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India's Democratic Princes|The recent death of the Andhra Pradesh chief minister was indeed a tragic event. To
lose a leader is a loss to the nation. However, what is striking is the immediate
succession drama that ensued. The top choice for the new CM's job was, in what will
be no surprise to Indians, the CM's son. Somehow, we have almost accepted the
hereditary entitlement of the children of Bollywood superstars and politicians. I have
no view on the choice of CM; nor am i an expert on Andhra politics. However, i am
intrigued by this general phenomenon on how some of the most important jobs in the
country are handed over based on lineage more than calibre.
We simply don't have a mechanism to get the best person for the most responsible
jobs in the country. So, why are we like this? Why do we think it is almost alright for a
politician's son to become the next leader? I think there are three main reasons. First
up is emotional decision-making. Apologies for stereotyping, but Indians are
emotional people. The content of our films and TV programming is ample evidence
of this. When it comes to choosing a public figure, the decision is almost never
completely rational. We are fond of Big B, so we also give Junior B a chance. It
doesn't matter as much when it is about choosing the star you want to watch on
screen. It has huge repercussions when you use emotional criteria for positions that
involve running the country.
There is no doubt that the deceased CM's family is in
deep grief, but to hand over the reins of the state only for that reason may not be thebest idea. Political choices by voters must be rational. I am not suggesting that all
people with lineage will not be able to do a good job. Rahul Gandhi has resurrected
the Congress; he speaks well and has kept his patience and not jumped to take the
top post. Maybe that should be the reason to elect him, but not because he reminds
you of his father. Similarly, if some of his subsidy policies are damaging the country's
finances, you can consider switching your vote. Your vote is an important choice for
your country, not an expression of love.
Second, there is a lack of institutions to groom political talent. We make great
engineers and doctors but we don't take our liberal arts courses seriously. A handfulof colleges are good, but most places are poorly run and we don't have any
institutions like Georgetown University in the US, for example, which actually trains
students for political careers. The content of existing courses is outdated. I have met
few political science graduates who can give an insightful view on the current state of
Indian politics and how to bring about change in the present times. Even apart from
education, the political parties have no induction methods of taking in bright young
Indians, conducting training programmes, or a meritocratic evaluation system in
place to make sure the best talent gets a chance to shine.
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In absence of all this, parties depend on a few charismatic personalities to run the
show and their sudden absence creates a void, which needs to be filled by a
personality clone rather than the best leader available. This further acts as a
demotivator for capable people to make a career in politics who know they'll never
make it to the top. This worsens the supply of good people in times of need.
And then there is the lack of political awareness. While we do study the
oversimplified definition of a democracy in school by the people, for the people
millions of Indians, particularly in the economically weaker sections of society, still do
not understand the full power of a democracy. Our history of monarchy is difficult to
shake off, as democracy is a recent arrival in India's story. The established lines
created by the caste system over centuries make it difficult to grasp the concept that
anyone with talent can and, importantly, should rise to the highest levels in society.
In this scenario, we see political leaders as kings, and their little princes are
automatically next in line.
If we do pay attention to these issues, we can make the beginning towards a robust
political system that elects strong leaders who can take India to the next level.
Meanwhile, the little princes should learn a lesson from Bollywood. Your pedigree
may have given you a break, but you still need to perform. There are only so many
flops daddy's name can support. Somebody may have made you a prince, but to
stay there and become a real hero, you need to become a leader. The lights and
cameras are on you now, so let's see if you can deliver. Action!
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