Your cover story on our ‘mummy-papa MPs’ by Patrick French (The Princely State of India, Jan 17) shows how democracy has taken a weird and wonderful turn in the hurly-burly of Indian politics. In a country where privy purses for princely states were abolished as retrograde, we now have political dynasties at all levels—from elections to the municipal bodies right up to elections to the Lok Sabha. This is not very different from what the Supreme Court described as the ‘Uncle Judge syndrome’. Perhaps we should have a tricameral system, with a new chamber created to accommodate descendants of politicians!
H.N. Ramakrishna, Bangalore
Indian history is becoming the biography of a few families.
R.S. Pillai, Kollam
Except for Jawaharlal Nehru, Indian politicians of the first three generations since independence have left us a legacy of neglect, apathy, corruption and ineptitude. It’s time we cured ourselves of this fetish for ‘blue blood’.
S. Chakradhara Raju, Hyderabad
The trend-setter of dynastic politics was Jawaharlal Nehru, who appointed his sister Vijayalakshmi Pandit as an ambassador to the Soviet Union and his daughter Indira Gandhi as the president of the Indian National Congress.
Pradip Singh, Stafford, UK
The Nehru-Gandhis, the Pawars, the Sangmas, the Pilots, the Solankis, the Badals, the Scindias, the Yadavs, the Abdullahs and the Devi Lal and dmk clans have all, in steadfast sincerity of purpose, contributed to and consolidated what Warren Buffet once called the ‘Lucky Sperm Club of India’.
S.M. Kompella, Kakinada
French’s article made for disturbing reading. It’s human to ignore or get inured to general trends; however, once set down as cold facts and numbers, they become impossible to gloss over. Western democracies have created a culture of politicians rising through hard work in student life or community service. India, however—thanks to the party that once boasted visionaries of modern democracy—still suffers from a feudal culture reeking of sycophancy and nepotism.
Udayan Dhar, Mysore
What Patrick French (politely) fails to note is that many of these political families live in opulence in the cities although they get elected from underdeveloped constituencies in the hinterlands. These politicians benefit from the gullibility of illiterate and ignorant voters, so it shouldn’t be surprising that they keep those constituencies underdeveloped.
M.A. Raipet, Secunderabad
Our young parliamentarians, by continuing the legacy of corruption started and maintained over the years by their parents, have belied the belief that youth is idealistic.
Gilbert D’Souza, Bangalore
Why single out the Congress? Regional satraps too push their children into politics to control the spoils of office. It isn’t as if the Left is free of the dynastic virus. The same goes with the professions too, and also the civil services and journalism. If there can be Kennedys, Clintons and Bushes, why not Gandhis, Nehrus and Yadavs.
K.E. Thomas, on e-mail
Indians, true to form, have turned politicians into a separate caste. You go to the Brahmin for priestly services, the Vaishya for business or trade, the politician for political favours. This is India, after all.
Lutufullah, Aurangabad
I think French would have arrived at the same inference from an analysis of the Lok Sabha of the ’50-60s.
Ashish Agrawal, on e-mail
The BJP has led us to believe that dynastic succession is the preserve of the Congress. In fact, all parties—except perhaps the AIADMK, for Jayalalitha doesn’t have children!—practise dynasticism. I think nothing wrong with that either, provided the successor is capable of political work.
Scaria Varghese, Melbourne
French has merely quantified what is well known: it’s not what you know but who you know that counts. Or, in the case of politicians, whose son or daughter you are.
Bonita, Chennai
One way out of the dynastic morass would be for all seats to be reserved by rotation from term to term for candidates from the SC, ST, general and woman categories.
Munuswamy Ganapathy, Chennai
French’s article brings out the sad fact that our educated, urban classes stay off politics. Therefore, it is natural for the Gandhis, Abdullahs, Scindias et al to keep passing on the throne to their descendants.
Siddharth, Boston, US
As long as our MPs are elected through fair, democratic means, why should the public bother about who their parents are? We Indians are far too opinionated about everything. Let’s leave politicians to do their jobs and get on with ours. It takes guts to be in politics, so let’s respect politicians for whatever little good they manage to do or get done.
Chetan T.A., Bangalore
Even Bollywood looks like one big family enterprise now. The awards go either to the Kapoors, Bachchans or Chopras. What a stinking cartel!
Deepak Kumar Agrawal, on e-mail
The Congress should appoint a minister of cabinet rank for the exclusive task of defending or denying Rahul Gandhi’s remarks on issues ranging from Hindutva terrorism to coalition politics. Digvijay Singh, a man after Rahul’s own heart, would prove ideal for the post.
Anand & Swati Sriram, Mumbai
