As India celebrates the 60th anniversary of the first sitting of the Joint House of Parliament on May 13, here is the first column in a series, exclusively on rediff.com. 

Columnist and senior journalist Aakar Patel says given the fact that the middle class is not responsible in India and cannot be trusted to lead, it is remarkable that our legislature, even with all its vulgar traits, has performed as superbly as it has. Read