In the corridors of public discourse, few issues stir the emotions of the masses like that of faith and its sacred rituals. The recent national uproar over the alleged adulteration of Prasad distributed at the sacred Tirupati Balaji Devasthan has evoked a fierce wave of outrage, prompting deep reflections on trust, governance, and accountability. The alleged adulteration, purportedly involving animal fat mixed into the Prasad—a sacred offering to the gods and consumed by millions of devout Hindus—strikes at the heart of faith itself, an affront to the divine bond between worshippers and the deity. The anger is palpable, but this incident shines a light on a larger systemic issue that has long plagued the Indian administrative and political apparatus.

To begin with, it must be acknowledged that the Indian state, through its Parliament, has not left the matter of food safety unattended. On the contrary, the Food Safety and Standards Act of 2006 was instituted to provide a robust legal framework, specifically designed to prevent any form of adulteration in the food supply. The law’s stipulations are internationally compliant and stringent, laying out a nationwide legal framework to protect consumers from the menace of adulterated food products. Yet, the persistence of such violations, particularly in something as sacrosanct as Prasad, raises troubling questions. How could such a grave lapse occur under the watchful eyes of the law?

The answer, tragically, lies not in the weakness of the law itself but in its non-implementation. The Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, exists not merely as a suggestion but as a binding legislative mandate, fortified by a nationwide bureaucratic apparatus intended to ensure its enforcement. But laws, no matter how well-framed, remain mere words on paper if they are not enforced with vigilance and integrity. The outrage surrounding the Tirupati Balaji Prasad scandal is, therefore, symptomatic of a much deeper problem—an endemic neglect of legal enforcement that has affected this great nation for far too long.

This failure, unfortunately, is not confined to a single incident or sector. The case of adulterated Prasad serves as a stark reminder of a malaise that has pervaded various aspects of governance and law in India. Be it food safety, environmental regulations, or social welfare schemes, regulatory stipulation etc. the gap between the framing of laws and their execution is wide and growing.

At the heart of this issue lies the very structure of India’s democracy. India’s democratic edifice rests upon the shoulders of 5252 people’s representatives, including the President and Vice President, each of whom is conferred with the solemn duty of formulating the nation’s laws and policies. Among these, 4577 individuals are directly elected by the citizens, each representing a territorial constituency. Every Member of Parliament (MP) stands accountable to an average of 25.78 lakh people, while each Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) is answerable to around 3.47 lakh citizens. This intricate system of representation, designed to give voice to the aspirations and concerns of over 1.4 billion people, is the very backbone of Indian democracy.

But representation does not end with the act of lawmaking. These elected representatives are not merely tasked with drafting legislation; they are also constitutionally bound to ensure the implementation of the laws they pass. It is here that the democratic machinery begins to falter. The crafting of laws may garner public attention and political capital, but the less glamorous work of ensuring that these laws are properly enforced often slips through the cracks. The neglect of this constitutional responsibility is perhaps the most crucial factor undermining the efficacy of the Indian system today.

Let us return to the case of food adulteration, which, while egregious in the context of Prasad, is sadly a widespread issue across the country. Despite the comprehensive provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, adulteration remains rampant in everyday food items consumed by millions of Indians. The question arises—why, in a country with such a robust legal structure, do these transgressions persist?

The answer lies in a combination of factors, all tied to a fundamental failure of governance. Firstly, there is the issue of accountability. While every MP and MLA is elected to serve the people and is constitutionally answerable to their respective constituencies, there is often a disconnect between representatives and the governed. The electoral cycle, with its focus on immediate gains and vote-bank politics, tends to prioritize short-term promises over long-term, sustained governance. As a result, representatives may focus on legislation that can win them political points, while neglecting the hard work of ensuring those laws are enforced on the ground.

Moreover, the bureaucratic apparatus that exists to implement these laws is often plagued by inefficiency, corruption, and unholy political alignment. The regulatory bodies tasked with enforcing food safety standards, for instance, are besieged  with systemic corruption, failure of hierarchical checks and balance, failure of government to punish the non performing and complacent etc. In such a scenario, the enforcement of laws becomes a secondary concern, overshadowed by the more pressing demands of political survival ,electoral expediency and a lax bureaucratic apparatus! 

This is not an isolated problem but a systemic issue that affects multiple areas of governance. From food safety to environmental protection, from healthcare to education, the gap between legislation and implementation undermines the very foundation of democracy. Laws are passed with great fanfare, but the mechanisms required to ensure their success remain woefully underdeveloped or neglected. The consequences are dire: citizens lose faith in the system, and the very purpose of democratic governance—ensuring the welfare of the people—is subverted.

The Tirupati Balaji Prasad incident, therefore, should not be seen in isolation. It is a symptom of a larger malaise, one that reflects the dangerous disconnect between the promises made by elected representatives and the realities on the ground. The outrage that followed this scandal is a reflection of the frustration felt by millions of Indians, who see laws being passed but rarely see them enforced.

To address this issue, a fundamental shift in governance is required. Elected representatives must recognize that their responsibilities do not end with the passage of laws. They must actively engage in ensuring that these laws are implemented in the spirit in which they were intended and they should audit implementation of laws in their constituencies concurrently.  This requires a renewed focus on accountability—both political and bureaucratic. Representatives must be held to account not only by their constituents but by a robust system of checks and balances that ensures that laws are enforced.

Furthermore, the bureaucratic apparatus entrusted with the implementation of laws must be rigorously scrutinized, with those occupying lofty administrative positions at both the national and state levels held to strict account and suitably penalized for any dereliction of duty. In instances of failure, it is the Secretaries who should face the brunt of accountability, rather than the lower-ranking officials in the field. Regulatory bodies must be equipped with the resources and autonomy they need to carry out their duties without fear of political interference. Only then can we hope to close the gap between lawmaking and law enforcement.

All in all, the scandal of adulterated Prasad at Tirupati Balaji is a wake-up call for the Indian democratic system. It is a stark reminder that laws, no matter how well crafted, are meaningless if they are not enforced. The responsibility of ensuring the implementation of these laws rests with the elected representatives, and it is high time they took this duty seriously. For only when laws are enforced can we hope to realize the true potential of democracy, and only then can the faith of the people in their representatives be restored.

-Mahesh Zagade, IAS(rtd)