The Ambanis at a family gathering.
| Photo Credit: PTI
In the United States it’s laborious to run for prime political workplace with out a photogenic family in tow. The solely single American president ever was James Buchanan (1857-1861).
In India it’s by no means actually been a problem. Congress social gathering president Rahul Gandhi is single. Former prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee was a bachelor with an uncommon dwelling association involving a longtime associate and her family. It didn’t faze the citizens. Current Prime Minister Narendra Modi got here to energy touting his lack of quick family as an electoral asset. It was a assure, he stated, that he would by no means go down the dynastic route and favour his youngsters.
Now that political rival Lalu Prasad Yadav has made a jibe about Modi’s lack of family, the Prime Minister has cleverly turned it on its head simply as he had as soon as executed with the “chaiwala” sneer. His supporters are rallying round him placing up indicators calling themselves “Modi ka parivar”. “140 crore people in the country are my family,” stated the Prime Minister.
At one time, I assumed that Americans have been obsessed about their presidential households as a result of their very own households have been falling aside round them. Fewer folks have been getting married, divorce charges have been climbing, and conservatives have been complaining that the one individuals who appeared to actually wish to get married have been same-sex {couples}. Saving the family had turn out to be a political preoccupation.
America might need a primary family however India firmly believes in family first.
Simply wealthy values
The nice Ambani pre-wedding bash was as a lot about glitzy extra because it was about projecting a healthful Indian family for the world at giant. It doesn’t matter if brothers feud over enterprise empires so long as the family sings and dandiyas collectively whereas superstar stars play second fiddle. They have been the extras on this grand family affair. And family values look higher when wrapped in Tarun Tahiliani.
Meanwhile, on the different finish of the spectrum, we’ve a really totally different super rich family. Narayana Murthy and Sudha Murty have a lot to be happy with, together with her latest nomination to the Rajya Sabha, however currently folks appear to worship them because the dwelling murtis of the straightforward family. Every different day, I get a gushing WhatsApp ahead displaying the Murthys doing easy aam aadmi family issues collectively. People rhapsodise about them going to the market or getting an ice cream as if they’re witnessing minor miracles. Simply wealthy is one factor, however so wealthy and but so easy is kind of one other.
As onlookers with our noses pressed to the glass, we’re actually drawing the identical lesson from each these spectacles. We are reassured that the nice Indian family is alive and effectively despite the fact that we all know, in the actual world, husbands are beating wives, sons are throwing fathers out of their houses, and siblings are at daggers drawn. But on Instagram Reels, their pre-wedding dance steps are coordinated. They work 70 hours every week and recount charming ‘jab we met’ tales. They are all the time completely turned out in contrast to my family in its nighties and sweatpants. If the large fats Indian wedding ceremony wasn’t a headache sufficient, now we’ve the ‘Indian super family’ as our aspirational nightmare.
Eye on the polls
To be sincere, I like studying about households like those in Gerald Durrell’s My Family and Other Animals — dysfunctional, squabbling however nonetheless loving. Later, I found even Durrell took nice literary licence nevertheless it nonetheless felt actual versus the Reels out of Jamnagar. It’s not concerning the Murthys or the Ambanis or another family. It’s simply that family values appear to have turn out to be extra concerning the market worth of a family.
Now that worth may be measured by way of electoral gold.
After Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated in 1991, Congress coined the electoral slogan ‘Maa bete ka balidaan, yaad karega Hindustan (India will always remember the sacrifices of mother and son)’. But that was additionally reminding the citizens that this was a really particular family, one which atypical Indians have been allowed to revere however by no means hope to match as much as. Instead, they might present their respect, one vote at a time.
That exclusivity yielded wealthy dividends for the Congress for years. Now Modi has cleverly invited each Indian to turn out to be a part of his buddies and family programme and really feel like they belong to one thing particular. The smartest thing about this plan is that it’s electorally a win-win proposition. Hum do, hamare do vote mainly.
Now that takes family planning to an entire new degree.
The author is the writer of Don’t Let Him Know, and likes to let everybody learn about his opinions whether or not requested or not.