Democracy of dynasties, for dynasties and by dynasties

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Be it the undisputed powerful Nehru-Gandhi family in the national capital or the Abdullahs in India-controlled Kashmir to the Reddys and the Karunanidhis in the southern states of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu respectively, dynasty politics is an irony considering that India considers itself the world's largest democracy -- all one got to possess is a big and famous name and then even with no prior experience in governance, one can aspire to be the one calling the shots in a political party -- a clear sign of nepotism, say political analysts.

"It all started with the Nehru-Gandhi family, India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru bringing his daughter Indira Gandhi to the Congress. After Nehru from 1947-1964, Indira Gandhi ruled India from 1966-1977 and again from 1980-1984, and her son Rajiv ruled during 1984-1989," said political scientist Professor Ajay Singh.

"No other dynasty in modern history has ruled so many people for so long a time. Even in India it is necessary to go back to the 17th-century Moghul Empire to find a parallel even before British rule. No doubt, it's sheer nepotism in a country of billion people," he added.

Agreed political scientist R.K. Basu: "In India, family succession is at the core of society, business, and, to a surprising degree, politics. Even the lowliest jobs on the railroads are often passed from father to son. It's in the mindset of people. This is the reason why dynasty politics is surviving even after 62 years of independence from British rule. It shows nepotism has a place in Indian politics, and it would stay, thanks to the people and power."

The Nehru-Gandhi family is not alone. In India-controlled Kashmir, the current Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had succeeded his father Farooq Abdullah as the executive head of the state, who in turn had succeeded his father Sheikh Abdullah.

Likewise, in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi is mulling to hand over the baton to his son Stalin, the namesake of the former Soviet leader.

Political analyst Prof S.K. Gupta contended: "It shows that experience of good governance doesn't count in secular, democratic India. Experienced politicians are always ignored for making way for sons and daughters of politicians to keep alive the tradition of dynasty politics. Party members are always charting the careers of their leaders by succumbing to nepotism, thereby setting aside the true values of a democracy."

However, according to the political analysts, India is not alone as the dynasty politics is prevalent even in developed nations like the United States and Japan.

"The election of George W. Bush as President eight years after his father left the White House, and Makiko Tanaka's induction as Japan's Foreign Minister almost 25 years after her father was Premier, shows that dynasty politics is not a preserve of Third World democracies. Even it is prevalent in developed nations. Why to blame India only?" said Professor Singh.

Rightly summarized in India's leading English daily in an editorial in the recent past, "India is a democracy of dynasties, for dynasties and by dynasties."