People take refuge behind traditions to explain away conducting goofy things that has long since lost their relevance.
Take Republic Day Parade for example. If there is a bigger national waste than the RD Parade, then I have not seen it. The Capital city is paralysed for almost a month, the security on the day is suffocating, the invitee list limited to a choice few of the elite thereby ensuring the common man has no ghost of a chance of participating and added to that there is a sameness to the whole event. Millions of rupees spent on this could have been better utilized. Ditto for Independence day flag hoisting ceremony at Red Fort. PM can just walk upto Red Fort, hoist the Flag, that can be telecast live and he should scoot off immediately leaving it to people to decide how they want to celebrate. The spirit behind these two days are to remind us the importance of having Independence and being a Republic. But that is totally lost. How many of the Indians know what is the meaning of the word 'Republic'? I can say "hardly anyone", for I ask this query of my MBA students every 6 months and have not got a single correct answer. I rest my case.
The same can be said of the Ministerial Swearing in Ceremony. Thankfully, these days, it is held in the Rashtrapathi Bhavan. But I cannot for one understand why the President (which itself is an unwanted post and a drain on exchequer) should read out the oath one after another to 80 odd people. If at all oath taking is required, everyone could be made to stand as one and asked to take a mass oath. That should suffice. Anyway the relevant thing is the signing of the documents, and not the more visible Oath recital. For god's sake, I dont stand up in front of everyone and take an oath that I will do my job properly when I take up a new assignment. I plonk my laptop on the table, switch it on and get cracking - and that is how it should be.
Instead, why dont we ask our Ministers to meet an audience comprising of 50 citizens and defend their performance every year. The audience should be allowed to ask searching questions. Imagine G K Vasan being asked about the Cost-Benefit analysis of Sethu Samudram Project, PM grilled on the benefits accrued one year after the signing of the nuclear deal, Finance Minister and Rural Development minister having to defend the leakage in the NREG scheme, Kamal Nath having to explain why the 4 laning of Roads is not yet complete 6 years after its deadline, P Chidambaram in the dock for not arresting a single person associated with Mumbai blast six months after it has happened, PM questioned as to why he has not eradicated the Poverty in 100 days as per his tall claim in an election speech and so on. All telecast live on TV will be fun and will show up the ministers for what they are. It will also bring the much needed accountability in the system.
