Yesterday’s news showed stories of 3 important families, all inexplicably linked to each other. History is like that, strange but sure and inevitable.
The first story was that of Karunanidhi camping out in Delhi to bargain for ministerial seats for his family in the new Indian cabinet. He wanted 8 posts, primarily for his family – one son, one daughter and another, a nephew. The rest were for other common members of his party, ostensibly to balance out and appease regional and caste factors in the state. Thankfully, another son is already firmly entrenched in state-level politics and may take over as the Chief Minister’s mantle from his father.
The second was that of the “Familiy” of Indian politics – the Nehru/Gandhi clan. This family’s history is very much a part of Modern India’s history – struggle for freedom, the hard-won independence, the resurrection of a bruised nation, abuse of power during Emergency, the untimely deaths of family members, the torch passed on to the closest relatives, a “supreme sacrifice” of prime ministerial ambitions by a Foreign-born woman, the young scion successfully forging ahead in his political career while his sister waits in the sidelines, biding her own time.
The third story was that of the recently slain Tamil Tiger Prabhakaran and the death of his family. A day after Prabhakaran’s dead body was paraded as a show of victory for the Sri Lankan Military came the announcement that the bodies of his wife, daughter and younger son were also found in a lagoon nearby. Prabharkaran’s elder son himself had died a day earlier.
History links these 3 families incredibly. Prabhakaran was the man who murdered Rajiv Gandhi and Karunanidhi is the man who calls Prabhakaran a friend or freedom fighter or a terrorist as it suits his political convenience. Karunanidhi is also a political friend of Sonia Gandhi, the widow of the very man Prabhakaran killed. Wow!
History unifying these families apart, the events also got me thinking on the whole issue of family inheritance. Why is meritocracy a mere entry in the Oxford Dictionary? Why do you see bloodline taking supremacy over everything else? I am not being harsh on only a few people. Look all around you. Hollywood, Bollywood, Kollywood, Tollywood – sons, daughters, nephews, nieces, all follow their famous relatives’ footsteps. Seriously, how many Kollywood stars would have been given a second glance on a screen test but for their talismanic famous surnames or family identities? Let’s look at the world of business. Kids go to fancy business schools, come back and join as directors of companies by the time they turn 25 and are on a fast track program to become heads of business conglomerates. Be it companies listed on Wall Street or Dalal Street,
this is true.
Be it the world’s largest democracy or the oldest democracy, the same holds good. George W Bush has to thank his grandfather Prescott Bush for his incredible luck, not just hanging chads or Katherine Harris in Florida. His most formidable opponent Al Gore was no less blessed having Al Gore Sr. as his father. The number of political dynasties in India is plainly mind numbing. Turn to any corner of the country – there are Singhs, Yadavs, Raos, Reddys, Bahuguna, Dutts, Patnaiks etc. The Magna Carta may have happened in 1215. But, the British Commonwealth still bows its head to the Queen.
I suppose that only in skill-based activities does meritocracy truly reign supreme. Performing arts (I am not including the movie industry for obvious reasons) and sports are prime examples. Yes, there are musical lineages in both Carnatic and Hindustani classical music but they can survive and have survived only if the progeny genuinely had the talent to showcase to the world. Being Gavaskar’s son did not help his son beyond the ill-fated Indian Cricket league.
Is that why parents take an active interest in promoting their own? Is it parental instinct to provide for their own or is it genuine fear that the children cannot survive without the protective nudge from above? There is a saying in Tamil, “Vaathiyar Pillai Makku.” A teacher’s son is a dunce. Does that fear make parents fallible?
But, does blind love also impair and imperil parents? Push them to fatal errors? Was it Prabhakaran’s love that kept his family with him? Or did he think that sending his family to safety would signal a betrayal of his commitment to the Eelam cause and his suffering brethren? Was his blind affection that helped promote Charles Anthony as the head of the Sea Tigers? Why did Prabhakaran’s wife, daughter and young son have to meet with such a gruesome end?
Why else would Azhagiri whose supporters killed 3 innocent people in an attack on Sun TV’s Madurai office today be in the contention for a Ministerial post? Why would the self-styled poet Kanimozhi be rumoured to be in the race for the Health Ministry? Of the 39 MPs across parties from TN, and the 20 from across DMK, only the family is miraculously capable and deemed fit to head ministerial positions?
What but family legacy could have propelled Indira, Sanjay, Rajiv, Sonia now followed by Rahul to head the Indian National Congress, the same party under whose banner men of taller stature and persona fought for India’s freedom? Or if you have to see it differently, was his mother’s sacrifice of the Prime Ministership the right example for Rahul to spurn any power-play roles, which he can so easily claim?
Don’t get me wrong. I am not being harshly judgemental and implying that family dynasties are all wrong. The Ambani brothers have increased shareholder (and their own) wealth more than in their father’s lifetime. The Tata family has been the conscience keepers of the business community in India. Naveen Patnaik may have gotten a backdoor entry into Orissa politics but is also in the forefront of a radically fresh image in Orissa. Just that the abuse of this privilege makes me feel sad.
On a lighter vein, when I was diagnosed with Osteo-arthritis almost 1.5 years ago, I asked my doctor the reason. Why did I get it such a young age? He answered, “May be genetics, you may have inherited it.” Made sense, 3 of my maternal aunts have either arthritis or bone related problems, although they acquired it a much older age. I promptly called my mother and asked, “Of all the things you could have passed on to me as family inheritance - money, good looks, fair skin, intelligence and anything else, you chose to pass on Arthritis from your family?” My mother just laughed. Enough said.
