It both sounds and appears incredulous. In a coalition government, where the partners share the common goal of delivering the goods for the electorate, one ally, M. Karunanidhi, arbitrarily decided to remove a cabinet minister who also happened to be his nephew, because his sons were objecting to their cousin’s rise to power.

This is a sad commentary on both the government and governance. The fact that cabinet ministers in Delhi who initiate policy for unsuspecting citizens are mere pawns in the hands of ideologues motivated by petty family matters speaks volumes about modern India. It reveals a leadership that is weak and non-committal towards issues that require attention. Small wonder then that anarchy prevails in the country and there are forces at work, disrupting peace, law and order.

Coalition politics has become a convenient excuse for bad governance and wrong decision-making. A leader who is privileged to rule a dynamic, pluralistic, young and energetic nation must have a definite idea about where the country is going and what is required to achieve progress on all fronts. If coalition partners perpetually interfere in appointments, demand lucrative ministries and blackmail the government each time they disagree with a policy initiative, maybe it is time to call the bluff and support the policies and policy-makers who undertake these initiatives. After all, it is extremely embarrassing to see our top leaders being bullied by wily coalition partners.

Blind to all faults

What stops a leader from putting his foot down or resigning from his position in the government if he and his policy are being mocked? Or, does a principled stand not count any more? Are the trappings of power more important than the duty to deliver results and generate growth? Is there an intellectual vacuum at the highest level, something that creates a drive to abdicate all responsibility on the part of our politicians? Or is the ruling coalition so completely overwhelmed by the magnitude of chaos, corruption and anarchy that it is being compelled to ignore and push under the carpet all the horrors that confront the citizens, both the rich and the poor?

The people of this country must be aware of this all-consuming breakdown. Usually, when societal disorder reaches frightening proportions, the leadership closes its ranks and ceases to pay attention to the signs and signals of the on-coming debacle. Then, it is the zombie syndrome that takes over. Every dissenting voice is deemed wrong, every criticism is seen as a personal attack. All kinds of criticism are ignored, possibly because each of them rings true.

The secretaries, advisors, as well as other members of the government staff become edgy and sarcastic, aggressive and defensive, at the same time. This produces the perfect conditions for the emergence of a dictatorial regime. That is when you know something has going awry. Is the United Progressive Alliance government on a decline? Will the National Democratic Alliance win the next elections and form another coalition at the Centre with Narendra Modi as the prime minister? Rajnath Singh cannot be considered a probable candidate after the loss in Uttar Pradesh.

Moreover, if the Left parties think that they have a chance of putting together a Third Front with the help of their friends, they are mistaken. This is simply because of the fact that even if the Left manages to come to power after the next general elections, it will not be able to hold on to the seats for long. Consequently, Indian voters will, yet again, have to pull a rabbit and save the situation as they have done ever so often.