After a long, long hiatus, I am finally prompted to pick up my pen (well, punch the keys) again, the trigger being the Indian General Elections 2009.
While 70 per cent of India’s population is below 40 years of age, 80 per cent of India’s politicians are over 70 years. According to a recent opinion poll that I caught on TV, over 60% of Indians believe that age is not an issue when it comes to leadership. Even assuming that these opinion polls are merely an exercise in amusement, I find this a really bitter pill to swallow!
Also for a while now, I have been mulling over the issue of ‘dynastic’ politics. Is there anything wrong with it? After all, isn’t it considered perfectly normal when engineers’ kids pursue engineering, doctors’ kids become doctors, and cine kids join movies? Why then single out politicians? To my mind, there is one difference and a significant one. In other fields, the progeny are responsible only for themselves but in politics, ‘star’ kids as leaders are responsible for the nation. Then again, why should that be a problem – yes, meritocracy is of paramount importance but in a functioning democracy, that should automatically be taken care of – we always have the power to boot out those who don’t perform.
As India does not have a Presidential form of Government, I have to confess that it irks me no end that Rahul Gandhi is already projected as the automatic young ‘leader’ of the Congress and India’s future Prime Minister when there are several other notable young guns in the party who do not make silly and obfuscating speeches about Kalawatis and do not escort foreign dignitaries on ridiculous ‘rural tourism’ jaunts. There’s nothing wrong with inheriting a political background, but this inheritance is based on past accomplishments of the family; to not have to compete with ones peers in the present is to make a mockery of our political system.
This brings me to a compilation (a comparative study if you will) that I have made of some of India’s next generation of politicians (excluding Independents).
While 70 per cent of India’s population is below 40 years of age, 80 per cent of India’s politicians are over 70 years. According to a recent opinion poll that I caught on TV, over 60% of Indians believe that age is not an issue when it comes to leadership. Even assuming that these opinion polls are merely an exercise in amusement, I find this a really bitter pill to swallow!
Also for a while now, I have been mulling over the issue of ‘dynastic’ politics. Is there anything wrong with it? After all, isn’t it considered perfectly normal when engineers’ kids pursue engineering, doctors’ kids become doctors, and cine kids join movies? Why then single out politicians? To my mind, there is one difference and a significant one. In other fields, the progeny are responsible only for themselves but in politics, ‘star’ kids as leaders are responsible for the nation. Then again, why should that be a problem – yes, meritocracy is of paramount importance but in a functioning democracy, that should automatically be taken care of – we always have the power to boot out those who don’t perform.
As India does not have a Presidential form of Government, I have to confess that it irks me no end that Rahul Gandhi is already projected as the automatic young ‘leader’ of the Congress and India’s future Prime Minister when there are several other notable young guns in the party who do not make silly and obfuscating speeches about Kalawatis and do not escort foreign dignitaries on ridiculous ‘rural tourism’ jaunts. There’s nothing wrong with inheriting a political background, but this inheritance is based on past accomplishments of the family; to not have to compete with ones peers in the present is to make a mockery of our political system.
This brings me to a compilation (a comparative study if you will) that I have made of some of India’s next generation of politicians (excluding Independents).
Disclaimer: The information below is taken from multiple sources and while I have tried to cross verify the data as much as I could, I cannot vouchsafe the veracity of all the contents.
In no particular order :
In no particular order :
Rahul Gandhi – Indian National Congress
D.O.B. : June 19, 1970
Claim to fame : Son of Rajiv Gandhi
Education :
His admission to St. Stephens College, Delhi to study History (Hons.) was controversial as he was believed to have been admitted on the basis of his abilities as a competitive pistol shooter, which was disputed. He left the school in 1990 after one year of education.
It is reported that Harvard alumni records list him as attending between 1990 and 1993 but not as completing a degree. He transferred, reportedly due to security concerns following his father's murder, to Rollins College in Florida where he completed a B.A. in 1994. During the parliamentary elections in 2004, Gandhi claimed that he had received an MPhil in Development Economics after attending Trinity College, Cambridge. Media enquiries report that he attended under the alias "Raul Vinci").
