Indian politics could benefit from lessons in ethics from the British

Indian politics could benefit from lessons in ethics from the British  

Reporters Name | CAMIL PARKHE | Friday, 22 July 2016 AT 11:42 AM IST  Sakal Times

http://goo.gl/iWOLlr 

Exit: Outgoing British Prime Minister David Cameron (2nd L) leaves after speaking outside 10 Downing Street with his family in central London on July 13.

The United Kingdom recently decided to exit the European Union and the events that succeeded the referendum verdict may have been most shocking for those accustomed to the Indian political scenario. First of all, as soon as the Brexit poll outcome was announced, British Prime Minister David Cameron, who was a strong advocate of the UK remaining in the European Union, announced that he would quit his post. There was no clamour for reconsideration of his decision. Cameron kept his promise last week when he handed over the resignation letter to Queen Elizabeth II and left his official residence, 10 Downing Street the very next day. Twitterati reacted sharply with admiration to a photo of the outgoing prime minister helping the delivery van crew in shifting his luggage to his new temporary residence.

n India, people are not used to such behaviour by their elected representatives. Independent India has witnessed only one opinion poll conducted in any of its states or Union territories. This only referendum was conducted in Goa in 1967, a few years after this tiny territory was liberated from the 450-year-old Portuguese regime. The two options given to the residents of Goa were similar to the Brexit poll.

The Goans were asked to vote on the issue of whether Goa should merge into the neighbouring Maharashtra state or exist as a separate  territory in the country. Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party led by the then Goa Chief Minister Dayanand Bandodkar led the campaign to seek Goa’s merger into Maharashtra. The atmosphere in Goa was surcharged prior to the referendum. Like Brexit, the opinion was sharply divided on the referendum issue. Goa remained an independent entity with 54 per cent voters favouring that status and 43 per cent voting for Goa being merged as one of the districts of Maharashtra, the remaining votes being invalid.

The ruling Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party accepted the opinion poll verdict with Chief Minister Bandodkar continuing in the same post. Interestingly, although Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party’s proposal was rejected, this party continued to rule Goa for almost the next decade. The party has not changed its name to this date and now is an alliance partner in the government led by the BJP in that state.

Within a few hours after quitting the prime minister’s post, Cameron vacated his official residence. In India, the former Union or state ministers and also lawmakers continue to occupy their official bungalows for indefinite period and also refuse to pay the rent for these premises.

In India, there is also a clamour for converting official residences of former prime ministers into memorials whereas 10 Downing Street, formerly occupied by veterans like Winston Churchill, continues to be the only official residence of the British premiers for decades. In India we like to cultivate personality cults and so we have palatial Teen Murti Bhavan and Indira Gandhi memorials in Delhi, residences of former prime minister Pandit Nehru and Indira Gandhi, turned into national museums. Our parliamentary democracy is largely based on the British parliamentary system but we have not followed the political ethics followed in that country.

Politics in the country has been turning murkier over the years. Leaders like Lal Bahadur Shastri, YB Chavan, Atal Behari Vajpayee, Madhu Dandavate were known for their integrity and clean image. It is sad that their tribe has been on the decline during the recent years.