Dynastic rule a divine right: Indian Democracy a Mockery of a Monarchy

26 May 2009 By 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 MK Stalin is already a Minister in Tamil Nadu. Now, Karunanidhi has succeeded in securing central cabinet berths for his elder son MK 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 PA 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 AB Vajpayee, AIADMK chief J Jayalalitha, Union Railway Minister and Trinamool Congress president Mamata Banerjee 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!
Dynastic rule no longer limited to Congress