Rahul Gandhi's legal affairs team has taken a number of legal measures to prevent damage to his image. When Newsweek alleged in late 2006 that he had not completed his degrees at Harvard and Cambridge or kept his job at the Monitor Group, they were slapped with a legal notice, following which they retracted or qualified their earlier statements.
Career :
He worked in London with the strategy consultancy firm Monitor Group, before returning to India in late 2002 to run an engineering and technology outsourcing firm in Mumbai.
He contested for Lok Sabha in 2004 from Amethi, Uttar Pradesh and won by a margin of more than 1 lakh. Appointed as an All India Congress Committee general secretary in 2007. Also given charge of the Youth Congress and the National Students Union of India
Sachin Pilot – Indian National Congress
http://www.sachinpilot.com/
D.O.B. : September 7, 1977
Claim to fame : Son of Rajesh Pilot
Education :
He got a B. A.(Hons.) degree from St. Stephens College, Delhi University. While in college, Pilot was the captain of the college shooting team. He then got a Diploma in Marketing Management from IMT Ghaziabad. After working with the BBC at the Delhi Bureau and then General Motors Corporation, he went on to study at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, U.S.A. where he received his MBA in 2001 specializing in multinational management and finance.
He is fond of flying and has a private pilots license (PPL) from NY, USA in 1995. He is also a keen sportsman and has represented Delhi State in a number of national shooting championships (National champion in Pistol and Rifle shooting for four years).
Career :
On returning to India, he was inducted into the Congress party. In 2004, Sachin Pilot was elected to the 14th Lok Sabha (Lower House) from Dausa, Rajasthan, with a margin of over 1.2 lakh votes. At 26 years of age he became the youngest Member of Parliament in the country. He is a member of the Parliament's Standing Committee in the ministry of Civil Aviation, and a Member of the Estimates Committee of Parliament. He became a poster boy for the Gujjar agitation in 2007.
Etc. :
Sachin Pilot is married to Sara Abdullah (daughter of Farooq Abdullah).
Jyotiraditya Madhavrao Scindia - Indian National Congress
http://www.jyotiraditya.com/
D.O.B. : January 1, 1971
Claim to fame : Son of Madhavrao Scindia
Education :
An alumnus of Harvard University and Stanford University, U.S.A., he went on to work as an investment banker for Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley. He had the distinction of being the only undergraduate intern in the UN Economic Development Cell.
He has done a course in car racing from the USA.
Career :
He was elected to the Lok Sabha in 2002 from Guna, Madhya Padesh with a victory margin of more than 450,000. He was inducted in the cabinet in 2008 as Union Minister of State for IT and Communications.
Etc. :
He is the current titular ‘Maharaja of Gwalior’ and is married to Priyadarshini Raje Scindia who hails from the erstwhile royal Gaekwad family of Baroda.
Milind Deora - Indian National Congress
http://www.milinddeora.com/
D.O.B. : Dec 4, 1976
Claim to fame : Son of Murli Deora
Education :
He is an alumnus of Sydenham College and Boston University, U.S.A (B.A. in Business and Political Science).
Career :
On returning from his studies abroad, he founded SPARSH, a social initiative which aims at educating students in computer and IT proficiency. The programme has helped over one lakh students and is now being replicated in many other parts of the country.
He was elected to the Lok Sabha in 2004 from South Mumbai at the age of 27, making him one of the youngest MPs ever.
Etc. :
He is married to Pooja Shetty. She heads the film production company "Walk Water Media" and is the daughter of film producer Manmohan Shetty.
Naveen Jindal – Indian National Congress
http://www.naveenjindal.com/
D.O. B. : March 9, 1970
Claim to fame : Not political (Son of industrialist O. P. Jindal)
Education :
He graduated in Commerce from the Hans Raj College, Delhi University in 1990 and secured an MBA from the University of Texas at Dallas, U.S.A in 1992.
He is a National Record Holder in Skeet Shooting and an accomplished Polo player.
Career :
He is an industrialist with operations located in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. He is the Executive Vice -Chairman and Managing Director of Jindal Steel and Power Ltd. (JSPL) belonging to the strong Jindal Group.
