In India All Legislators – Including the Prime Minister – Should be Subjected to an Annual Medical Check-up – Both Physical and Mental

                                                                             

by

P.S. Sahni

 

The Indian Prime Minister has been lying and retracting from his public statements during the ongoing 2024 General Elections. It led me to delve into the personality of a pathological liar:

 

 A pathological liar is a person who is someone who lies to get his way. He is manipulative, clever and has an aim in mind. Concern for the feelings of others is completely missing. He may damn a religious minority like Muslim community. This is often a warning sign of antisocial personality disorder (commonly known as a psychopath). True, such a person may be able to love someone, but he cannot have an honest and healthy relationship. For example, he may marry but after a while he would distance himself from his spouse without even a divorce; it would not be desertion, too. He may have a weak grip on reality; He often believe his lies. He holds no value for truth; he lacks empathy and remorse. A failure to feel any guilt or shame about one’s misdeeds is said to be his hall-mark.

 

Very recently the same gentleman at the helm of affairs in India declared that he is not ‘biological’; and has been sent by God on a mission. But fellow countrymen /countrywomen have to be careful since when psychosis affects a person, he/she thinks of himself/herself as God. A team of independent psychiatrists/psychologists/counsellors could be of help.

 

A look at the 29-paged official document brought out by DoPT, Government of India states on page 1:

“Every new entrant to government service is required to produce a medical certificate of health:

To ensure that only persons, as are physically as well as mentally sound in health, are admitted to government service. Every new entrant including a part-time employee on appointment to government service/post is required to produce a medical certificate of health issued by a competent authority.

Where the post is permanent and the appointment thereto is made in a substantive capacity, the medical certificate of fitness shall be produced before such appointment.

[M/o Finance OM No. 45(1)-EV/54, dt. 24-3-1954].”

 

It questions the employee on page 4:

“Have you or any of your near relations been afflicted with … Insanity?”

 

Even a government employee at the lowest rung of hierarchal ladder has to undertake such a medical examination at the point of entry into service. This applies both to temporary or permanent employees.

 

A similar exercise should be introduced for all legislators at the point of entry into parliament/ state assembly; and annually, too; and also, SOS if his/her mental health so demands. It would be violative of the Indian Constitution if lawmakers are excluded from this medical certification.