In the recently concluded Presidential elections in France, Nicolas Sarcozy has come into power winning 325 seats in a 577 seat assembly. The important point to note here is that a whopping 84% of the public voted in the elections!! Another remarkable fact was that most of them running for the top post were only in their early or mid fifties. The capacity to dream and envisage changes is increased many fold when one is young. President Kalam is an exception, possibly because he has always kept in close touch with the youth of the country. Immediately after his oath taking, Mr Sarkozy, who will occupy the Elysee Palace for the next five years set out to Berlin to meet Ms Angela Morkel, the chancellor of Germany to start afresh some talks which were stopped earlier for some reasons!! And the same evening, he was back in Paris!! He still finds time to jog in the Elysee gardens lawns daily!! Though this may seem to be a publicity gimmick some of his actions have really been thought provoking. For example, his Cabinet of Ministers has only 15 members!! Just compare it with the Indian scenario!! We have a 545 member Lok Sabha and we have 70 odd ministers!! of course, a handful of state ministers will assist these cabinet ministers, but their roles, it is said, is going to be like that of small projects. Once the projects are completed, they will be relieved of their responsibilities!! A small council of ministry will definitely imply a lesser burden on the exchequer and indirectly better funds for developmental activities!! Can we ever imagine such a scenario where people are made ministers without any ministry, or new ministries being created only to satisfy all people?? Another innovative point in the cabinet is the fact that out of 15 ministers, 8 are men and 7 women!! Here in India, we still hope to see the 33% reservation bill to be tabled in parliament one fine day, and I feel that the one fine day is not going to come for at least another couple of decades!! And the jewel in the crown is the fact that the No.2 minister in the cabinet after the president is the Environment Minister!! How many of us even know who is our environment minister!!??
Can we ever imagine an Indian Prime Minister go jogging and shed the weight of the Government?? I don't see it happening in the near future!!
With excerpts from The Sunday Express dated 01/07/2007
4 comments:
you betcha!!!... cant imagine any Indian MPs or MLA's doing what you are dreaming of!!
Not in next 100 years atleast!!
A thought provoking article i should say!!
Being a bit Un-Indian here! I'm very much uninterested in Indian politics!! But on the other hand French Politics surprises me... The facts that u mentioned abt the Nicolas Sarkozy..were the ones which we discussed in class... n used to closely watch the french news... i was surprised myself when i saw the composition of their cabinet!
Its not that we can't make a difference ... just that we don't know how to!
Maybe we dont want to!!!!
just 15 !!!! .. Marvellous yaar
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