Our MPs want a salary hike, 100 per cent at that. They would point out that top bureaucrats are getting almost double of what they get. That is a fact, because the last increase they saw was in 2008. These public representatives have to perform their duties in their constituencies as well as Delhi, which includes meeting hundreds of people every month, if not in a day. There seems no reason to grudge them the increase they seek. Yet, people are nothing less than repulsed at the very idea. “These people!” they ask. There is obviously a serious perception problem. Who is to blame for that?
As people see their personal lives grow at the same old and slow pace, with a dip every now and then, they also see the blazing rise in the fortunes of people they elect, in or out of power. That may not be true for each and every MP, but we are talking about perception here, which is what politics is all about. Even that would be acceptable, if the representatives actually did represent public interest in Parliament. It is usually tribal warfare at play in the House, with Bills blocked for purely short-term political gain. MPs do not have the gumption to speak up against party chieftains on matters of principle. If they do, they cannot stay. People notice that.
The foremost charge a voter has against the entire political class is that it is corrupt. Not that others are not, but opportunities for MPs are far more and their chances of getting caught and sent to jail far less. The ones sentenced find it easy to get bail or parole. The need is for them to be more accountable than common public servants, as they are representatives of people, and carry their faith. Just as with the rape law, could the punishment for a corrupt legislator be more than others for exploiting a position of power? Dear MP, if you are going to be materialistic, so are we — and demand the bang for every buck we pay.