TALES OF TRAVESTY
DR. JITENDRA SINGH
In the post-war years of 1940s, when the British House of Commons was debating the option of granting independence to India, the then leader of Opposition Winston Churchill had warned that India was not yet ready for democratic self-rule and had gone ahead to predict that, if granted independence, within next 50 years India would go back by several centuries. It would be unfair to say that Churchill’s prediction was prophetic because, all said and done, democracy has despite odds come to stay in this country for over six decades now. But Churchill, known for his conceit and self-righteousness, would have drawn satisfaction and some vindication to see that even though independent India adopted Britain’s Westminster democratic model, it has over the 50 years inadvertantly transformed itself from British Raj to “Family” Raj albeit in the illusion of democracy.
An independent survey reveals there are atleast half a dozen State in India today including important one like Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu as well as ethnically sensitive ones like Punjab, Jammu & Kashmir and Odisha where the incumbent Chief Minister or a chief minister-in-waiting happens to be the progeny of an erstwhile Chief Minister. There are over two dozen father-son, father-daughter, father-son-in-law or similar family combinations where one kin is a minister or an important functionary at the Center while the other kin holds an equally important position in the home State. There are also several more instances where the two kins are simultaneously ministers at the Centre or in the home State. In cases where a given political party is not in power, two or more kins are seen simultaneously occupy party positions of influence.
In addition, beginning from down south Tamil Nadu, across Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Punjab, Haryana, upto J&K in north and Odisha in east, there are atleast ten States of the India union today whose political fortunes are controlled by certain dynasties which have been around for more than two to three generations.
Interestingly, the Nehru-Gandhi family owes the credit of having institutionalised the culture as well acceptability of dynasty rule in Indian democracy. When Jawaharlal Nehru appointed daughter Indira as official hostess to Prime Minister and later nominated her to Congress Working Committee, he was accused of tacitly promoting her but he stopped short at that. It was infact Indira Gandhi who in 1970s showed the way by ruthlessly pushing in son Sanjay and after his untimely death, bringing in the reluctant son Rajiv. Quick to emulate Indira Gandhi were a host of others ranging from Karunanidhis, Yadavs and Badals to Pawars and Abdullahs.
If nations and democracies are known to evolve through several centuries, in India the democracy is constrained to evolve through several generations before it learns to survive without a dynastic generation. Will 2014 be the year destined to break the jinx from India’s British Raj to “Family” Raj? That is a question only the voter can answer. Till then Umapathy will continue to be ruled by Governments elected by feudalist vote that counts for making up numbers but is devoid of the substance of prudence to carry any weightage, a La Allama Iqbal,”Jamhooriyat…….. Bandon Ko Gina Jata Hai, Tola Nahin Jata!”
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