In Defence of Nepotism? Lessons from the Learned

Nepotism, gandhis, rajiv, rahul, sonia, nehru, rajiv
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Are elections a legitimate means of building family fiefdoms in India? Here are some lessons in the fine art of nepotism.

God’s own country was in the news again. The Kerala minister for Industries and Sports, E.P. Jayarajan, resigned on Friday, October 14, facing charges of corruption and nepotism.

The story goes like this. He appointed Sudhir Nambiar, his wife’s sister’s son, as the Managing Director of Kerala State Industrial Enterprise Ltd. This was met with controversy, and Kerala’s Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau ordered a probe into the matter on Thursday. He resigned the next day.

Poor chap! He has much to learn in the fine art of nepotism. Perhaps some history lessons could help?

For a start, he could learn from the learned Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first Prime Minister, Nehru appointed his sister Vijaya Laxmi Pandit, as India’s Ambassador to the Soviet Union, United States, Mexico, Ireland, United Kingdom and Spain. The Prime Minister’s sister also headed the Indian delegation to the United Nations and served as the Governor of Maharashtra.

In 1964, when her brother died, she proactively contested from Phulpur, his former constituency and got elected to the Indian parliament. As illustrious as her career may be, after her brother’s death, Vijayalakshmi Pandit saw competition lurking around the corner.



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