Letter to posterity

It is at the moment of transition that democracy really pays off. The peaceful hand-over of power from one government to another,both of which may be violently opposed,is one of the greatest accomplishments of modern liberal democracy. A panoply of tradition surrounds this moment across the world; in Britain,for example,the incoming prime minister is greeted by the staff of Number Ten Downing Street lining the corridors and applauding. But underlying most of it is the need for continuity. The fact that the new PMs staff are applauding him,helps underline the fact that they were also the old PMs staff,and are yet willing to get on with the job in hand. In the US,the ritual is simultaneously more private and better-known: the outgoing president leaves a note addressed to the incoming one in the top drawer of the Oval Offices historic Resolute desk.

News that the Prime Ministers Office has put together an action plan for the next government to look at,regardless of who might lead it,is heartening,a refreshing reminder that our 60-year old democracy is maturing in such matters. There has been anecdotal evidence in the past of the beginnings of such customs; important advice passed down from one prime minister to the other,sometimes directly,sometimes through trusted civil servants. But a depoliticised summary of where a government completing its term feels its flagship programmes stand and an estimation of what remains to be done as well as what the incoming government should focus on will greatly help.

For one thing,at times of crisis such as these,it will help the new,or re-elected,administration hit the ground running. In those areas which are less political,more managerial infrastructure investment,say a structure that smoothens out a transition will help ensure that priorities dont get changed in error. But then,were some distance away from true political maturity. After the last Rajasthan assembly polls,the incoming Congress reportedly dumped large numbers of the previous regimes plans,regardless of quality. Thats precisely the kind of error that institutions of the sort that this survey might evolve into aim to prevent. Lets hope that evolution,in this case,is speedy.