One of the biggest banes or curses of democracy can be the politico-bureaucratic complex which emanates out of it. The constitution does not automatically create this mechanism. How the constitutional blueprint can unfold is right in front of us. The seventy-four year journey so far has been like a river hitting the banks, occasionally giving us a feeling that we are protected by the banks. The flow of the river has certainly not been reassuring. To say the niceties of gigantic administrative mechanisms have still not become robust is just stating the fact. The robustness would be decided on the touchstone of ease of life, livelihood and transparency to even half of the population. The half in question has to be the lower half of the people’s pyramid, which we keep boasting about every now and then. This is the standard lip service by everyone in the politico – bureaucratic complex of this country.

Every single successive government has successfully proven how fragile the system is and how easily it is susceptible to mammoth changes while remaining within the parameters of the same constitution can make even the best researchers of political science awestruck. The politico part may change every five years or remain the same depending on the election results for ten or even fifteen years. It is undeniable that they come with an agenda, some from the manifesto and some outside of it. Short term professional engagements not dictated by professional goals have their own pitfalls. The beauty of the whole situation is that the bureaucracy nearly seamlessly aligns to it. The politico decides it’s bureaucratic coterie. Given its bloated nature, there are lots to choose from. The permanent aims and goals of a welfare state can go for a six.

Same as the political alignments and changes, the bureaucratic leanings change or remain consistent to a party. Location, region, religion and caste play their own role depending on the situation. Then at times you have to play to the gallery or a grave situation or an unfolding scandal or judicial directive or pronouncement. In this manner the politico-bureaucratic complex of any functional government is created. Even the weakest of the governments are in full control of the bureaucracy. The carrot and stick of posting has been enough to make this complex remain robust and vibrant. It is so well covered that small issues and even day to day burning issues of the people are digested by way of normal routine.

It runs in a manner that the recipients (people) of their mandated services by law become their vassals. Who decides you will never come to know, and even if you do, the system is made so complex that you will never be able to pinpoint at the functionary in question. Depending on the situation different powers are flouted and the bureaucracy is shown in a good or a bad light. Even the weakening of bureaucracy does not mean much as far as the main gainers of the politic-bureaucratic complex of any dispensation find themselves as the winners. Getting a small legal / paid benefit or service or battling it out on a genuine issue can easily make you gasp for breath.

THE MACHINE THAT DELIVERS DEMOCRACY IS MORE CRITICAL THAN THE LEGAL DOCUMENTS.