The first story was that of Karunanidhi camping out in Delhi to bargain for ministerial seats for his family in the new Indian cabinet. He wanted 8 posts, primarily for his family – one son, one daughter and another, a nephew. The rest were for other common members of his party, ostensibly to balance out and appease regional and caste factors in the state. Thankfully, another son is already firmly entrenched in state-level politics and may take over as the Chief Minister’s mantle from his father.
The second was that of the “Familiy” of Indian politics – the Nehru/Gandhi clan. This family’s history is very much a part of Modern India’s history – struggle for freedom, the hard-won independence, the resurrection of a bruised nation, abuse of power during Emergency, the untimely deaths of family members, the torch passed on to the closest relatives, a “supreme sacrifice” of prime ministerial ambitions by a Foreign-born woman, the young scion successfully forging ahead in his political career while his sister waits in the sidelines, biding her own time.
The third story was that of the recently slain Tamil Tiger Prabhakaran and the death of his family. A day after Prabhakaran’s dead body was paraded as a show of victory for the Sri Lankan Military came the announcement that the bodies of his wife, daughter and younger son were also found in a lagoon nearby. Prabharkaran’s elder son himself had died a day earlier.
History links these 3 families incredibly. Prabhakaran was the man who murdered Rajiv Gandhi and Karunanidhi is the man who calls Prabhakaran a friend or freedom fighter or a terrorist as it suits his political convenience. Karunanidhi is also a political friend of Sonia Gandhi, the widow of the very man Prabhakaran killed. Wow!
History unifying these families apart, the events also got me thinking on the whole issue of family inheritance. Why is meritocracy a mere entry in the Oxford Dictionary? Why do you see bloodline taking supremacy over everything else? I am not being harsh on only a few people. Look all around you. Hollywood, Bollywood, Kollywood, Tollywood – sons, daughters, nephews, nieces, all follow their famous relatives’ footsteps. Seriously, how many Kollywood stars would have been given a second glance on a screen test but for their talismanic famous surnames or family identities? Let’s look at the world of business. Kids go to fancy business schools, come back and join as directors of companies by the time they turn 25 and are on a fast track program to become heads of business conglomerates. Be it companies listed on Wall Street or Dalal Street,
this is true.
Be it the world’s largest democracy or the oldest democracy, the same holds good. George W Bush has to thank his grandfather Prescott Bush for his incredible luck, not just hanging chads or Katherine Harris in Florida. His most formidable opponent Al Gore was no less blessed having Al Gore Sr. as his father. The number of political dynasties in India is plainly mind numbing. Turn to any corner of the country – there are Singhs, Yadavs, Raos, Reddys, Bahuguna, Dutts, Patnaiks etc. The Magna Carta may have happened in 1215. But, the British Commonwealth still bows its head to the Queen.
I suppose that only in skill-based activities does meritocracy truly reign supreme. Performing arts (I am not including the movie industry for obvious reasons) and sports are prime examples. Yes, there are musical lineages in both Carnatic and Hindustani classical music but they can survive and have survived only if the progeny genuinely had the talent to showcase to the world. Being Gavaskar’s son did not help his son beyond the ill-fated Indian Cricket league.
Is that why parents take an active interest in promoting their own? Is it parental instinct to provide for their own or is it genuine fear that the children cannot survive without the protective nudge from above? There is a saying in Tamil, “Vaathiyar Pillai Makku.” A teacher’s son is a dunce. Does that fear make parents fallible?
But, does blind love also impair and imperil parents? Push them to fatal errors? Was it Prabhakaran’s love that kept his family with him? Or did he think that sending his family to safety would signal a betrayal of his commitment to the Eelam cause and his suffering brethren? Was his blind affection that helped promote Charles Anthony as the head of the Sea Tigers? Why did Prabhakaran’s wife, daughter and young son have to meet with such a gruesome end?
Why else would Azhagiri whose supporters killed 3 innocent people in an attack on Sun TV’s Madurai office today be in the contention for a Ministerial post? Why would the self-styled poet Kanimozhi be rumoured to be in the race for the Health Ministry? Of the 39 MPs across parties from TN, and the 20 from across DMK, only the family is miraculously capable and deemed fit to head ministerial positions?
What but family legacy could have propelled Indira, Sanjay, Rajiv, Sonia now followed by Rahul to head the Indian National Congress, the same party under whose banner men of taller stature and persona fought for India’s freedom? Or if you have to see it differently, was his mother’s sacrifice of the Prime Ministership the right example for Rahul to spurn any power-play roles, which he can so easily claim?
Don’t get me wrong. I am not being harshly judgemental and implying that family dynasties are all wrong. The Ambani brothers have increased shareholder (and their own) wealth more than in their father’s lifetime. The Tata family has been the conscience keepers of the business community in India. Naveen Patnaik may have gotten a backdoor entry into Orissa politics but is also in the forefront of a radically fresh image in Orissa. Just that the abuse of this privilege makes me feel sad.
On a lighter vein, when I was diagnosed with Osteo-arthritis almost 1.5 years ago, I asked my doctor the reason. Why did I get it such a young age? He answered, “May be genetics, you may have inherited it.” Made sense, 3 of my maternal aunts have either arthritis or bone related problems, although they acquired it a much older age. I promptly called my mother and asked, “Of all the things you could have passed on to me as family inheritance - money, good looks, fair skin, intelligence and anything else, you chose to pass on Arthritis from your family?” My mother just laughed. Enough said.
