Do Politicians Serve People?

Do Politicians Serve People?

By Dr Arvind Kumar

M

ost of politicians say that the aim of their entry into politics is to serve the people while common perception is that it is their gainful profession, not even a vocation, and that they are paid very handsomely and taken care of fully, by the people through the taxes. Interestingly, while campaigning and asking for votes, politicians claim to serve the people and promise to make concerted efforts consistently to better their lot. But they never fulfill these promises.Great leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Pt Nehru, Sardar Patel, Lal Bhadur Shastri, Dr Ambedkar, Jai Prakash Narayan and the like, were in politics with an aim only to serve the people.

The new brand of politicians agitates for salary revision and stall parliament proceedings. It is interesting to observe that on various issues concerning the country, MPs are very rarely seen in unison with one another but on salary hike, their full unity and speaking in one strong voice, has become our envy and their pride. A country, where 37.2 percent people live even below the poverty line and where more than 40 percent of population suffers from malnutrition and the diseases associated therewith, can ill-afford money and luxury-loving politicians. Time has come when disbursement of tax payers’ money to these MPs has to be commensurate with their performance and hard work. It is high time the principle of ‘‘no work- no pay’’, as a matter of precedence, should be applied to the elected representatives also.