By Abhishek Pandey
D connotes a bad word in economic capital and Bollywood city Mumbai which resembles Dawood & co. It haunted the city for so many years and has given innumerable wounds to the city. ‘D’ exists in Delhi also but means something else. Here, it means dynasty. It is also bad for the health of Delhi, the political capital of the country.
Indians are not allergic to dynastic politics in the country since independence. Nehru- Gandhi family has ruled the country for so many years. This trend is mushrooming and expanding its tentacles like anything in recent times. From Kashmir valley to Kanyakumari and from Arabian Sea to Bay of Bengal, dynastic politics exist in India. This election is not the exception and has given chance to many political scions from different parties. It is the general idea among the entire ‘intellectual class’ that dynasty hurts democracy. India follows the democratic procedures in the elections but there are doubts about democracy with in the political parties. This is the reason many parties in India has become the family business.
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in Chennai, Janta Dal (Secular) in Karnataka, Samajwadi Party (SP) in Uttar Pradesh, National Conference (NC) and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Jammu and Kashmir, Akalis and Congress in Punjab, Bhajan Lal and sons’ Haryana Janhit Congress (HJC) and former deputy PM of India Devi Lal and family’s Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) in Haryana, Lalu and family’s Rastriya Janta Dal (RJD) in Bihar, Chauvan and Thackeray in Maharashtra are few of the parties dominated by dynasty in the country. These are the example of few families which have ruled the political platform in their respective states.
After this election, DMK chief Karunanidhi has demanded cabinet births for his family members including his niece Dayanidhi Maran, Stalin, M. Azhagiri, and her daughter Kanimozhi. It seems he has prepared his political will for the family. He has offered his son M. Azhagiri and Dayanidhi Maran cabinet births after hard negotiation with the Congress and elevated the stature of his son Stalin by making him deputy chief minister of Tamilnadu. Karunakaran’s family has ruled the Kerala for long. NT Ramarao and his son in law Chandrababu Naidu has enjoyed the power in Andhra Pradesh.
Mulayam Singh of SP is not an exception. He has given tickets to his family members. His brother, son and nephew have the benefit of special consideration in the party. Shiv Pal Yadav, his brother holds important position in the party. His son has contested from two seats and won both the seats in these Lok Sabha elections. His nephew Dharmendra Yadav has also won from Badaun by defeating DP Yadav, a don turned politician. Rastriya Lok Dal (RLD) leader Ajit Singh is the son of former Prime Minister Charan Singh. In Bihar, Lalu has been promoting his wife Rabri, brothers in law Sadhu and Subhash Yadav, Brother Gulab Yadav, sister in law Kunti Devi for long. Though, his brothers in law have separated from the party and joined the congress party.
Punjab is another example of this ill trend. Badal’s are ruling in the state. Prakash Singh Badal as Chief Minister, who is set to transfer his political chair to his son Sukhbhir Singh Badal, Deputy CM of Punjab. Harsimrat Kaur, wife of Sukhbir Singh has also entered in the political arena. Capt. Amrinder Singh of congress has also promoted his son and wife in the politics. In Orissa, Patnayak family has also led the Orissa and still Naveen Patnayak is the chief minister of the state.
Now, if we look at the recent emergence of new faces from the political families in this General elections then it can scare a true democrat. Many young turks have got the chance to step in Lok Sabha. It is good news but the sad part of the story is that most of them are from political families. Politics is not their achievement but they have got them from their parents. Rahul Gandhi, Priya Dutt, Nilesh Rane, Milind Deora, Sachin Pilot, Jyotiraditya Scindhia, Jitin Prasad of Congress. The names of theses family born leaders does not stop here. It also includes youngest MP of the India, Hamidullah Sayeed of congress.
This List is not only from Congress party. Manvendra Singh, son of BJP stalwart Jaswant Singh, Supriya Sule of NCP, and Akhilesh Yadav of SP has political background. Agatha Sangma, who became the MP in the last by polls and also won this election, is the daughter of National Congress Party leader and former Lok Sabha speaker PA Sangma. D. Purandeswari of Telgu Desham Party is the daughter of actor turned politician NT Ramarao. The list continues with other leaders of different parties. All these leaders have reached the parliament from their bedroom of their house by holding the finger of their parents. Is this the lot, we want as young leaders?
These leaders may or may not believe that they have got back door entry in politics. They may be under illusion that they did hard to get in the parliament. But, fact remains the same that they opt short cut. We need the young blood in Indian politics but not when others are neglected and have not given chance to represent the people. India is democratic state but it will turn in to a neo-monarchic state, if parties remain to follow the dynastic trails. India needs democracy with in the political parties.
Are we ready for the change ?
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