India , for a long time has been accused of following a rigid caste system . There has been a huge outcry and indignation against this kind of a society not just by Indians but by the whole world as well..People have been ruled by dynasties for generations together. But today all most all the monarchies have been replaced by democratic or dictatorial style of governance , Saudi Arabia and Brunei being exceptions. Even in countries where the monarchies still exist , these are simply titular heads as in Britain and in Thailand.
In India , this system went one step further and divided the population into castes based on their professions. Now , the main drawback in this system was that a person who was interested in another vocation was never given a chance even if he had talent. In course of time , these profession based divisions became to be addressed as higher or lower castes based on the nature of the jobs. Now , although I do not believe in caste system , I do believe that there were certain merits to this society . The expertise was passed down from generation to generation giving them depth and understanding every aspect of their business. But , the strict regimentation and oppressiveness of this caste system has been ridiculed and has been overthrown in the last 80 years.
But now , for all the talks of being a free society , I feel that a new kind of caste based society is slowly creeping into this generation. You find that children or spouses of politicians becoming politicians. Case in this point , the Nehru family and the Congress party and Karunanidhi family and the DMK party. Now , is there no able leader to lead the Congress Party . Was it started by the Gandhi family that they have the exclusive rights to the party ? Are these people so spineless that they are compelled to accept the leadership of Sonia Gandhi , an Italian ? Her only claim to the party is that she married Rajiv Gandhi ? C'mon , she took Indian citizenship only after Rajiv Gandhi entered politics although they were married since 1968.
Ditto with DMK . Karunanidhi climbed his way up-to the top with his hard-work and cleverness. So why does his sons and nephew wield so much power within the party ? What have they done to merit this power ? Is it because the public sees them as a worthy successor ? I think not . I think it is because the party cadres are loath to find another worthy leader who meets the criteria as a successor.
Now , this political trend is seen not just in India but also throughout the world , be it a 3rd world country like Pakistan ( Bhutto family) , or in a developed country like USA ( e.g.Kennedy, Clinton family) . The list is huge !!
The same trend is creeping in other walks of professions also. Case in point , the entertainment industry . Many cinema personalities have their children following them in their own footsteps. The examples are numerous - Karthik , Prabhu , Vijay , Surya , Karthi , Simbu , Dhanush, Abhishek Bachan , Salman Khan , Nagarjuna , Venkatesh , Balakrishna , Shiva rajkumar , Puneet to name a few ( Whew ! I am able to say so many names off the cuff) . In this case, I think following your parents or your sibling makes an easier launch-pad . They have good contacts which will help these fledgelings. But isn't this also a kind of a caste system in the making ?
But cinema and politics are the two visible fields where this trend is noticeable because these people are always in the spotlight. But if you look around , you can see almost every walks of life that has begun practicing this . You can find businesses run by families like the Tata , Birlas or Ambani families. I have known doctors who run a clinic or a hospital as a family. Following footsteps of a parent or a siblings prevents pitfalls and makes life easier because you have the frame work done for you and all the thorns have been cleared in your path. Also , a new entrant will not see his life's hard-work go away in front of him if he has somebody following him. The legacy may go on.
So for all the new values and new life style we may said to be leading , we may find ourselves returning to a old culture in a fashionable manner if such nepotistic promotions continue.
