‘पूत कपूत तो का धन संचय, पूत सपूत तो का धन संचय’
Meaning: If the son is bad, why to accumulate money? If the son is good, why to accumulate money?
One of those timeless Kabir dohas. Recently, on whatsapp I received a message (part of daily gyan) in which one self-made young millionaire spoke about how the inheritance in bad hands would not survive more than three generations.
Inheritance was and is always a subjective issue and never straight and simple, especially where stakes are large. In fact, two incidents have exposed the fragility of inheritance. One of course was political drama playing in front of the larger audience of the nation for over a week impacting the governance or the lack of it in the largest state in India, Uttar Pradesh.
It all started with the re-entry of Amar Singh into the Samajwadi Pariwar at the start of this year. It is evident Mulayam Singh’s ‘Amar Prem’ could not be digested by the Muslim face of the party, Azam Khan. After being pregnant for nearly nine months, Samajwadi Pariwar is preparing itself for the delivery of a new party that may perhaps be a splinter group.
The Chacha – Bhatija game was played over before the media involving almost all legal and illegal family members of the first family of Samajwadi Party. However uncharacteristically, Amar Singh and Azam Khan, both notorious for their love for media were silent and remained behind scenes. The sacking and re-instating drama in fact started affecting the avenge and revenge serials of Saas-Bahu damaging their TRPs.
Events leading to the anti-climax however, have eroded the reputation Mulayam Singh had built over decades. The fact Mulayam Singh had to invoke the name of Modi to remind Akhilesh about being dedicated and fight to achieve.
Well, Mulayam has only himself to blame, if Akhilesh is not dedicated and lacks the fighting skills. Was it not his responsibility as a father to groom his son, especially when he wants his son to inherit his political legacy. Here, clearly Lalu had outwitted Mulayam for he ensured there is no political rival who could challenge Tejashwi Prasad Yadav. He stymied the efforts of Sadhu Yadav, his once loyal brother-in-law long ago. Of course, managing the political scenario of UP presents many more challenges and Mulayam had to cobble up power brokers of various characters to survive for two decades in a highly volatile state politics.
He had to develop a coterie comprising of his own brother Shivpal Yadav, Amar Singh, Azam Khan and Beni Prasad Verma. To his credit, it was only Shivpal Yadav who stood with his brother through the thick and thin while others have left Mulayam when things were not so smooth.
Despite being surrounded by many power brokers who claim support of many a communities, Mulayam had to handover the responsibility of winning last elections to his son, Akhilesh Yadav. It was a much needed face change to counter the ‘well controlled law and order’ situation prevailed in the state when Mayawati ruled. To counter the apathy Mayawati’s government in developing the state compared to other ones, especially the southern ones that have become IT hubs, credentials of young, educated in foreign, Akhilesh Yadav became the face of Samajwadi campaign in 2012. The youth dissatisfied with the ‘old’ leaders who tried to instill fear into the general masses on the ‘invasion of computers’ and ‘loss of jobs’ connected well to the young Yadav and Samajwadi Party won the elections. The win had emphasized how aspirations of new voters have changed and Mulayam had to coronate Akhilesh.
However, the crown that Mulayam placed on the head was made of thorns. And Akhilesh, along with the state came to knew this fact within first few months of his rule. The thugs his father nurtured had simply took control of the law and disorder. With Azam Khan and Shivpal Yadav in cabinet, Mulayam Singh trying to run the government through remote, all Akhilesh could do was to implement a few schemes he promised during elections. There was a joke running in political circles how Akhilesh had become the half-Chief Minister in his own government, with the other three being full Chief Ministers.
Though 2014 was a setback for Samajwadi Party, the party gained confidence from the defeats of BJP in Bihar and Delhi. Considering only Mayawati, they started counting on forming next government with the support of Congress.
They got surprise from unexpected quarters. Post killing of Burhan Wani, a terrorist in Kashmir, the unrest and the attack on Uri had forced Modi to drop his soft attitude towards Pakistan and become the ‘Commando’ he claimed he was. Severe casualty of surgical strikes was Samajwadi Party, for the rating of BJP soared in the last one month. Seasoned politicians they were, everyone in the Samajwadi Party could see the writing on the wall. Whether BJP wins or BSP, chances of Samajwadi Party coming back have become nil.
When the ship starts sinking rats come out of holes and try to jump in the sea. All that happened in Samajwadi PariWAR was simply everyone trying to blame others for the situation. When Mulayam expressed disappointment over the way the UP government was functioning, somewhere he cut a raw nerve and Akhilesh could not take it any more. He simply sacked his uncle Shivpal Yadav from the cabinet. What followed was simply a feast to the eyes and ears of an other wise bored political student.
Despite his opposition, Akhilesh could not prevent the entry of Mukhtar Ansari, a notorious gangster into Samajwadi Pariwar, along with his so called political outfit Quami Ekta Dal. Cabinet ministers dismissed by him were praised by his father. Had Akhilesh continued his silence, well maintained for over four years, he could well have become another Rahul Gandhi. And, he stood up to stop this nonsense played by all and sundry leaders of Samajwadi Party.
Funnily, it was Shivpal Yadav who declared Akhilesh would be the next chief minister, when Mulayam declined to confirm the same. And in few days, Shivpal Yadav called Akhilesh a liar, in the party congregation.
The culmination was Mulayam preaching Akhilesh the virtues of dedication and fighting spirit. He advised his son to learn accepting criticism. Criticism for what, he could never explain. Was he asking his son to accept criticism for the decisions taken by Shivpal Yadav, Azam Khan and himself? If Akhilesh accepts, can he become a leader on his own?
Recent entries of Amar Singh, Beni Prasad Verma and Mukhtar Ansari into the party fold show that Mulayam Singh Yadav is still clinging to the old way of doing politics to win elections. And Akhilesh, though not clear in his strategy, was against following the cobbling up of a heterogeneous party and government that would be too difficult to handle. It is perhaps time for Mulayam to evolve with time.
If he finds himself advising his son to emulate Modi rather than himself, the father, he shall understand how a failed father and politician he was.
Mulayam should have learnt lessons from the episodes of Tamilnadu and Maharashtra. While Karunanidhi’s made his intentions clear and stuck with his chosen successor successfully, Bal Thackeray had messed with succession plans in the party and now Udhav had to fight even with Raj, in stead of both fighting others.
From Kurukshetra in which cousins fought to Asoka, who killed his cousins, history is full of violent successions. And we are not talking about Feroze Gandhi or Sanjay Gandhi and certainly not the demises of original Netaji.
Infighting had costed even the most famous Yadava empire of Dwarka, established by none other than Sri Krishna. Time for Mulayam Singh Yadav to read Mahabharata and Bhagavad Gita.
Like Kabir said, Mulayam need not worry about his party, for the party’s future would depend on how good a father he was in grooming his son. And certainly, Akhilesh would be over coming resistances in the party, whether he chooses to emulate Modi or not, as for party there is no alternative to him.
