knowledge has no horizons

What is democracy? I have the stupidity at times, but not often, to ask my friends and people whom I know by acquaintance the above-asked question, to which they simply at most times replied quoting Lincoln's famous assertion - of the people, for the people, by the people. But my mind questioned the answer as to whether "the people" referred to here really refers to the people who elected or "the elected's people". To put it another way, the sons and daughters (grandchildren also come into scene at times) of the "rulers", by rulers you may call whatever with the title you want to call "chief ministers, ministers, or others".

Though the topic that forms the bone of contention to this essay is applicable almost to the entire world politics, with some exceptions in certain countries, as far as I know, this essay specifically focuses on Indian Politics. Being a curse for the people of India right from the day Indians got independence from the "whites", the severity of it reaches its height in the recent decades. Governments, whether central or state and no matter what they are, are being "the properties" of particular families. Apart from what they ruled or rule the state(s), there are other families that seek and strive hard to see their sons and daughters or both as the supreme leaders of the state or central governments, and some among the families already managed to be up in the power ladder as state and central ministers, and some others are looking for opportune moments for adorning their kith and kin’s' heads with crowns. To corroborate these points, a number of examples and instances can be adduced both from the past and the present, and both at the central level and state level.

India has seen several politicians who wished to the well-wishers of their families themselves and want them to step into politics. During the independence, leaders of all parties, though their parties varied, fought against the "whites", forgetting their families, and with the hope that their posterity will breathe the freedom air. Nowadays, as earlier said, power is being the property of particular families.

Indians should be gratitude for Nehru for his part in the fight against the "whites". And, his daughter Indira Gandhi and his grandson, Rajiv Gandhi, have also sacrified their lives for the sake of the nation. Of course, no doubt about that. But the question is how long are we going to put their heirs on the forefront of India's supreme chair and why, telling "the tales of gratitude". Or is it just enough to be the grandson or granddaughter of Nehru or Indira Gandhi to decide the destiny of India. Past history of particular families is to be revised and the efficient one alone should adorn the "chair" of India.

In Tamilnadu, dynasty politics is worse that the worst when compared to other states of India. M. Karunanidhi, the present chief minister of Tamilnadu, always seems to set his mind to get his son, Stalin (not his sons, as one can only be the chief minister of a state) seated on the chair of chief minister, though the so-called welfare plans for the people come from his mouth every day. As Shelley calls poets "the unacknowledged legislators of the world, the sitting chief minister wants his eldest son M.K.Azhagiri to be the unackowledged legislator of the southern Tamilnadu. And, of course, the latter is so. It is a strange thing and it never happens in the history of Indian politics, as far as I know, a man who is not even a councilor of a ward controls the half of the state. But it happens in Tamilnadu and it is just because he is the son of the chief minister. His daughter, Kanimozhi was already granted to be the Member of Parliament and is expected to come in car with siren as the cabinet minister (though the parliamentary election is approaching soon). His grand daughter through M.K.Azhagiri was given the title of "Kavithayini" at Cuddalore party women function and it is assumed to be a signal of her entry into (heir) politics. It is the assumption of many that there is a rivalry for the party young men secretary between Durai Thayanidhi, the son of M.K.Azhagiri, and Udhayanidhi, the son of M.K.Stalin. No wonder, if a children association is formed under the head of Kanimozhi's son, Adhithya.

Thank god! The ex-chief minister of Tamilnadu, J. Jeyalalitha, is not getting married and does not have sons and/or daughters.

Next comes into scene is Ramadoss, who infamously calls himself the deciding factor of winning the elections in the northern parts of Tamilnadu. It is almost unknown to the people of Tamilnadu that while he was inaugurating an association called "Vanniyar Sangam", he famously said that no one from his family will enjoy the benefits of what he starts and if it happens, roared Ramadoss, "beat me in the streets with chapels and cut my hands before the public". But his son Anbumani Ramadoss is the present Cabinet minister for health in Indian government. People of Tamilnadu should think of how he acts against what he asserted!

