Robert Walpole became Prime Minister of England in 1715 because his King didn't know English. This was because in their usual practical way, the English had imported George I from Hanover in Germany. Their Parliament had passed a law in the previous century saying only Protestants could be kings.

Along with his native German, George knew Latin. Walpole had a smattering of it. So Walpole became the communicator of royal wishes to the Cabinet.

Very soon, he became the most important minister and then the primus inter pares (first among equals). Out of this peculiarity, the cabinet system of government was born.

It has lasted because it works. If it hadn't, it would have morphed into something else — just as it is doing in India.

The British system, now known with typical British pomposity as the Westminster Model, was the result of a century-long effort to neuter the King. Four of the five that reigned in the 17th century had made a thorough nuisance of themselves. The Parliament even chopped off the head of one in 1649 when he got too ahead of himself.

But the systemic issue that was settled only in the 18th century was this: There would be a head of state who would operate though a bunch of ministers, headed by a first minister. Between them, these two would take care of the diverse business interests that ran the kingdom. Mostly, cabinet ministers represented commercial interests.

Indian rope trick

In 1947, India suddenly popped up on the scene. Having had an amazingly ambivalent relationship with Britain, the typical father-son one, it adopted this model in toto .

We replaced the king or queen with a President. And for a while it worked.

But it suffered from a fatal flaw. Would the Prime Minister collude with the President of the country or the party?

Britain had opted for the latter way back in the mid-19th century but India was still young, and starry-eyed about such things. It was also foolish in that it thought it was morally a cut above the rest.

But it soon became clear that reality could not be kept at bay forever. It was hard call. Much handwringing went on.

Eventually, Indira Gandhi solved the problem by becoming the president of the party; so, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi could collude with Congress president, Indira Gandhi, while formally taking orders from the President of the country — who she decreed was bound by her advice!

What a genius, Sirjee! It was what is called jugaad at its best. Improvisation of the highest order, just as the George I-Robert Walpole one had been. No one knew what was going on.

Indo-Italian rope trick

But times change, people change, and above all needs change. In 2004, another tweak was needed, and given.

It was an extraordinary example of the sort of ingenuity you can expect when Indian and Italian brains come together to create a new illusion.

Thus, just as before, the Congress President and the Prime Minister remained the same person but a virtual Prime Minister, who — this was Ranji class wristwork — lived in a different house, was manufactured.

This took India right back to the Georgian era of England when the King still had a major say in policy and governance.

It took the illness of George III, who also lost America in 1776, to finally settle power on Parliament acting through the Prime Minister and the government.

We are getting there, too.

comment COMMENT NOW