In our nation, there is a synchronized mentality among all the fathers that their son will eventually enter into the same field of occupation in which they are, but at a higher official or economical position. The thoughts are totally clear that the son of an engineer will become engineer. The son of a doctor will become a doctor.
This mindset is not new and the same thing has been witnessed from centuries. In older days, the son of a cobbler was barred from the society to become anything apart from a cobbler by profession. The son of a sweeper was enforced to be a sweeper and the same thing was applicable even on the Brahmins, where the son of a Brahmin had to continue his father’s legacy as a Brahmin. This gave birth to the caste system in India, where the profession of the individual eventually became his caste, as neither could he leave his profession nor could he leave his caste.
As a boon from the destiny, thankfully we don’t have any caste that is purely of leaders. Yet the mentality of son entering into father’s shoes has infected the politics too, and that also successfully. In our politics, not just the children but also the grandchildren and also the great-grandchildren of leaders are carrying the baton of legacy of the fore-fathers. Only in this structure of inheritance, it hardly matters that the successor is a man or a woman. As happens in the family business, the leader may settle his nephews in a good position, but the highest command is passed on to own children, sternly ignoring the seniority of the patriarch’s other relatives or colleagues.
The question arising here is that, is it wrong? Well, it’s not wrong but it’s not flawless too. When an engineer decides his son will become an engineer, the son has to study hard, crack the entrance, qualify then again study for 4 years and eventually he becomes engineer. Same implies with the doctor’s son, who has to become a doctor.
The successors of the politicians luckily, neither have any entrance exams nor any course, but being a popular and loved political leader is way tougher than being an engineer or doctor. These inheritors get the election tickets without proving their mettle on the ground and eventually after a time being they face the real heat. Individuals are made Party chiefs and at times Chief Minister of large states as their father aims for a greater position in centre, and few are so lucky that in contrast to their own will, they are projected as the individual “Who can any day become Prime Minister” just by the virtue of being the son of a party chief.
This trend of making the successor of the family, as the business head or ruler is a common practice in the business fraternity or that of the royal families. The political parties though are referred as “Public Property”, but they are treated as a private business. The founders of the parties if state that the management of the party is private affair, the question of passing the leadership to their children would never arise, but they haven’t stated anything as such.
It is now necessary for the leaders to understand that their children who have never seen hardship in their lives, how could ever understand the plight of poor voters? There is a need to train them on the ground like their forefathers did, so that even they could be loved as their ancestors were. The field of politics is similar to that of films, where the son of a mega star is not appreciated whereas the son of a flop actor and successful writer has given back to back blockbusters.
It has to be understood that the age of grandson of a patriarch is less than the tenure that a person has spent being in the chair as a MP or MLA representing the party. Yet, the grandson, instead of learning for such a rich source of experience commands over them. It is important to understand that it is not dynasty system but democracy and the people have right to reject the son of leaders which was witnessed as in 2014 Lok Sabha Polls. Whereas, if there is talent in the successor he/she can surely make wonders, but unfortunately, we are yet to see such an example.
