In the wake of yesterday’s defeat of Hindu nationalists in India’s elections — and the resultant euphoric market surge — Gideon Rachman gives a timely reminder of the nasty side of every international capitalist’s favorite South Asian nation:

In most countries when politicians are slammed as “criminals” this is simply vulgar abuse. In India, it is often the literal truth. The British public, currently hyperventilating about expenses fiddles in the UK parliament, might be interested to know that 128 of the 543 members of the last Indian parliament had faced criminal charges or investigations, including 83 cases of murder. In a poor society, gangsters can and do use muscle and money to force their way into parliament.

That does rather put western political corruptions into perspective, doesn’t it?

More importantly, the grim reality of Indian democracy somewhat undercuts the great globalists’ delusion, which portrays India as the marvelous democratic “success story” of recent years. The West has pinned so much false hope on this idea, seeing India as our one great ally in the South Asia region — a bulwark against Radical Islam and the sinister East. In doing so, we have largely ignored the ugly truths behind India’s triumphant democracy.

PS Here again is an excellent review by Septimus Waugh on the subject of India. (Subscribers only, I am afraid. Why not sign up?)