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,Kochi
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,Banka
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
