An Indian Politician's 'Moral' Dilemma

Have politicians miscued massively? My sense is they have. As they gave financial liberties to people post the 1990s, the Indian economy did much better than the previous decades since independence. While the asset created by the political class till then and sometime after benefited hugely driven by access to international capital but with the change in the economic model and people's incomes came a few things:

• New regulatory authorities to manage a far more complex economy which encroached upon the power's of the executive (recall CAG on 2G, Election commission);
• Higher income levels made the middle class demand better governance (Anna movement or the Delhi rape outburst), social media accentuated these trends;
• The urban centers gained initially and in response to this can the various wealth transfer schemes (MNAREGA etc). This wealth transfer incrementally pushed the rural areas on the fringes towards greater urbanization. Now 1/3rd of India lives in urban centers demanding improved living standards. 

The political class and the bureaucracy which in the gravy of power had ossified and believed that 'politics has no relation to morals' (Machiavelli). It has been shaken hard by the changes, a change from the era of no answer-ability to permanent scrutiny. Politics is always fluid but in balance. Imbalance in the executive has been filled by the judiciary and other wings but this is not the state of equilibrium. 

The citizen's are demanding better services (infrastructure, policing etc) and higher accountability of the elected officials / bureaucracy. This can be only met by more decentralized but accountable system otherwise the edges will fray. Let's take the example of a small company run by an entrepreneur can do without IT systems, organizations, proper accounting etc. But as the company grows larger they need to address these basics otherwise it will fail. This is not to say significant errors do not arise in large companies but probability is far lower. Like here, the political executive is fraying as they do not want to evolve fast enough. The glue (corruption and self-preservation) that holds them will be re-wired and corruption proceeds will decline and sacrificial lambs will be demanded at least in the short run until the re-wiring is done. The political class may not achieve the Aristotle dream of giving people what they deserve, helping them achieve their highest nature and living a good life, but there is much between the two realms to aspire for.

Could they have avoided this outcome? Unfortunately, no. That would have required one leader or party with a long range plan for evolution. Democracies do not allow for it. But this schism has left serious gaps in governance creating both external and internal issues. The nation needs a leader of a different caliber to bridge the chasm. As they say, when law become despotic, morals are relaxed. We need a change in course...the nation needs to feel good.