Today we celebrate the 60th anniversary of the day our country became a republic. Politicians of all hues will stand on podiums across the land as army units, police and school children march past. Stirring speeches will be delivered promising jam today for the aam aadmi. As always the truth will remain hidden in the fog of rhetoric. The truth is that to be able to stand on a podiums elections have to be won. Which means guns and sackfuls of black money. Which means only criminal scum can win. To win elections promises of free electricity, cheap rice, more reservation for the undeserving and such have to be made. Such promises are only effective if you have an army of half naked, hungry aam aadmi with swarms of dirty malnourished children to feed. Which means it is in the interest of the criminal politician to keep the aam aadmi hungry and naked. Which in turn allows huge taxes to be levied on the middle class to keep them in check. Huge taxes mean huge amounts of money for the criminal politicians and kleptocrats to award themselves all kinds of goodies such as cheap housing, free travel, five star hotels and unlimited opportunities of raking in bribes. What an irony that democracy in India depends on keeping people uneducated and poor while China, which is a ruthless oligarchy, has to maintain a scorching growth rate to keep its people in material comfort so that they do not challenge the Party. Unfortunately a freeloading selfish press helps in the reinforcing these lies. May God help and protect my India.