Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

Dynastic politics

When the son or daughter of a lawyer, actor, or film director entering the same profession does not attract so much criticism, one wonders why politicians as a class are blamed when a son, daughter or any other relative of a politician succeeds him or her after death. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari may be young, a student, but that alone should not disqualify him from stepping into his mother’s shoes. Let democracy give a chance to the successor before condemning the choice and procedure.

M. Ramankutty,

Tripunithura

Democracy and dynastic politics do not vibe. Wives, sons, grandsons, daughters, nephews and nieces are nominated to political posts, whether or not they deserve it. In South Asian nations, particularly India, the practice is becoming rampant. The victim is democracy. People alone can rescue democracy from being bequeathed by wills, written or unwritten.

A.V. Ramana Rao,

Chennai

I wonder whether any other country would have seen a father, daughter and her son becoming Prime Minister and their other family members becoming party presidents. Can the Congress ever question dynastic succession in other parties when it has led by example? From Punjab to Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala, it is well rooted. The communists and the BJP have so far remained exceptions to this culture but temptations leave none. The BJP seems to be falling a prey to dynastic succession.

V. Kameswaran,

Chennai

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