Dr. D's column: Election speeches and the middle class - from Ukraine to India
“The middle class really have elected a man who stars in a TV series as the president — as the country’s next real president."
By ET Bureau | Updated:
He is one of the leading doctors in the country. He values his privacy (but not of his clients).
Dear Dr D,
My elevation to the presidency of Ukraine was reported with these words: “The middle class really have elected a man who currently stars in a TV series as the president — as the country’s next real president. And it wasn’t even close (73%). The pressure will now be on Mr Zelensky to demonstrate that he knows what he is doing. Throughout the election campaign, he avoided serious interviews and discussions about policy — preferring instead to post light-hearted videos to social media.”
I wanted to ask you, Doc, could you vet my debut speech to the middle class and see if it’s fine? Here’s how it goes:
“Ladies and... the rest of you.. On a scale of North Korea to America, how free are you tonight? .. I asked my North Korean friend how it was there, he said he couldn’t complain... Anyhoo. Let’s talk politics. .. Talking to a liberal is like trying to explain social media to a 70-year-old. .. A conservative is a liberal who’s been mugged by reality. .. I think we should get rid of democracy. All in favour raise your hand.
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.. I don’t approve of political jokes...I’ve seen too many of them get elected. .. Politicians and diapers have one thing in common. They should both be changed regularly, and for the same reason! .. Trump wrongly said “sh**-hole countries”. The correct term is “tu**-world countries”. .. An honest politician is one who, when he is bought, will stay bought.”
So, D, will this earn me the middle class’s respect? Thanks.
I wish we had more wisdom for you here. India is a country whose middle class wants others to cross the border and fight for the country but won’t cross the street to vote.
*STATUTORY WARNING: This humour column is not for the weak-kneed or the thin-skinned.
Passing The Baton: Daughters Who Followed Their Parents In Politics
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The lure of power and fame has often resulted in Indian politics becoming a family-run show, bringing entire dynasties to the battle front. From spouses to cousins and children, years of a last name having ruled constituencies is commonplace in the political scenario.
Right from the time of Indira Gandhi, who stepped into her father Jawaharlal Nehru’s shoes, to modern-day political heiresses Supriya Sule, Poonam Mahajan among others – the baton has always been passed on.
Here’s a look at daughters who joined their politically-correct parents in the race for power.
In Pic (clockwise from left): Indira Gandhi, Supriya Sule, Priya Dutt, Poonam Mahajan.
The lure of power and fame has often resulted in Indian politics becoming a family-run show, bringing entire dynasties to the battle front. From spouses to cousins and children, years of a last nam..
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Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo Sharad Pawar's daughter Supriya Sule, born on June 30, 1969, first contested the elections for Maharashtra’s Baramati Lok Sabha constituency - earlier represented by her father - in 2009. Her winning streak continued in the 2014 polls, and Sule is now hoping for a hat-trick from the constituency that has long been a Pawar bastion.
The mother-of-two, a member of the party founded by her father, is currently an MP in the Lok Sabha.
Fact file
Parents:
Sharad and Pratibha Sharadchandra Pawar
Education:
B.Sc. in Microbiology from Jai Hind College, Mumbai
Also studied water pollution at UC Berkeley, California
Opponent:
Kanchan Kul (BJP) who is married to RSP MLA from Daund Rahul Kul. Former deputy CM and senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar's wife Sunetra Pawar is her aunt.
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo Sharad Pawar's daughter Supriya Sule, born on June 30, 1969, first contested the elections for Maharashtra’s Baramati Lok Sabha constituency - earlier represe..
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The daughter of the late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader Muthuvel Karunanidhi Kanimozhi is making her Lok Sabha electoral debut with the 2019 polls from Thoothukudi.
Born in January 1968, the former journalist has spent over 10 years as a Rajya Sabha MP. Having completed her schooling from Chennai's Presentation Convent, she obtained a Masters degree in Economics from the Madras University.,She also worked with news publications like 'The Hindu', all along participating in social causes.
Her political career began in 2007 when she was nominated by the DMK leadership as a representative from Tamil Nadu to the Rajya Sabha. The RS stint continued when she once again became an MP in 2013.
The DMK's women wing Secretary, whose half brothers are MK Alagiri and MK Stalin, is married to Singapore-based Tamil writer G Aravindaan (her second marriage, she was earlier married to Athiban Bose).
Fact file
Parents:
M Karunanidhi and his third wife Rajathi Karunanidhi
Opponent:
Thamizhisai Soundarajan (BJP's state unit chief), daughter of Congress veteran Kumari Ananthan
The daughter of the late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader Muthuvel Karunanidhi Kanimozhi is making her Lok Sabha electoral debut with the 2019 polls fro..
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Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi, India's first and only woman Prime Minister, came from a lineage of politicians, right from her grandfather Motilal Nehru to father Jawaharlal Nehru. Born in Allahabad on November 19, 1917, the only child of Nehru studied at Shantiniketan's Visva-Bharati University, and Oxford University, for a year each, before joining the Congress in 1938.
She married Feroze Gandhi, a then-member of the party, in 1942.
