Dynasty politics biggest enemy of democracy, needs to be uprooted: PM

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said dynastic politics was emerging as the biggest enemy of democracy and the onus to uprooting it lay on the youth of India.

Addressing the second National Youth Parliament on the occasion of Swami Vivekenanda’s birth anniversary, the Prime Minister exhorted the youth to participate in politics in large numbers.

He said until the youth came forward, the poison of dynasties would continue to weaken democracy.

Citing lessons from the life and times of Swami Vivekananda, the Prime Minister said dynastic politics was the source of social and political corruption in India, and the youth must take the lead in eradicating this “disease”.

He said a new awakening in the country was witnessing people supporting honesty and performance in politics but a lot of change was still pending.

“Dynastic politics is a huge challenge before the country and needs to be uprooted. Days for those who used to win elections merely on surnames are over but this disease has not been completely eradicated. Even today, there are people whose thoughts and goals are driven by the urge to preserve their family legacies in politics,” said the Prime Minister in oblique references to political families in India.

He said “dynastic politics, like a new form of dictatorship, was raising the burden of non performance on the country”.

“Dynastic politics strengths the sense of ‘me and my family’, rather than putting the nation first. It is also a major source of social and political corruption in India. Political dynasts feel if their past generations were not held accountable for corruption, they, too, cannot be held accountable. They see such distorted examples in their own houses. The onus on changing this scenario is on the youth,” Modi reiterated.

He said the youth should participate in politics not with the intention to receive but with the intention to do something.

“Until the common Indian youth enter politics, the poison of dynasties will continue to weaken our democracy. Youth participation in politics is critical to save democracy,” the Prime Minster said, who hailed the finalists of the National Youth Parliament debate on “Vocal for Local”.

The PM also said the youth had to make this century the century of India.

“Let your decisions be inspired by national good. Swami Vivekananda used to say the youth must become the builders of India. It’s your responsibility to lead the future and this responsibility stretches to the field of politics because politics is a strong tool for transformation,” he said, adding that the old perception in which politics was synonymous with loot and corruption was changing.

“Today, people have become so aware that they have thrown their weight behind honest people. They are giving opportunities to honest, dedicated and service-driven people. Honesty and performance has become the first mandatory condition for politics. The awareness in the country has created this pressure and corruption has become a burden on those whose legacy used to be corruption,” he stressed.

The Prime Minister said public representatives had now realised that they would need a strong CV and an account of work accomplished to go into the next election.