In the coming
elections in Kerala
and Tamilnadu there
are two former
chief ministers contesting
the state Assembly
elections with hope
to get the coveted
chief ministership. One
is M Achyutanandan who
is 93 and
another is M Karunanidhi
who is 90. Both are
unable m to walk or
talk properly. But they
are in the
fray and hope to
run the state
at this age. In
Indian Parliament Lal
Krishna Advani is
90 year old
and still in active politics. He
was a serious contender for
the prime ministership had he
with some other
seniors not sidelined by
Narendra Modi and
his cohorts.
This is
a common scenario
in Indian politics. Some bureaucrats
and soldiers joining
politics after superannuation and
continuing till death. The
condolences after death
of an aged
politician in India
are printed and
aired in media
in this way,”
The meeting condoled
the “premature demise”
of Mr ...........”.
The trembling personalities coming out
of Parliament or
offices speak how
Indian politicians are so addicted
to their professions
that they can’t
even think of
deserting it or abdicating their
offices.
Ironically no
debates over the
minimum qualification or
maximum age limit
to contest an
election or to become
a minister. Indian politics
is the only
arena where any
one can enter
and continue till
buried or cremated.
Some have thought
to leave their
offices after a
particular age, but
they are considered
as exceptions. Jyoti
Basu , the chief
minister of West Bengal paved
way for his
junior Buddhadeb Bhattacharya
after being in
office for over 17
years.
Youngsters in
Indian politics are
left to serve
their seniors (called
Godfathers). To arrange
for money and
entertain them with
liquor and women. Some
who are born
in political families
and are nurtured
by their parents
have been few
fortunates who have
got positions in
“early” age ( yes 50
to 60 years
is called early
age in Indian
politics). Rajiv Gandhi
became Prime Minister
at the age
of 47. Akhilesh
Yadav, became chief
minister at the identical
age, or Laloo
Yadav’s two sons
are ministers in
Bihar or Chirag
Paswan a member of
Parliament. But all of
them had political backgrounds,
or had father
or mother to
groom them.
Apart from
qualification age is
another lacunae afflicting
Indian politics. But any
amendment on this
score seems a
distant probability as the law
makers themselves are well
past 70. A few
youngsters who would
advocate for a
better change are in
minority and would
be snubbed by
their own parents
or Godfathers.
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