In 1959, she was made the party president, and in 1964 she became a member of the Rajya Sabha, and was also named the Minister of Information and Broadcasting by Lal Bahadur Shastri, the then PM.
Following Shastri’s sudden demise in January 1966, she became the leader of the Congress, and was also elected PM.
Despite a political career marked by severe highs and lows, she served as prime minister of the country for three consecutive terms (1966–77), and was elected once again for a fourth term in 1980 - before her assassination in 1984.
Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi, India's first and only woman Prime Minister, came from a lineage of politicians, right from her grandfather Motilal Nehru to father Jawaharlal Nehru. Born in Allahabad ..
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Priya Dutt comes not just from a family of politicians but also legendary actors. Born to Bollywood stars Nargis and Sunil Dutt, also a long-time Congress MP, Priya is the youngest of three siblings.
She was elected to the Lok Sabha for the first time in 2005 from Mumbai North West, after the death of her father. The following polls, in 2009, she won once again from the Mumbai North Central constituency. According to Dutt, the "turning point in her life came in 1987 when she accompanied her father on a 78-days peace march from Mumbai to Amritsar, covering a distance of over 2700 kms with a message ‘Give Peace a Chance’."
In the on-going elections, Dutt will face competition from BJP's Poonam Mahajan for the Mumbai North Central seat that she had lost in 2014.
Fact file:
Parents:
Sunil Dutt and Nargis
Education:
B.A. in sociology from Sophia College, Mumbai University
Post Graduate Diploma in television production from the Center for Media Arts, New York
Priya Dutt comes not just from a family of politicians but also legendary actors. Born to Bollywood stars Nargis and Sunil Dutt, also a long-time Congress MP, Priya is the youngest of three siblings...
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They come with royal last names, but sisters Yashodhara and Vasundhara Raje Scindia, both members of the BJP - have made their own ground when it comes to politics. The daughters of BJP stalwart Vijaya Raje Scindia, , popularly-known as the Rajmata of Gwalior, along with their late brother Madhavrao Scindia, followed in their mother's footsteps by joining politics.
The youngest of the royal family's three children, Yashodhara Raje Scindia, joined politics in 1994, after getting a divorce from Sidharth Bhansali and returning to India. She contested the Madhya Pradesh Assembly Elections in 1998, and was re-elected in 2003.
In last year's Assembly polls, she defeated Congress's Siddharth Ladha from the Shivpuri constituency.
The former Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Vasundhara Raje Scindia was the first woman to hold the post. She served as the CM twice, once from 2003 to '08, and the second time from 2013 to '18.
Having married Hemant Singh (from whom she later separated), of Dhaulpur (Dholpur) royal family, in 1972 Raje moved from Gwalior to Rajasthan.
She began her political career running for office in 1985 and went on to win a seat in the Rajasthan state legislative assembly.
However, in 1989 she turned her focus to national politics, winning a Lok Sabha seat.
By 2003 she returned to Rajasthan politics, leading the BJP to a strong win in the legislative assembly, and becoming CM.
Fact file:
Parents:
Jivajirao Scindia and Vijaya Raje Scindia
Education:
Yashodhara Raje Scindia
The Cathedral and John Connon School, Mumbai
Presentation Convent, Kodaikanal
Scindia Kanya Vidyalaya, Gwalior
Vasundhara Raje Scindia
Presentation Convent, Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu
Economics and Political Science degrees (Hons.) from Sophia College, Mumbai University
She was educated at The Cathedral and John Connon School in Mumbai, then the Presentation Convent, Kodaikanal, and her final 2 years at the Scindia Kanya Vidyalaya in Gwalior, a school founded by her mother.
They come with royal last names, but sisters Yashodhara and Vasundhara Raje Scindia, both members of the BJP - have made their own ground when it comes to politics. The daughters of BJP stalwart Vija..
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Poonam Mahajan, Priya Dutt's rival from the Mumbai North Central constituency, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party after the untimely demise of her father, BJP leader Pramod Mahajan in 2006.
The current Member of Parliament from her constituency, Mahajan was appointed the Bhartiya Janta Party Yuva Morcha President in 2016.
The mother-of-two is contesting the ongoing Lok Sabha elections opposite Congress's Priya Dutt who she had defeated in 2014, in what was called one of the biggest upsets in Maharashtra LS polls
Poonam Mahajan, Priya Dutt's rival from the Mumbai North Central constituency, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party after the untimely demise of her father, BJP leader Pramod Mahajan in 2006.The current..
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Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is the latest member of the Nehru-Gandhi clan to make her foray into national politics. The Gandhi heiress, who till now had majorly stayed on the sidelines, joined the Congress's campaign in the ongoing Lok Sabha polls. Currently serving as general secretary of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) in charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh, she is reportedly set to take on Modi in Varanasi.
Fact file:
Parents:
Rajiv and Sonia Gandhi
Siblings:
Rahul Gandhi
Education:
Modern School and Convent of Jesus & Mary
BA Psychology from Jesus and Mary College, University of Delhi
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is the latest member of the Nehru-Gandhi clan to make her foray into national politics. The Gandhi heiress, who till now had majorly stayed on the sidelines, joined the Congress..