Prior to 2002, the Flag code of India did not permit flying of the Flag of India on non-governmental institutions. He believed that flying the national flag should be the right of every Indian. He took the case to the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court of India and won both cases.
He was elected to the Lok Sabha in 2004 from Kurukshetra, Haryana defeating Mr. Abhay Singh Chautala, son of Shri Om Prakash Chautala (then Haryana's Chief Minister) by a margin of over 1.6 lakh votes.
Etc. :
He is married to Shallu Jindal
Omar Abdullah – National Conference
D.O.B. : March 10, 1970
Claim to fame : Son of Farooq Abdullah
Education :
He did his B.Com. from the Sydenham College, Mumbai and then joined the University of Strathclyde, Scotland for an MBA.
Career :
In 1998, Omar Abdullah was elected to the 12th Lok Sabha. He was the youngest Minister at the age of 29 when he took oath as Union Minister of State, Commerce and Industry. He was a Union Minister of State for External affairs in Atal Bihari Vajpayee's NDA government, a post he resigned from in protest to the 2002 Gujarat violence. On June 23, 2002, he became the President of National Conference replacing his father Farooq Abdullah. On July 22, 2008, Omar gave a passionate speech (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FV4xjF1iDPw) during the 2008 Lok Sabha vote of confidence, which was praised by almost all quarters. He is now the youngest Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir.
Etc. :
His mother Mollie, a British Christian, and a Nurse by profession, was not in favor of him joining politics. He married Payal Singh, daughter of an Army officer.
Mehbooba Mufti Sayeed – Jammu & Kashmir People’s Democratic Party
D.O. B. : May 22, 1959
Claim to fame : Daughter of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed
Education :
She has a Law degree from the University of Kashmir.
Career :
When elections for the J & K state assembly were held in 1996, Mehbooba became one of the most popular members - elected from Bijbehara on an Indian National Congress ticket. Mehbooba quickly made a mark as the leader of the opposition in the assembly, taking on the government of then chief minister Farooq Abdullah with asperity. So high was her public profile that when Mufti split from the Indian National Congress to form the Jammu & Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party in 1999, many thought she would be the party president. She deferred to her father's experience, however, and became party vice-president then, eventually becoming the president . She was elected to the 14th Lok Sabha in 2004 from Anantnag, J & K.
Etc. :
She remained uninvolved in public life during the late 1980s while bringing up two infant daughters. She later separated from her husband, who went on to pursue his political career, even contesting a number of elections against her.
Baijayant (‘Jay’) Panda – Biju Janata Dal
D.O. B. : January 12, 1964
Claim to fame : Not political (Family Business tycoon – mines in Orissa)
Education :
A graduate from Michigan Technological University, U.S.A. in 1985, he has a dual degree in Engineering and Management in Communications.
He holds a Private Pilot’s Licence for both aircraft and helicopters.
Career :
On his return, he ran the family business of mines in Orissa (former Managing Director of Indian Metals and Ferro Alloys Ltd.) before joining politics. In his corporate career, he was associated with industry organizations like the CII, FICCI and the International Chromium Development Association.
He is the Parliamentary Party Leader of the BJD in the Rajya Sabha to which he was elected for his second term in April 2006 from Orissa.
As a parliamentarian, he has been a member of many important committees and is currently a member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee of Coal, Steel & Mines as well as being the Convener of the Sub-committee on Coal. He helped to form the Young Parliamentarians Forum (YPF) and was its Convener, he has also been associated with the India-USA Forum of Parliamentarians and was its Chairman until June 2008.
He was awarded the prestigious “Bharat Asmita National Award” for best parliamentary practices by the Hon’ble Chief Justice of India, Sri K. G. Balakrishnan in 2008.
After his Rajya Sabha term ends, he would like to contest for a Lok Sabha seat.
Etc. :
He is married to Jagit Kaur Mangat who was an airhostess and a Gladrags supermodel before becoming a tech-savvy businesswoman who runs the multi-crore Ortel Communications in Orissa.
