Why the Middle Class Doesn’t “Participate”

Every time people like us complain about the kind of politicians we have or doesn’t bother to cast our vote, we’ll find a bunch of media commentators and politicians criticizing the middle class. For not participating. For not caring. For just complaining and not doing anything about it.

That seems kind of dumb. After all, if someone doesn’t like the medical services they get, we don’t tell them to become doctors or come up with new drugs. Nor do we tell people who complain about the quality of construction of their houses to become architects or engineers!

Other than the fact that we have jobs, the other reason “people like us” don’t care is that it seems like all our MP’s or ministers come from political families. And that’s not just a perception. In his book, India: A Portrait, Patrick French pulls up some statistics on the hereditary nature of Indian politics. Take these for example:
- Every MP in the Lok Sabha under the age of 30 had inherited a seat.
- More than two thirds of the 66 MPs aged 40 or under are hereditary MPs.
- Nearly 40% of the 66 ministers who are members of the Lok Sabha were hereditary members.
- Nearly 70% of the women MPs have family connections.

Most of us may not have known the exact numbers, but we had a strong feeling that inheritance was the way the political system works. It’s obvious politicians will want to pretend things are not hereditary, but it’s surprising that the media guys too talk the same way when they criticize us. Oh wait, I’m sure now they’ll tell us to become journalists!

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