Dynastic rule no longer limited to Congress

M. Gautham Machaiah

The Congress may be accused of patenting dynastic rule in India, but other political parties are not far behind.

Dynastic rule is today universalised in Indian politics, cutting across parties, regions and ideologies. Politicians, like erstwhile monarchs, seem to believe in the concept of divine right to rule. No doubt, opposition politicians who once harangued the Congress for perpetuating dynastic rule, have their tails tucked between their legs.

The BJP which has been the most vitriolic in its attack on the Congress has itself become a victim of dynastic politics. Take for instance, the case of senior leader Jaswant Singh, who has passed the mantle on to his son Manvendra Singh, or Maneka Gandhi who has handed over the baton to her son Varun Gandhi.

But nobody could have been more brazen that BJP’s Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa who publicly swore in the name of God that he would not field his son B.Y. Raghavendra for the Lok Sabha elections, only to eat his words a few days later. Incidentally, it was the same Yediyurappa who had spewed fire and brimstone against his arch rival and Janata Dal (Secular) president H.D. Deve Gowda for running a “father and sons” party. Pray, how is Yediyurappa now different from Deve Gowda?

It is no secret that for Deve Gowda, the Janata Dal (S) is no more than a family venture. Deve Gowda made his son H.D. Kumaraswamy the Chief Minister of Karnataka, while another son H.D. Revanna became a Minister. Now, the focus has shifted to the daughters-in-law of the family, with one of them Anita, wife of Kumaraswamy, already becoming an MLA. More are likely to follow.

Deve Gowda seems to be having some serious competition from M. Karunanidhi, Chief Minister of the neighbouring Tamil Nadu, who wants all plum posts for his extended family. His son M.K. Stalin is already a Minister in Tamil Nadu. Now, Karunanidhi has succeeded in securing central cabinet berths for his elder son M.K. Azhagiri and grand nephew Dayanidhi Maran, though his unabashed attempt at ensuring a ministership for daughter Kanhimozi too, has fallen flat.

The Sharad Pawars, Mulayam Singh Yadavs, Bal Thackareys, Farooq Abdullahs and Shibu Sorens of the world are also no exception.

Maharashtra satrap and National Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar has already anointed his daughter Supriya Sule, who is now an MP, as his successor. His colleague in Meghalaya, former Lok Sabha Speaker P.A. Sangma has followed suit by making his daughter Agatha an MP.

In Uttar Pradesh, Akhilesh Yadav has emerged as successor to his father, Samajwadi Party chief, Mulayam Singh Yadav. In Haryana, the reins of the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) have passed from the legendary Devi Lal to his son Om Prakash Chautala. In Jammu and Kashmir, National Conference president Farooq Abdulla has already crowned his son, Omar Abdulla as the Chief Minister of the State. In Shiv Sena, power has changed hands from Bal Thackarey to son, Udhav Thackarey. It is the same story in virtually every State and party.

But there are many politicians who have not reduced politics to a family business. They include former Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee, AIADMK chief J. Jayalalitha, Union Railway Minister and Trinamool Congress president Mamata Banerjee, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi. Well, all of them are unmarried.

With dynastic rule being ingrained in all political parties, none is in a position to point a finger at the other. At least on one issue there seems to be a consensus among all parties!

(Picture sourced from www.merinews.com)

COMMENTS

(This article was also posted on MSN. Some of the responses received are reproduced below)

Dynastic succession implies the passing over of the mantle by virtue of being related in the capacity of being a heir. Therefore, it means a person gets to occupy the office of his father merely because he happens to be the son or daughter, next in the succession line.Now, in all the cases mentioned, the sons/daughters have won elections. They enjoy the mandate of the people, and by virtue of this mandate have come into office. How is this dynastic rule?

Dynastic succession was a stick used by opposition parties when Rajiv Gandhi became Prime Minister. It was purely political rhetoric and has no legal sanctity in cases where the person was elected. Just because a person happens to be a minister or member of parliament, it does not foreclose the chances of his children entering politics.

Look at it this way, the children of politicians get a close look at how governance works from an early stage. So they may be better-placed to do the job at a later stage. As long as the route to parliament is through an election, it does not matter who the person is or who is parents were. All that matters is how well he does his job. This too is part of the great democracy that India is.
-B.S. Manu Rao, Bangalore

Politics is a real field for real men. If you can make a difference for your country, then jump in. Of course, even in countries like the USA and the UK, politicians come from certain privileged sections of the society. Children wanting to be politicians attend really good and special schools, they go to chosen colleges and take up courses which help them for their future political career.
Whether you like it or not, politicians of even advanced countries mostly come from politically or economically or socially elite families. Because of people talking of dynastic rule, Rahul is keeping away from being a minister. Give them a chance. If you or I go to Indian Parliament, they will boot us out the next second.
-Sarang, Chennai

Dear M Gautham Machaiah - your article makes very good reading. What I want to lay emphasis on is that all this points to senior politicians making way for Young India. It is for this very reason that the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena has been formed in Maharashtra under the aegis and leadership of Shri Rajsaheb Thackeray.
-C.A. Prashant Chavan, Mumbai

There is nothing wrong in politicians' off-springs entering politics. In any profession, it is but natural that the fathers want their children to enter their profession. Here, it is a different case with Congress. The party itself has got many children from other members (may be more capable and qualified, than the Nehru clan), but sycophants like Arjun Singh, Pranab Mukherjee and Manmohan Singh, want Rahul (and not their own children) to become Prime Minister of this country, as if the country is owned by Nehru dynasty. That is what is resented by right thinking people.
-V.R. Mandalika, Hyderabad

Fully support Mr VR Mandalika's views.
-Prabha, New Delhi

I agree with you Gautham. Please include Patnaik from Orisaa as well.
-Paalayan, Chennai

Let us not forget MGR, Janaki, Jayalalitha and their relatives. Dynasty never dies in Tamil Nadu. Moopanar to Vasan, Ramadoss to Anbumani and Kaduvetti Vijayakanth and his wife No one is an exception in Tamil Nadu.
-Astromurthy, Chennai

I agree with the article.
-Sameer Banerji, New Delhi

I am happy that you have openly brought this issue to the public eye. Will these so called leaders accept that the Indian politics centers round a few people mentioned by you?
-Ayyappan Subramaniam, New Delhi

I do accept all that you have stated. This trend needs to be dispensed with.
Dr P. Kaliyaperumal, Chennai

Politics has become the only profession with least investment and multiple profits and No fear of law.
-Present Times, Mumbai

I think the only exception to dynastic rule is the Father of our Nation, Mahatma Gandhi. If he had been alive to witness what is happening, I wonder how he would feel.
-R.S. Kuppusamy, Coimbatore