D.O.B. : June 19, 1970
Claim to fame : Son of Rajiv Gandhi
Education :
His admission to St. Stephens College, Delhi to study History (Hons.) was controversial as he was believed to have been admitted on the basis of his abilities as a competitive pistol shooter, which was disputed. He left the school in 1990 after one year of education.
It is reported that Harvard alumni records list him as attending between 1990 and 1993 but not as completing a degree. He transferred, reportedly due to security concerns following his father's murder, to Rollins College in Florida where he completed a B.A. in 1994. During the parliamentary elections in 2004, Gandhi claimed that he had received an MPhil in Development Economics after attending Trinity College, Cambridge. Media enquiries report that he attended under the alias "Raul Vinci").
Rahul Gandhi's legal affairs team has taken a number of legal measures to prevent damage to his image. When Newsweek alleged in late 2006 that he had not completed his degrees at Harvard and Cambridge or kept his job at the Monitor Group, they were slapped with a legal notice, following which they retracted or qualified their earlier statements.
Career :
He worked in London with the strategy consultancy firm Monitor Group, before returning to India in late 2002 to run an engineering and technology outsourcing firm in Mumbai.
He contested for Lok Sabha in 2004 from Amethi, Uttar Pradesh and won by a margin of more than 1 lakh. Appointed as an All India Congress Committee general secretary in 2007. Also given charge of the Youth Congress and the National Students Union of India
Sachin Pilot – Indian National Congress
http://www.sachinpilot.com/
D.O.B. : September 7, 1977
Claim to fame : Son of Rajesh Pilot
Education :
He got a B. A.(Hons.) degree from St. Stephens College, Delhi University. While in college, Pilot was the captain of the college shooting team. He then got a Diploma in Marketing Management from IMT Ghaziabad. After working with the BBC at the Delhi Bureau and then General Motors Corporation, he went on to study at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, U.S.A. where he received his MBA in 2001 specializing in multinational management and finance.
He is fond of flying and has a private pilots license (PPL) from NY, USA in 1995. He is also a keen sportsman and has represented Delhi State in a number of national shooting championships (National champion in Pistol and Rifle shooting for four years).
Career :
On returning to India, he was inducted into the Congress party. In 2004, Sachin Pilot was elected to the 14th Lok Sabha (Lower House) from Dausa, Rajasthan, with a margin of over 1.2 lakh votes. At 26 years of age he became the youngest Member of Parliament in the country. He is a member of the Parliament's Standing Committee in the ministry of Civil Aviation, and a Member of the Estimates Committee of Parliament. He became a poster boy for the Gujjar agitation in 2007.
Etc. :
Sachin Pilot is married to Sara Abdullah (daughter of Farooq Abdullah).
Jyotiraditya Madhavrao Scindia - Indian National Congress
http://www.jyotiraditya.com/
D.O.B. : January 1, 1971
Claim to fame : Son of Madhavrao Scindia
Education :
An alumnus of Harvard University and Stanford University, U.S.A., he went on to work as an investment banker for Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley. He had the distinction of being the only undergraduate intern in the UN Economic Development Cell.
He has done a course in car racing from the USA.
Career :
He was elected to the Lok Sabha in 2002 from Guna, Madhya Padesh with a victory margin of more than 450,000. He was inducted in the cabinet in 2008 as Union Minister of State for IT and Communications.
Etc. :
He is the current titular ‘Maharaja of Gwalior’ and is married to Priyadarshini Raje Scindia who hails from the erstwhile royal Gaekwad family of Baroda.
Milind Deora - Indian National Congress
http://www.milinddeora.com/
D.O.B. : Dec 4, 1976
Claim to fame : Son of Murli Deora
Education :
He is an alumnus of Sydenham College and Boston University, U.S.A (B.A. in Business and Political Science).
Career :
On returning from his studies abroad, he founded SPARSH, a social initiative which aims at educating students in computer and IT proficiency. The programme has helped over one lakh students and is now being replicated in many other parts of the country.
He was elected to the Lok Sabha in 2004 from South Mumbai at the age of 27, making him one of the youngest MPs ever.
Etc. :
He is married to Pooja Shetty. She heads the film production company "Walk Water Media" and is the daughter of film producer Manmohan Shetty.
