If people are asked ‘what is the biggest threat to Indian democracy’, there may be diverse opinions but if the same question is asked to the Prime Minister of India Hon. Narendrabhai Modi, there will be only one direct response – ‘nepotism’ is the biggest scourge to democracy. And he has reiterated it on several occasions in the past. Unless we end the dynasticism in politics, he strongly proclaims, we the citizens of India will not be able to enjoy the fruits of democracy as envisaged by the father of the Indian Constitution Bharat Ratna Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar. It thus becomes pertinent to analyse this political stance.
Even before we could realise, the regional political parties had started playing with the sentiments of their respective vote-banks. These power-craving parasites established their families with such vigour that it became difficult for the national parties to make inroads. The Bharatiya Janata Party had been experiencing this consistently over a while . And hence, it began analysing the modus operandi of these parties. The BJP realised that under the pretext of ‘working for the welfare of its vote-bank’, these parties in reality worked only to safeguard the interests of the family or clan to whom the party belongs to. In doing so, the members of the particular family or clan ensured that the consolidation of power at all levels rested only with them. Two months ago, Prime Minister Modi strongly came down against the rampant nepotism in politics. Even before that, his stance against dynasty rule and its effect on democracy has always been spelled out loud and clear.
In political dynasticism, more than the country, society, and people, the interests of the family, clan, and relatives are given preference. The focus of their activists is always the family that owns the respective political party. They strongly believe that without the virtue of the said family, they cannot even contest elections. They go to an extent where they harp on the minds of the people that only their party is the saviour of society. And thus, looking after the welfare of the society is the hereditary monopoly of this family only. To fight this nepotism, the Bharatiya Janata Party, under the abled leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is making strong inroads in these states. The BJP is on a spree of protesting against all these family-operated political parties that claim to be working as the regional party of the particular state. Naturally, these regional parties began opposing this move. They began alleging that Modi’s BJP is trying to oust them., They fail to realise that Modi’s attempt is towards bringing an end to the nepotism that is flourishing under the guise of the regional political parties. And by doing this, the Modi government is ensuring that democracy is freed from the clutches of dynasticism.
As such, nepotism is rampant across sections of society. We see it across professions – doctors look forward to their kids taking up the medical profession so that their legacy continues. Similarly, lawyers also want their children to study law and later take up family practice ahead. We see this across businesses and professions. However true this may be, still nepotism in politics is always underlined. The reason is that no other professions, except politics, gets the chance to establish power and rule over the people. While other professions work only in their capacities, politics is one sector where being a part of the same family is crucial to take the legacy ahead. This is the basic difference between politics and the other sectors. It is the people who allow a family to exercise complete control by using their political might, thus giving birth to dynasticism which later becomes a threat to democracy.
In April 2019, during a meeting at Latur, Prime Minister Narendra Modi criticised all the parties who have been thriving under the dynastic rule of Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party and asked them to take lessons from Shiv Sena supremo Balasaheb Thackeray’s style of work. Lauding the efforts of the then Shiv Sena chief Balasaheb Thackeray, Modi had said that not only did he create a special position for the name ‘Thackeray’ in the minds of the people, but he had also succeeded in creating a special position for the party without participating in active politics and without taking up any position in the government. Instead, he let the ordinary workers of his party take up important positions in the government. Owing to this behaviour, the Thackeray family was never accused of political nepotism. Recently, after Uddhav Thackeray stepped down from the position of the chief minister, he reiterated the contributions made by his predecessors in Maharashtra’s politics. I am sure that every learned citizen of this state will feel proud and appreciate the fact that the Thackeray family till Balasaheb had never exercised dynastic politics in Maharashtra.
“From now on, I am handing over my ‘Bal’ to the people”, Prabodhankar Thackeray exclaimed on the foundation day of Shiv Sena. All those present on the occasion had happily accepted Balasaheb as their leader. Later, Balasaheb, without getting directly involved in state politics, raised ordinary Shiv Sainiks to higher ranks in government. Thus, his leadership was widely revered. On one occasion, Balasaheb had similarly urged people to accept his son Uddhav and grandson Aaditya Thackeray. And the people also responded positively to this urge. This was only because people knew about Balasaheb’s vow of not craving for a position in the government. People knew that the Thackeray family was unlike the other families indulging in dynastic politics and that the Thackeray had also been criticising such nepotism in Maharashtra’s politics. Unfortunately, Uddhav Thackeray took over as the chief minister, gave his son a ministerial position, and joined the alliance with those who have been exercising dynasty rule. This came as a jolt to Maharashtra as it underlined nepotism in the three-party Aghadi government. While there was Balasaheb Thackeray, who had categorically avoided being involved in active politics but still who could control governments without being in power and there was his son who couldn’t even control his party, despite being in power.
Looking at the recent events that are unfolding in Maharashtra in the last two months, all those who are vying for power through dynasticism, seem to have been in a major shock. It is also evident that those who believe in the dynastic rule are not able to digest the fact that an ordinary party activist can become the chief minister of the state. The leaders of these parties are the ones who are complaining that the BJP is trying to eliminate the parties in the opposition. This move of the BJP is aimed at ending the monopoly of these power-craving families. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s one of prime goal is to free the country from nepotism, which is the biggest threat to democracy. Every BJP worker is taking forward Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mission message. There is absolutely no doubt that if democracy is released from the clutches of dynasticism once and for all, even the common man will praise the efforts. And henceforth whenever dynasticism tries to establish its stronghold in our democratic set-up, there is no doubt that the BJP will continue to strike it down it in every possible manner.
Disclaimer
Views expressed above are the author’s own.
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