. Muslims demanded that they wanted Jinnah and the Hindus insisted on Jawaharlal Nehru. That's how the fights began and we saw India and Pakistan being formed. We witnessed a partition that changed the history of these two countries.

I don't see the scene varying much even today. To date these politicians don't tire of fighting with each other. When there is no harmony amongst them, how can the nation progress? How can we ever move ahead?

Not that we didn't have any confidence in our leaders. But tell me, have they ever proved their ability? Koi ghaas chor nikla, to koi chaara chor nikla. I cannot name a single politician who is not corrupt, who is not involved in one scam or the other. These politicians will never be able to undo the damage that they have done to us. Time has proved that they haven't succeeded at all. Nobody can trust them any longer.

The state of our country was not so bad before. People used to be quite content in life. Inflation was not so high. Today, the scene is horrible. In broad daylight we see bank robberies, gang wars, murders, bloodshed, whatnot. The very thought of the situation our country is in today sends shivers down my spine. I cannot think of a single day when we don't read about rapes, murders or kidnaps.

I hold our politicians solely responsible for all this. They are the root cause of all this mayhem. If they are not able to control the notorious elements in the society, obviously they will do as they please. Gangsters have become absolutely fearless. I think our politicians have encouraged them.

I wish a law would be passed banning elections completely in India. We really don't need all these illusory promises and ridiculous campaigns. At least we can save so much money. Unfortunately the public has to bear all these expenses.

The Shiv Sena had promised us houses, they promised us food at subsidised rates. Where is all that? I demand to know. We refuse to be fooled like this every time. Even if they have made houses, they have given them to people they know, their own relatives. Now tell me, is that fair?

Our politicians have never been able leaders. Today when an outsider is trying to come and do good to our country, she is not being allowed to. So what if she's an Italian? Her intentions should be seen, not the country of her origin. She has even gained Indian citizenship now. Then what's the problem? But these politicians -- when a problem does not exist, they create one. They drift away from issues that really need to be tackled.

I feel so many of the crises that India has faced could have been avoided. The bloody riots that Bombay saw following the demolition of the Babri Masjid could have been prevented. If L K Advani had been stopped in Bombay, so many Hindus, so many Muslims could have been saved. But these politicians are so preoccupied with their own selfish motives that they are not concerned about us at all.

Just recently, we witnessed the Kargil crisis. So many soldiers who were the sole earning members of their family lost their lives. Tell me, who is going to feed their families now? These politicians think that by giving a lakh or so to the families of the dead, they are being very noble. But little do they know that the issue does not end there. During the British raj, the families of the soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the cause of the nation used to be given land. At least, their families could lead a decent life.

We always take great pride in telling the world that we are a country of diverse cultures. But if there is no unity in this diversity, what is the use? The circumstances in our country can only change if we all come together. Earlier there used to be so much love and affection between people. There used to be a feeling of oneness among them. Everybody used to help each other. But today everybody is so indifferent to each another. One doesn't even know his next-door neighbour. Unless our leaders infuse that feeling of unity amongst people, they do not have the right to hold any office.

Without that, whether it's Sonia Gandhi or Vajpayee, the situation can never improve.

K P R Agarwal, 71, a Bombayite for the last 50 years, spoke to Kanchana Suggu.

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