Naveen Jindal – Indian National Congress
http://www.naveenjindal.com/
D.O. B. : March 9, 1970
Claim to fame : Not political (Son of industrialist O. P. Jindal)
Education :
He graduated in Commerce from the Hans Raj College, Delhi University in 1990 and secured an MBA from the University of Texas at Dallas, U.S.A in 1992.
He is a National Record Holder in Skeet Shooting and an accomplished Polo player.
Career :
He is an industrialist with operations located in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. He is the Executive Vice -Chairman and Managing Director of Jindal Steel and Power Ltd. (JSPL) belonging to the strong Jindal Group.
Prior to 2002, the Flag code of India did not permit flying of the Flag of India on non-governmental institutions. He believed that flying the national flag should be the right of every Indian. He took the case to the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court of India and won both cases.
He was elected to the Lok Sabha in 2004 from Kurukshetra, Haryana defeating Mr. Abhay Singh Chautala, son of Shri Om Prakash Chautala (then Haryana's Chief Minister) by a margin of over 1.6 lakh votes.
Etc. :
He is married to Shallu Jindal
Omar Abdullah – National Conference
D.O.B. : March 10, 1970
Claim to fame : Son of Farooq Abdullah
Education :
He did his B.Com. from the Sydenham College, Mumbai and then joined the University of Strathclyde, Scotland for an MBA.
Career :
In 1998, Omar Abdullah was elected to the 12th Lok Sabha. He was the youngest Minister at the age of 29 when he took oath as Union Minister of State, Commerce and Industry. He was a Union Minister of State for External affairs in Atal Bihari Vajpayee's NDA government, a post he resigned from in protest to the 2002 Gujarat violence. On June 23, 2002, he became the President of National Conference replacing his father Farooq Abdullah. On July 22, 2008, Omar gave a passionate speech (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FV4xjF1iDPw) during the 2008 Lok Sabha vote of confidence, which was praised by almost all quarters. He is now the youngest Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir.
Etc. :
His mother Mollie, a British Christian, and a Nurse by profession, was not in favor of him joining politics. He married Payal Singh, daughter of an Army officer.
Mehbooba Mufti Sayeed – Jammu & Kashmir People’s Democratic Party
D.O. B. : May 22, 1959
Claim to fame : Daughter of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed
Education :
She has a Law degree from the University of Kashmir.
Career :
When elections for the J & K state assembly were held in 1996, Mehbooba became one of the most popular members - elected from Bijbehara on an Indian National Congress ticket. Mehbooba quickly made a mark as the leader of the opposition in the assembly, taking on the government of then chief minister Farooq Abdullah with asperity. So high was her public profile that when Mufti split from the Indian National Congress to form the Jammu & Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party in 1999, many thought she would be the party president. She deferred to her father's experience, however, and became party vice-president then, eventually becoming the president . She was elected to the 14th Lok Sabha in 2004 from Anantnag, J & K.
Etc. :
She remained uninvolved in public life during the late 1980s while bringing up two infant daughters. She later separated from her husband, who went on to pursue his political career, even contesting a number of elections against her.
Baijayant (‘Jay’) Panda – Biju Janata Dal
D.O. B. : January 12, 1964
Claim to fame : Not political (Family Business tycoon – mines in Orissa)
Education :
A graduate from Michigan Technological University, U.S.A. in 1985, he has a dual degree in Engineering and Management in Communications.
He holds a Private Pilot’s Licence for both aircraft and helicopters.
Career :
On his return, he ran the family business of mines in Orissa (former Managing Director of Indian Metals and Ferro Alloys Ltd.) before joining politics. In his corporate career, he was associated with industry organizations like the CII, FICCI and the International Chromium Development Association.
He is the Parliamentary Party Leader of the BJD in the Rajya Sabha to which he was elected for his second term in April 2006 from Orissa.
As a parliamentarian, he has been a member of many important committees and is currently a member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee of Coal, Steel & Mines as well as being the Convener of the Sub-committee on Coal. He helped to form the Young Parliamentarians Forum (YPF) and was its Convener, he has also been associated with the India-USA Forum of Parliamentarians and was its Chairman until June 2008.
