Based on the Hindu belief of reincarnation, if I could choose what life to be reborn into, I would come back as the child of an Indian politician. Hands down. I’d possibly rather come back as the child of an Indian politician than the heir to Bill Gates’ fortune or with the gifted genes of Lex Steele. Actually, if I could be the son of an Indian politician with the gifted genes of Lex Steele (if you don’t know what I’m talking about, Google it), that would be perfect. We all know about the many benefits that come with being an American politician; such as getting paid a handsome salary for work mostly done by aides, access to many of America’s more exclusive events and clubs, having a whole host of major corporations ready to put you on their board when you retire from politics (where once again, you get paid a lot of money for doing little work), all the wonderful gifts you get from lobbyists groveling at your feet to pass their initiative, and, of course, the simple feeling of waking up in the morning knowing you’re an elected official who’s laws govern our nation.
Yet, I still maintain that there is no better job than being a politician in India. Just like in the US, even celebrities are trying to get in the game. We all know about Ah-nold the Governator of California, who has had a pretty successful run so far and has done a good job of passing environmental issues in his state, but the difference is that he’s had to do some work to do substantiate his becoming Governor because celebs in the US do get scrutinized for just getting into politics. Let’s not forget the Gipper, Ronald Reagan, who in conservative Cincinnati has a highway named after him, but is certainly one of the most disliked Presidents of all time among Democrats (at least as much as Republicans don’t like Bill Clinton). In India, there is nothing of the sort.
One of India’s very well known comedy actors, Govinda, has been a Member of Parliament (Congressman) since 2004 and is living the life. He ran with the platform of the ultra-dominant Congress Party, milked his fame as a very popular actor/comedian and enjoyed the sweet life of being an elected official, attending very few Parliament sessions. And that’s power you don’t get in America.
In the US, people in the political world have recognized the many family dynasties that have prevailed over recent years; whether they are the Kennedys and Clintons for the Democrats or the Bushes for the Republican Party. However, none of them can stand up to the power and might that the Nehru/Gandhi dynasty has in India. Starting with Motilal Nehru, who was a wealthy lawyer as well as freedom fighter for India when the country was still under the British Empire, the family was built and his son, Jawaharlal Nehru became India’s first Prime Minister for the independent India. Nehru’s daughter, Indira Gandhi, and grandson, Rajiv Gandhi, were both Prime Ministers of India at some point and were both assassinated. Even Rajiv Gandhi’s Italian wife, Sonia Gandhi, who didn’t even speak Hindi for the longest time, was up for consideration to become Prime Minister because of the family name. It’s assumed that as soon as the current Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, leaves office, Rajiv Gandhi’s son, Rahul Gandhi, will be the next Prime Minister. That’s five generations of political dominance and four Prime Ministers of one country. And that’s power you don’t get in America.
Someone recently released a statistic that the country with the most money in Swiss bank accounts was India. Most of this cash belongs to the wonderful politicians who run our country. They get the pleasure of taking some fat bribes so that major corporations can get tax breaks on an annual basis. Free money to help make the businesses in your country look good? Sounds like a win-win to me.
The best part about being an Indian politician is the fact that you get to reap all these incredible benefits and you hardly ever have to work for it. In order to succeed domestically and become a major player in the world, it is my belief, and I’ve since learned the belief of every major economist in India, that the country needs to establish some sort of quality infrastructure for the billion+ population. Quality roads and highways along with a safe, less crowded train system would do wonders for the country. And naturally, nothing gets done. The country has proposed a “Golden Quadrilateral” Highway System to connect all the major cities in the entire country. I’d be willing to bet that such a project wouldn’t get finished within my lifetime, seeing as how Members of Parliament hardly ever actually work.
Imagine a job where you get paid exorbitant amounts of money and get treated like a rock star for doing no work. Oh yeah, and your kids are almost guaranteed to live the same way too.
Welcome to Indian Politics.
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