I am writing this column a little over a month after a new state government was formed in Maharashtra. This happened with quiet efficiency, as always. There has been no announcement of a council of ministers since that auspicious occasion though, which managed to get some people hot and bothered. I am aware that the situation may change by the time this column goes to print, but I am still annoyed by those who criticised the government for not putting a cabinet into place as quickly as possible. They were appalled by vacant positions and kept harping on about how the state wouldn’t function without ministers in charge of portfolios.

To these critics, I would like to point out that it is almost impossible to figure out when our state is functioning, irrespective of whether a cabinet is in place or not. Sure, everyone goes about their business and things appear to be running, but a majority of us probably confuse private businesses for state machinery. Walk into any government office of your choice—pick any day or time of the week, at your convenience—and tell me if it looks like a place where things are working. There will be a lot of people around, obviously, because our government offices may not have clean toilets, functioning hardware, or ventilated rooms, but will always have a lot of people. The presence of these people doesn’t necessarily mean they are doing something though. It doesn’t guarantee that the state is running smoothly, or at all, which is why this complaint about cabinets seems petty.