LETTERS TO THE EDITOR, THE HINDU, DATED 26-07-2012
DYNASTIC POLITICS IN WEST BENGAL
There is nothing wrong in Abhijit Mukherjee, son of
President Pranab Mukherjee, wanting to contest from the Jangipur Lok Sabha
constituency vacated by his father (“Descent of the republic” July 25) as
dynastic politics has become a universal phenomenon. The Bush and Clinton
families in the U.S. ,
the Nehru-Gandhi family, the Thackerays, the Abdullahs, the Mulayam Singhs, the
Pawars, the Karunanidhis and many others in India
are some examples.
The trend has come to stay and political values and ethics
have vanished into thin air.
V. Tilak Subramanian,
Chennai
The editorial points to a serious malady. Most leaders treat
politics as their family business. The Congress believes (and finds security) in
the concept of the “first family.”
Voters need to be educated on the undesirability of dynastic
politics so that they take proper decisions at the time of elections. We surely
cannot expect politicians or the Election Commission to perform this role. The
media alone can help.
P.R.V. Raja,
Pandalam
While Mukherjee senior is all set to protect and defend the
Constitution, Mukherjee junior is set to protect the neo-feudalistic practice
of inheriting his father’s parliamentary constituency.
D. Aravind,
Chennai
The tendency of sons and daughters of politicians to rise
using their parents’ influence should be discouraged. In fact, political
leaders should themselves discourage their children. If the younger generation
is keen on entering politics, it should start work at the grass root level and
rise to power through its own contribution to society and the nation.
C. Petson Peter,
People should stop encouraging family politics. But the
irony is even the so-called educated believe in dynastic politics. They are
seen hobnobbing with politicians to meet their ends. It is we, the middle class
and the poor, who have no such stakes.
S. Arshad Ali,
Madanapalle
I am sure there are Congressmen who deserve the ticket from
the Jangipur constituency more than the junior Mukherjee. It is time the so-called
democratic parties and their leaders took a lesson or two on democracy before
preaching democratic values to the nation.
Rajnish Kumar Yadav,
In a society where doctors, engineers and others encourage
their wards to follow the same profession, it is quite natural for politicians
to do the same. But politics is more than just a profession — it demands
greater responsibility and hard work. The President of India should think again
— before allowing his son to contest from the same constituency.
K.B. Jayalaxmi,
Ernakulam
