The world’s most honourable ministers

India has the most amazing ministers in the world No one has said this out loud yet but it is only a matter of time before some important organisation announces it How could they not if given access to the polished CVs of our many elected representatives The facts speak for themselves so I donrsquot foresee any issues with such a proclamation arriving any day nowIt doesnrsquot take a degree in Entire Political Science to show that we have some of the worldrsquos most qualified men and women in charge of our countryrsquos future Itrsquos why India is now looked upon with envy and admiration the world over as political leaders from every corner struggle to attract the kind of talent we so casually designate to Parliament with every election They are the elite a group of people tirelessly devoted to tackling everything from hunger to crime while still findingtime for TwitterSome would argue that becoming a minister has less to do with talent and more to do with onersquos bank balance or whom one happens to be related to I find both arguments mildly obtuse Yes most of our ministers happen to be crorepatis before they are elected and the ones that arenrsquot so well off usually become crorepatis soon after but that has little to do with why they are chosen It costs millions to run for an election these days and most of us donrsquot have this kind of money lying around but that doesnrsquot take away from the happy coincidence that so many crorepatis have a mysterious affinity for politics Maybe itrsquos just a love for humanity common to rich people the world over coupled with a need to make everything better Maybe the rich have some reason to control everyone else that we simply donrsquot understand because we arenrsquot in their positionAs for the question of relatives why drag nepotism into the picture when it is often an act of charity If the children of politicians donrsquot embrace politics how else are they supposed to earn a living Doesnrsquot it stand to reason that a minister in charge of say the environment will automatically have offspring as devoted to an equitable distribution of natural resources among the highest biddersI was prompted to write this mildly impassioned defence of our stellar bunch of politicians because I have begun to feel lately that they arenrsquot as appreciated as they ought to be They are being attacked and accused of things they simply arenrsquot capable of Take that embarrassing monthslong campaign against the Wrestling Federation of India chief who just happened to be a Minister of Parliament He was charged under sections of the Indian Penal Code that included stalking assault sexual harassment and common intention He was also booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act which made me wonder how he found time to play the role of a politician Did he harass women on weekends aloneIt made me question if these accusations made sense given how busy our ministers are always transforming every nook and cranny of India If they really had as much free time to commit the many crimes they are routinely accused of would India really have 100 Smart Cities I think not We are a developed nation because our ministers work for us not for themselves and even a cursory look at a neighbouring street bus stop or railway station ought to prove how we are already a more advanced nation than the United States or ChinaI believe we should all think about the absurdity of allegations like these and ask ourselves if they seem plausible If we donrsquot nip this sort of behaviour in the bud therersquos no telling what ministers may be accused of next Imagine for instance a chief minister being accused of snooping on a woman or a home minister accused of extortion and murder How will we deal with something as ludicrousLuckily for us the government continues to do its spectacular job of attracting and retaining talent Parliament continues to be staffed by the best and brightest which is why I expect the United Nations to take notice of this any day now Until that happens we should just do our part put our heads down and stop accusing our ministers of things Just because someone looks like a criminal acts like a criminal and commits a few crimes doesnrsquot mean that person really is a criminalWhen he isnrsquot ranting about all things Mumbai Lindsay Pereira can be almost sweet He tweets lindsaypereiraSend your feedback to mailbagmiddaycomThe views expressed in this column are the individualrsquos and donrsquot represent those of the paper