The government’s tourism department projects the nation as ‘Incredible India’. The government is right. India is incredible. Indian democracy is even more incredible.

One always thought that in democratic systems political parties contest elections to form governments and govern the nation. Not so in India. In Delhi both the BJP and the AAP want to avoid forming a government even though given the chance. Why? Both parties want to contest another election. Why will they contest the election? In order to win the poll and form a government. But neither party will form the government before the election. This incredible conduct is just one facet of our incredible democracy.

At the level of parliament our democracy is even more incredible. One always thought that the ruling party governed while opposition parties criticized the government and tried to unseat it. Not so in India. Here Congress MPs of the ruling party have introduced a no-trust motion against their own government. The opposition parties refuse to support them.

Many opposition parties prevent the motion from being introduced by creating disturbance in the House over several diverse issues. The main opposition party, the BJP, introduced at this critical time a no-trust motion against the Speaker in order to stall debate. The Speaker is fully cooperating with members. She simply could not hear anything over the din created in the House and therefore kept adjourning parliament instead of introducing the no-trust motion moved by Congress MPs.

At first the BJP indicated that it would oppose the motion because it supported the division of Andhra. It was pointed out to the leaders that it was a one line motion expressing lack of confidence in the government and all issues could be discussed. The BJP then indicated that it would support the motion. Then it again had rethinking because it wanted to reconsider Andhra’s division. Miss Mamata Banerjee in the morning indicated her party would support the motion. By the evening she decided that she would not support the motion. This is where matters rest at the moment of writing.

The politicians think they are being smart. The public is not impressed. People indulge in wild speculation about the use of money and blackmailing tactics through the CBI to stall the no-trust motion. People are convinced that it is just one more instance of political match-fixing.

After all are not the government and the opposition two sides of the same coin? Even though the coin is counterfeit it is circulated in the market.

This happens because we live in Incredible India.