What is ‘parivarvad’ or dynasty politics, and why is it considered bad? In the same sense as any ‘ism’ or fixed ideology is, because it tends to give priority to some fixed ideas, ignoring truth, people’s welfare, and competence. That it may prefer falsehood, incompetence, and corruption, relegating larger social interests into the background. Thus, one can say that in India, party politics and ideology-fixation have been much more harmful than the so-called ‘parivarvad’. Organisations like Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and Bharatiya Janata Party are prime examples of this fixation.
Eight years ago, the BJP leaders had suddenly announced to make India ‘Congress-free.’ Did they propagate the same objective during the 2004 elections? No. However, after coming to power, they began such authoritarianism, hypocrisy and theatrics. All their spokespersons started mocking the Congress leader by calling them ‘Pappu’ (a demeaning nickname), believing that Congress has no future left.
They forgot that exaggerated criticism and too much denigration generate unintended consequences. The same is happening now. The BJP, once claimed to make India ‘Congress-free’ single-handedly, has to seek support from 37 parties just to survive the next election! They have even stooped to the level of appeasing criminals, staunch adversaries, and well-known corrupt turncoats.
While the so-called ‘Pappu’ remains unperturbed in his old demeanour. He hasn’t changed his views, approach, or principles. He hasn’t even changed Congress’s old, infamous ‘secularism’ or distanced himself from the dubious leftist companions. He remained consistent even in adverse political circumstances. This is an ethical and self-respecting position of Congress, it cannot be denied.
In comparison, the BJP and the Sangh Parivar have undergone such rapid and puzzling changes in their statements, actions, slogans, alliances, principles, propaganda, and even everyday jumlas in recent years that their old workers are also bewildered! They are clueless about what to say on which issue or event, whether to defend something or remain silent, or whom to criticise among other leaders and organisations?
Because, who knows, the same person who the BJP supporters are defaming today may be embraced by the BJP tomorrow and given a significant position or a national honour! A policy that the RSS and BJP workers are ridiculing today may become the favourite of their own leaders tomorrow! The same political activists they are denouncing today as ‘without people’s support’, ‘foreign agents’, etc., may find the BJP leaders suddenly submissive to the very lot.
Therefore, making fun of ‘parivarvad’ all over again is no longer appealing. In fact, its assessment should be comprehensive, not merely a party propaganda. Since the BJP brotherhood itself has compromised heavily on quality in most omissions and commissions, favouring its own party-organisation clan.
Also read: One Dynasty Dimming, we said of the Gandhis & Congress
Flawed criticism
In this context, it is worth recalling that the BJP had also ridiculed Sonia Gandhi in the past. Check the newspapers from 2002-2004. During that time, they propagated ‘India Shining’. Indeed, the country was enthusiastic due to nuclear tests, with a magnificent President in Dr Abdul Kalam, steady economic progress, and good relations with the United States. While at the same time Pakistan faced increasing troubles. Then many exceptional leaders in the BJP spoke and worked fearlessly on any subject under their charge, commanding respect even from opponents. Amid all this, Sonia Gandhi, seemed a very weak opponent: poorly educated, foreign, a widow, who did not even know enough Hindi. Today many may not know how much the BJP ridiculed Sonia Gandhi twenty years ago.
Then BJP President Venkaiah Naidu haughtily said before the elections in 2004, “where is the challenge – ‘hamen chunouti kidar hai’?” They were confident, believing they would always win so long the Congress was led by Sonia Gandhi.
This propaganda was so convincing that even many prominent Congress leaders and media barons thought no future for Congress under Sonia’s leadership. But what happened? Sonia Gandhi, despite struggling to read her speeches in Hindi, continued to travel across the country and confidently convey her message. As a result, the BJP suffered an unexpected defeat in 2004.
Afterwards, the same Sonia Gandhi, without holding any governmental position, undisputedly ruled from behind the scenes for ten years. Yet, she never flaunted her power, neither engaged in shows and pomp or theatrics, nor did she appoint her son and daughter to high positions. Though at the time every Indian politician and journalist knew that Sonia could place her son or daughter to any position in the country. Instead she formed a top-level knowledgeable advisory council, bringing together many competent experts from India and abroad. They did some good work, too, which should be viewed as an admirable legacy of Sonia Gandhi.
Now compare it with the BJP and its pompous activities, pretences, theatrics, rhetorical promises, and shameful hubris. Even their intelligent supporters today don’t claim that the RSS-BJP leaders have behaved commendably. In fact, if we compile the statements, claims, promises, and criticisms made by the BJP-RSS leaders before 2014, and compare it with their performance since it shows a huge inconsistency, u-turns and even totally unexpected acts. Their history of words and deeds are on record to check it.
Also read: 2019 elections ended ‘dynasties’ only of Congress, BJP’s are well and truly thriving
BJP’s foolishness
The statements and actions of the past nineteen years can be scrutinised with evidence.
From the comparison, any impartial observer would see how opportunistic, corrupt, arrogant, directionless, thoughtless, authoritarian, and dumb the BJP-RSS leaders proved themselves to be. This is evident even in their mindless slogans such as ‘Congress-mukt Bharat‘ (Congress-free India) after they came to power. And now they are desperate and troubled, trying to ally with all sorts of criminals, traitors, opportunists, and jihadists to stop the very Congress they ridiculed. Isn’t this a display of their dumbness? First giving an uncalled for slogan, then eating crow.
Therefore, again harping on to others’ so-called ‘parivarvad’ (dynasty politics) shows that the RSS-BJP has nothing substantial of their own to present. Instead of having any great achievements or clear plans for the future to show, they began to cry about the fifty-year-old worn issue of ‘parivarvad’!
As if favouring one’s own family members is unusual or unacceptable. Besides, it has to be considered, that while in Congress, RJD, Shiv Sena, Samajwadi Party, etc, a few individuals get special privileges or positions in the name of family, the BJP-‘parivar’ has favoured a large number of undeserving, loud-mouth, and sycophants to various significant positions, especially in critical areas like culture and education. That is, in very areas where competence, social national interest, and truthfulness should be the crucial criteria, not party loyalty. But they persisted in placing countless ill-educated, arrogant ‘bhaisahebs’ and ‘behenjis,’ solely because they are connected to their own parivar!
This charade, sadly, has resulted in long term damage to many important arenas and to social interest. These arenas are being undermined, neglected, rendered ineffective and left orphaned in a state of disarray – all because of a stubborn party mentality. In comparison, now it plainly appears, the Congress did not try to seize control of all social, cultural, educational, and religious institutions for their party’s benefit. But the RSS-BJP has now shown a frightening intention to control or capture all temples across the country. The showcasing of Ayodhya’s Ram temple as their party property is an alarming case in point. Rather, it should have especially been presented as a non-political, social project for the nation’s greater good. But they chose to betray utter lack of sense, in such a historic matter. There are numerous such examples to see their poor understanding of larger social cultural interests. In order to increase a superficial dominance of their ‘parivar’, they are neglecting and harming national interest, esp. in the cultural domain. Compared to this damaging tendency in the arenas of religion, culture, and education, the miniscule dynastic interest of Sonia Gandhis, Lalu Yadavs, or Uddhav Thackerays, at least for Hindus, seem a hundred times less harmful!
This assessment can be subjected to scrutiny by any unbiased evidence, and it should be done.
The author is a Hindi columnist and professor of political science. Views are personal.