Code of Conduct for Politicians

Code of Conduct for Politicians

Associated chamber of Commerce and Industry of India has advocated the need for code of conduct for politicians, training for Parliamentarians in Economic Management and public policy and reorientation of the bureaucracy. All the right thinking persons would welcome these suggestions as absence of these and several other factors are responsible for the continued backwardness of the country.

It is paradoxical that whereas candidate for a class IV job also require some qualification, politicians who guide the destiny of the Nation does not require any qualification worth the name. Naturally, the common man has come to the conclusion that people who are unable to serve the nation through any other profession viz. Scientist, Doctor, Engineer, Accountant, Bureaucrat etc. could become a successful politician.

Politicians have lowered the image of the nation on several occasions through their words and deeds. In the process many phrases have gained opposite meaning. For example unparliamentary language is no longer the synonym of foul language because parliamentary language has occupied the place of east while unparliamentary language.

The tragedy in India is that people who do not have the elementary knowledge of the subject often holds exalted positions in various fields. Further there is a growing tendency to post right person at the wrong place. While the most intelligent class of people like Scientists, Doctors, Engineers etc. command the least power, less educated people like politicians, Businessman etc. control the entire system. Moreover, our moral fabric has reached to such a stage that we refuse to recognise human virtues and instead salute the chair of power. This syndrome has completely demoralised the intelligentsia and resulted in large-scale brain drain. There is a popular joke that after the creation of universe Lord Brahma told Lord Vishnu that one country called India has been provided with all the necessary resources. When Lord Vishnu asked Brahma as to whether it was not unjust to provide all the resources to one country Brahma replied. “But see the type of politicians I have sent there. They will take care of every thing”.

Politicians belonging to all parties should understand and emphasis the need for education and training to Legislators and Parliamentarians on all aspects of the country’s governance. Moral education should be an integral part of the training as the country is faced with the biggest problem of crisis of character. Let our politician’s syntheses their energies for the service of the nation instead of service to self. People expect the politicians to show the same unity of purpose, which was shown while passing the bill increasing the pay and allowances of MPs, for taking the country to the next millennium. India with vast reservoir of resources at its command has all the potential to become a world power provided our politicians and administrators show the will power.