He was awarded the prestigious “Bharat Asmita National Award” for best parliamentary practices by the Hon’ble Chief Justice of India, Sri K. G. Balakrishnan in 2008.
After his Rajya Sabha term ends, he would like to contest for a Lok Sabha seat.
Etc. :
He is married to Jagit Kaur Mangat who was an airhostess and a Gladrags supermodel before becoming a tech-savvy businesswoman who runs the multi-crore Ortel Communications in Orissa.
Supriya Sule – Nationalist Congress Party
D.O. B. : June 30, 1969
Claim to fame : Daughter of Sharad Pawar
Education :
She holds a B.Sc. degree from Jai Hind College, Bombay.
Career :
She was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 2006, representing Maharashtra. She is said to be one of the richest politicians of Maharashtra.
Etc. :
She is married to Sadanand Bhalchandra Sule.
Kanimozhi - Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam
D.O. B. : 1968
Claim to fame : Daughter of M. Karunanidhi
Education :
She holds a Masters in Economics from Ethiraj College for Women, Madras University.
Career :
She was a sub editor for The Hindu, and editor-in-charge of Kungumam, a Tamil weekly magazine. She was also a Columnist and conducted programmes on Sun TV and Vijay TV. She was also a features editor for a Singapore based Tamil newspaper called Dhina Murasu. She has written Tamil poetry and translated Tamil poetry of other poets into English. She has organised Tamil folk art festivals called Chennai Sangamam.
She became a Rajya Sabha member in 2007. She is strong supporter of Pan Tamil issues, in particular Sri Lankan Tamils. According to political observers, Kanimozhi's career is apparently following the same course as Jayalalithaa's transformation from an advocate for Tamil culture to a political figure.
Etc. :
She was married to Athiban Bose, a Sivakasi based Businessman. After a divorce, she married G. Aravindan, a Singapore based Tamil literary figure.
Varun Gandhi - Bharatiya Janata Party
D.O.B. : March 13, 1980
Claim to fame : Son of Maneka and Sanjay Gandhi
Education :
He claimed to have obtained a degree from the London School of Economics, and then studied for his Masters from the School of Oriental and African Studies in London. Both the institutions subsequently announced that he had not received a degree from either of them.
Career :
He started addressing public meetings during his mother’s election campaign in 1999. He joined the BJP in 2004 and became one of the star political campaigners of the party. BJP decided to field him from the Pilibhit Lok sabha seat for general election 2009. Now famous for his controversial ‘Hate’ speech made in March 2009, he was found guilty by the Election Commission which asked the BJP not to nominate him as a candidate. He and the BJP claim that the recording of the speech is doctored. However, he has been jailed.
He has written a book of poems titled ‘The Otherness of Self’.
Raj Thackeray - Maharashtra Navnirman Sena
D.O.B. : June 14, 1968
Claim to fame : Nephew of Bal Thackeray
Education :
He has graduated from Sir J. J. School of Art, Mumbai.
Career :
A gifted painter and cartoonist, he is also an avid photographer and has published a photo-biography on his uncle titled 'Bal Keshav Thackeray' - a photo-biography.
Thackeray started his political career with Bal Thackeray's Shiv Sena party in Maharashtra. In 2006, Raj Thackeray formed the MNS (he is its President) after being allegedly 'sidelined' by Bal Thackeray’s son Uddhav. The party was founded on the ideology of being the benefactor of the local Marathi population (Marathi Manoos. Since its inception, the party has been attacking North Indians in Maharashtra politically as well as physically.
Etc. :
He is married to Sharmila, daughter of famous Marathi theater/films actor, producer-director Mohan Wagh.
As I'm about to publish this post, there is news coming in that Sajjad Lone, Chairman of the People's Conference and until now a Kashmiri Separatist Leader, is going to contest in these Lok Sabha polls from Baramullah, North Kashmir. This is splendid news indeed!
3 comments:
Nice research on potential political candidates.
Hiya,i read most of your posts..you have a flair for writing..btw, where are those statistics coming from?
Thank you. The sources are multiple - various websites (can't rely on wiki alone for those who are profiled there) including some of their own, newspapers and journals.
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