Date: November 11th 2008

From: madhukar_ambekar@mac.com Date: Monday, November 10, 2008


'Sonstrokes' not new to Indian politics, Congress

http://www.dailypioneer.com/DisplayContent.aspx?ContentID=133279&URLName=Sonstrokes-not-new-to-Indian-politics-Congress


Sons and daughters are no longer an issue in Indian politics, much less in Congress.
Whatever might be the grievances of AICC General Secretary Margaret Alva, tickets in elections for the kith and kin of leaders has virtually been the rule rather than exception in the grand old party.
The main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which has often accused the Congress of practising 'dynastic' politics is itself slowly seeing the phenomenon.
However, regional parties take the cake when it comes to 'sonstrokes', but the Mayawati-led BSP only appears to be a bit different.
Left parties, known to be cadre based, are the "odd men out" as their leaders generally are of a different mould and the organisations too have a different structure.
"Why you are pointing fingers towards us and not others?", a visibly annoyed Congress President Sonia Gandhi had shot back to reporters when asked whether she was not promoting the family by giving her son Rahul a ticket in the 2004 Lok Sabha polls.
It was over four years ago and Gandhi's reference was to the several kith and kin of leaders of all parties who were already in politics.
They included Rabri Devi, wife of RJD supremo Lalu Prasad, MK Stalin, son of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, Chandrababu Naidu, son-in-law of NT Rama Rao, A Ramdoss, son of PMK chief Dr Ramadoss, Ajit Pawar, nephew of NCP chief Sharad Pawar and HD Kumaraswamy and HD Revanna, sons of former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda.
Incidentally, Raj Thackeray who is currently being targetted for 'stray' attacks on North Indians in Maharashtra, is the nephew of Shiv Sena Chief Bal Thackeray, who first took up cudgels for the Marathi cause four decades ago.Raj parted ways with the Sena sometime back after his uncle started promoting his son Uddhav and made him the Executive President of the party.
It was the same reason that prompted former Maharashtra Chief Minister Narayan Rane to leave Shiv Sena for Congress after a four decade old association. His son Nitesh is now in politics and expected to be the Congress candidate for the Lok Sabha polls from the Konkan seat.
Congress leaders recall that Margaret herself is a product of 'family' politics as she got the right push being the daughter-in-law of Joachim and Violet Alva, the first couple in Parliament. The leaders claim that Nivedith, son of Margaret, could not make it to the Karnataka list of party candidates on the issue of merit.
AICC General Secretary Prithviraj Chavan, who is primarily being targetted by Alva, too belongs to a Congress 'family'.
His mother Premalatai Chavan was a lawmaker for long and also Maharashtra PCC Chief and his father DR alias Anandrao Chavan was a Union Minister.



My Personal View
Dear Editor. It is not a new culture to Indian Democracy. Our system of "Kingdoms" is based on this principles so we are used to it. Look at the Caste system, the profession was passed on from one generation to other ( Until it lost it's glamor ). Now a different kind of caste system is emerging. Actors son Actor, Doctors son Doctor, Solicitors son Solicitor, Why not Politician's son be the Politician? Soon we will have this culture become water tight compartments to protect our son's and daughter's. We have convenient meaning for ourselves of the terms "Democracy and Secularism". There is nothing new in it. Whether one likes it or not. Nehru did it so did rest in your article's references. The only exceptions to the rule have been, Mahatma Gandhi, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Gulzarilala Nanda, Morarji Desai, Vallabhbhai Patel, Rajaji, and there are quite a few examples in History. Why should Margaret Alva throw stones at others when she herself lives in the "Glass House" Dr. Ambeka
r.



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