India of the present seems to have rediscovered its past, at least in one respect. The Guptas and the Mauryas, the Cholas and the Chalukyas, the Pallavas or the Rajputs or such other vintage royal lineages have their modern mirror images, replete with kept kingdoms, fawning courtiers, unbridled power, private armies, palace intrigues and all such trappings, even though monarchies in these democratic times are deemed passe. We are, for sure, referring to the various political dynasties that suddenly seem embedded and entrenched in virtually every part of India, though not for a moment are we suggesting that the current âroyaltiesâ can come anywhere near those hoary historical ones, in terms of culture or character.
Sure, political blood-lines have been rife for quite sometime now. Apart from the Nehru family at the national level and the Karunanidhi clan in TN, there are several ruling elites. The ascension for the nth time of Badal, lock, stock and family, in Punjab is the most recent. Deve Gowda has established his own family fief in next-door Karnataka. The Karunakarans of Kerala are legion. In AP Babu Naiduâs TDP is NTRâs âsridhanâ, though as most dowries this too was extracted by harassing a reluctant father-in-law who eventually perished in pain. Then we have Orissaâs Patnaiks and Haryanaâs Chautalas. Maharashtra has its Thackerays and Pawars. Lalu Devi and Rabri Prasad –I think I got mixed up …but who wouldnât …, their clan and cattle are all over Bihar. While Mulayam of UP is pitching for son Akhilesh, the Scindias are spread over MP and Rajasthan. The Abdullah line, the real LoC in J&K, almost runs parallel to that of Nehrus.
Then there are a slew of âyoung and dyanamicâ MPs and MLAâs who are nothing more than genetic footprints of their fathers, dead or alive; Manvendra, Prasada, Pilot, Deora, Dayanidhi, Anbumani, Vasan et al. Thanks to coalitions or grateful party leadership, they have been lucky enough to walk the corridors of power, though not as blessed as to have a kingdom of their own. Not yet, at least. Extended families and cronies fill, on and off, the remaining power vacuum as extra-constitutional authorities, somtimes subtly, but often blatantly. PVNâs progeny, Vajpayeeâs foster family, Jayalalithaaâs UPS (udan pirava sahodhari & an uninterrupted power source) Sasikala and her array of âkharans and Amar Singh are a few who leap up to the mind, though the list of Rasputins is by no means exhaustive. Indeed, it looks from a cursory scan of the political horizon that the neo-royals and their legal/regal heirs are having a ball, while the prajas have been enthusiastically electing them in absolute bliss. Deâmockâracy, indeed!
Offsprings taking off after their parents is a natural phenomenon wrought by a combination of genetics and growing-up environments. And this can be justified and is rather a matter of pride, in businesses or profession, and in any case, it is that familyâs affair. The same, however, cannot be said of dynastic tendencies in politics because it falls in the public domain involving peopleâs issues and taxpayersâ money. But as we see, it is pervasive. The primary reason for such a trend is the complete irrelevance and erosion of ideology amidst political parties and leaders. If ideology reigns as the main asset, succession would be determined by conviction and capacity. But since politics now is all about power and through that, pelf and pillage, who can be most trusted to carry on such a âlegacyâ than oneâs own blood?
Such inherited power in the hands of the gen-next also becomes an absolute necessity for them. Apart from the addiction to getting things done in a jiffy, continued political power is the only insurance against persistent opponents and prying arms of the law. Really, if the new-gen take to power like to fish to water, without it they are fish out of water. Imagine where would Sonia & Sons be on Bofors without the cover of power or the prospect of it? Or for that matter, a host of politicos who all have countless corruption charges against them and still handle public funds? Or the number of enquiry commissions and court cases that have come and gone, even as the accused themselves remained politically immune and immortal? Enduring corruption and a near total eclipse of the law of the land are the most fatal fallouts of dynastic politics.
Two events this week wake us up to the portents and perils of such perpetuation in politics. Rahul Gandhiâs profound comment that the Babri Masjid would not have been demolished had âhis family been in powerâ is the ultimate display of dynastic presumptuousness. Clearly, he believes that ruling India is a birthright and that the country is safe only in the family closet! So the PVN regime that also allowed Q to scoot was a dud. So much for dynastic gratitude. One shudders at the fate of the good Sardar now at the helm. Of the palanquin-bearing Cong cadre, the less said the better.
The sudden omnipresence of Kanimozhi on the TN political landscape is another stark example of the âall-in-the-familyâ syndrome. Even in normal times flattery, unlike Cauvery or Palar, flows freely in the State, as the most rational vocation. So a felicitation for the âpoetic-heiressâ of the CM obviously is a god-sent op for the crows to touch a crescendo. The sychopantic showers of praise, witnesses claim, literally drowned everthing around including goodsense and restraint, with some speakers even hailing her as the future CM. We must now try to rationalise on the prospects of sons Stalin and Azhagiri or the ambitious nephew, the only other choices the people are allowed to consider. Now, thatâs what we call âheirâ-splitting!
In public office, the guiding principle when dealing with relatives is that âCaesarâs wife should be above suspicionâ (the Italian connection not intended). But the reigning leit motif amidst Indiaâs ruling elites is âhang suspicion, we care a damn about even conviction because we are the lawâ. So where does that leave us, the subjects? Letâs busy ourselves singing lilting lullabies for the leaders now lying in âroyalâ cradles and even for the unborn rulers of TN and all of Bharat!
Long live the Kings and Queens. The kingdom, of course, can rot!
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