...

Amongst the entire institutional and administrative framework, the worst reaction to the incidents of the last few days was from, as expected, our politicians:
1 - Sonia Gandhi reads a speech off a teleprompter in her halting Hindi, doubly alienating her from anyone who should be listening. And she makes a speech before our Head of State, illustrating once and for all who holds the reins in this country.
2 - Manmohan Singh gives the most insipid speech i've heard given by any head of state. His speech defending his government during the vote of no confidence had more life in it. And this guy was supposed to be a politician with a difference.
3 - Shivraj Patil is as confused as ever, never knowing what is going on as he fidgets in his prim and proper safari suit. On Thursday, when reporters throng him for news on the arrested terrorist's interrogation, he begins a soliloquy on V.P. Singh. What will it take to fire him?
4 - L.K. Advani along with his smiling fascists turns up at Oberoi and makes veiled references to intelligence failure. The NSG fires at terrorists in the background and this guy stands within his Z+ security cordon mouthing off for a few votes.
5 - Narendra Modi says 'I told you so'. Apparently, the handling of this incident was worse than Godhra in 2002. Or maybe he's just forgotten it.
6 - R.R. Patil first says there are 2 terrorists loose in the city. Then retracts his statement. Then makes it again. This is the Home Minister of Maharashtra.
7 - Vilasrao Deshmukh looks to either his Chief Secretary or DGP for EVERY question at a press conference. How does one have the guts to come to such a sensitive press conference without being prepared?
8 - The saviour of the Marathi Manoos Raj Thackeray decides to overlook all north indian and south indian contributions in saving the city. Declares a bandh on Monday, when another form of terrorism has ensured we've had three days of bandh already.
9 - Milind Deora, for suggesting politicians visiting terror stricken areas do not impose any additional load on the police "since they come with their own security". Security drawn from the NSG corps. No wonder we do not have a battalion in every state as was the intention of founding this group.

There is a problem with the parliamentary system of democracy if i, as a citizen, cannot put any of these guys to task. i elect an MLA who may or may not help appoint a Chief Minister. If i feel the CM is not doing his job well, i fire the MLA who might have actually been good. Ditto for the MP and the Prime Minister. It gets worse for the corporator, who's only job is to make so much noise that the Municipal Commissioner is irritated enough to take action.

How can things change?