A Country For Sale

  3 min 36 sec to read
A Country For Sale

There is a country in this world which has been on sale for the past few years. As there is not a single buyer who can buy this country in one go, the country is being cut into pieces and sold in installments.

This country has quite a strange story. More than economically, this country is poor psychologically. But it is rich politically. In this country, nearly 200 political parties are registered with the Election Commission. More political parties are being formed in this country like mushrooming noodle soup shops because politics has become the most profitable 'business' here. 

Almost all positions are on sale here - be it the post of parliamentarian or minister or the GM of a public enterprise. Because almost all key posts have been sold constantly for the past three decades, virtues like morality, honesty, humanity etc have run out of stock in this country. The bargaining during the buying and selling becomes so hard that it has become normal for a citizen of this country to threaten to form a new one if things don't go according to his/her wish.          

Those with access to the higher establishment get tax exemptions for no reason in this country. They even get VAT exemptions. But those who deserve such exemptions don't. Almost everyone - from the so-called big industrialists to the famous media houses - is busy robbing the state here.    

Be it the president or a minister or any other high-ranking government official, the first decision they take after assuming office in this country is to increase their perks and buy the most expensive vehicle for themselves. The only aim of the politicians of all political parties and bureaucrats in this country is to make money, no matter how. Every year a new Cabinet is formed and the ministerial berths are distributed in such a way as if dividing their parental property among themselves. The ministers are left free to make as much money as they can.      

They also hold elections in this country. But no one makes public the details of their election expenses. None of those who hold public positions make public their property details. But they do one thing for sure- they always bring in a new law to levy new taxes on the general public. When relieved from their posts, they not only do not return government vehicles but also do not vacate the minister's quarters.    

In this country, the people get fed up with the state of things every decade or two and launch agitations. But even after such agitations, the same old faces rise to power and keep robbing the same people who help them rise to power.   

They don't work themselves. But they never give up chanting big slogans about democracy and development. In this country, the Prime Minister needs to issue directives even for small works like patching up the potholes on the roads. And such directives do not come unless somebody dies after drowning in such potholes.  

This country is not that poor economically. Because it has huge natural resources and the government there has billions deposited in its coffers. This country doesn't or cannot spend this money. Out of the 12 months in a year, it does try to spend this money in one month but that doesn't work.    

The finance minister or even the finance secretary of this country is not in the least bit concerned about the ever rising trade deficit. Similarly, none of the stakeholders concerned is worried about the closed industries. Because everyone is busy dividing the country into pieces and selling it. 'The party is bigger than the country and the cadres are bigger than the people' is the dominant notion of this country.  

It’s now probably pretty obvious which country in the world I’m talking about.

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