Another man from the southern part of Tamilnadu, who claimed the fame of being the best finance minister in Asia once, is Chidambaram, the current finance minister of India, already brought his son Karthi Chidambaram into political scene.

G.K. Vasan and E.V.K.S. Elangovan, who are also central ministers in Indian government, are also enjoying the power of their fathers that they had in their parties. (Of the two, G.K. Vasan might be excused as he entered into politics after the demise of his father, G.K. Moopanar). The tow previous state leaders of Tamilnadu congress, late-Vallappadi Ramamoorthy and Krishnasamy did not forget their sons – Rama Suganthan and Vishnu Prasad – to make them walk on their foot prints.

Writing of the dynasty politics both on and under the district level will force me to write this essay into a book, and because of this I don't intend to write further about Tamilnadu politics, just for the sake of your time, readers!

The neighbouring union territory, Puducherry, has also witnessed "heir" chief ministers and ministers – the present chief minister V.Vaithiyalingam is the son of ex-chief minister Vankada subba Reddy and the present minister for education, Shajahan, the son of ex-central minister F.M.Faruk Maraikkayar.

Now, let us see in a nutshell about the impact of "dynasty politics" in other parts of India. The three neighbouring states of Tamilnadu - Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh - also suffer the fate of dynasty politics. The senior congressman in Kerala, K. Karunakaran, had the courage to start a political party under his leadership just for the sake of his son, Muraleedharan. In Karnataka, the former "farmer" prime minister of India, Deva Gowda, found (and tried to find) ecstasy in seeing his son, H.D. Kumaraswamy as the chief minister of the state, and now, his daughter-in-law Anita Kumarasamy is an MLA representing Madhugiri constituency. N.T. Rama Rao of Andhra Pradesh managed to become the chief minister of the state just within nine months after starting a political party for himself and gave to his wife, Parvathi, both the party and his position in government when he kicked the bucket. Now that his nephew Chandrababu Naidu is the leader of the party is another story altogether. The late chief minister Rajasekara Reddy's son Jaganmohan Reddy is a sitting MP for Kadapa Lok Saba constituency.

Northern states are also not exception for dynasty politics. In Maharashtra, we have Paul Thackeray and his son Uttav Thackeray. The supremeo of the Nationalist Congress Party Sharad Pawar and his daughter Supriya Sule are the central minister in the present UPA coalition government. His nephew Ajit Pawar is already "ornamenting" as a minister in the Ashok Chavan-led Congress-NCP coalition government. The present Chief Minister of Maharashtra is also a product of the son-rise syndrome. He is the son of former chief minister S.B.Chavan. The 2009 Maharashtra assembly election is to come providing yet another good and strong base for dynasty politics. Vilasrao Deshmukh, who was the chief minister of Maharastra and the current Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises in the present congress government managed to get a seat for his son Amit to contest from Latur city constituency and another ex-chief minister of Maharastra Shinde, for his part, got a seat for his daughter Praniti for Solapur city central. Rajendra Shekhawat, son of President Pratibha Patil, has already been nominated from Amravati constituency. It is also expected that the Maharashtra's deputy CM Chhagan Bhujbal is of mind to see his son Pangaj Bhujbal as an MLA representing NCP. On the part of BJP, it is the turn for the late Pramod Mahajan's daughter, Poonam Mahajan-Rao to get the seat and contest the election. BJP general secretary Gopinath Munde raised many eyebrows getting three seats for his daughter, son-in-law and niece. He seemed to have forgotten the fact that the state has 288 seats in total.

In Bihar, We have Lalu Prasad Yadav and his wife Rabri Devi. Rajasthan witnessed her first woman chief minister, Vasundhara Raje, whose no-more mother Vijayaraje Scindia served the both houses of the Parliament as MP and his late brother as MP and minister in the congress-ruled government. In Jammu and Kashmir, We have the former Chief Minister Faruk Abdullah and his son Umar Abdullah, the present chief minister, and the former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and his daughter Mehbooba Mufti Sayeed, who is the opposition party leader in the present assembly.

The list extends and will extend. But, as a citizen of India, it is our duty to vote them in every election. Long live DEMOCRACY! (Last updated 25/09/09)