Congress MP Shashi Tharoor’s article on dynastic politics in India has triggered a political row as it garnered praise from several BJP leaders. The article ‘Indian politics is a family business’, published on Project Syndicate, was about how it was high time that India replaced dynasty with meritocracy.
The clear also makes explicit references to The Indian National Congress, the Samajwadi Party, the DMK, the Trinamool Congress, and the National Conference.
In the article, Tharoor says that dynastic politics pose a grave threat to Indian democracy.’ The article starts with how the Nehru-Gandhi family and their association with the freedom struggle “cemented the idea that political leadership can be a birthright.”
The article was published on October 31.
In the article, Tharoor writes ‘When political power is determined by lineage, rather than ability, commitment, or grassroots engagement, the quality of governance suffers. Drawing from a smaller talent pool is never advantageous, but it is especially problematic when candidates’ main qualification is their surname. In fact, given that members of political dynasties are likely to be insulated from the challenges faced by ordinary people, they are often particularly ill-equipped to respond effectively to their constituents’ needs. Yet there is no guarantee that they will be held accountable for poor performance.’
Tharoor concludes the article by saying that as long as Indian politics remain a family enterprise, the ‘true promise of democracy – “government of the people, by the people, for the people” – cannot be fully realized.’
ALSO READ
While speaking to the media, BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla called Tharoor 'khatron ke khiladi' (one who plays with danger) and said that he was praying for him since the "the first family is very vengeful", referring to the beginning of the article where he talks about the Gandhi family.
Poonawalla, who had also served as the Congress's Maharashtra unit secretary, had quit the party in 2017 and joined the BJP. He currently serves as one of the party’s national spokespersons.
BJP national Spokesperson CR Kesavan also heaped praises on the article, calling it a “truth bomb”