Nepotism : A perspective
Though Nepotism has existed since time immemorial in the form of monarchy where apparent heirs to the throne were the children of the king, the official word "Nepotism"was coined somewhere around the 14th or 15th century A.D. From credible sources, it can be ascertained that the priests in churches would often leave their wealth and resources at the disposal of their nephews. Later the word was used for every practice related to favouring one's own kith and kin for any position.
Over the years, we have seen that the Indian film industry Aka Bollywood has been targeted for promoting Nepotism. The untimely death of actor Sushant Singh further aggravated this already incensing issue. But the truth remains that Nepotism is not limited to the film industry, it encompasses Indian politics, corporate culture and virtually every industry one can imagine. It is ingrained in cultures where relationships of blood are valued over ethics and morality. Even Donald Trump, the American President, was accused of violating federal anti- nepotism laws by assigning key political affairs to his children who are easily not qualified to do any of the work assigned to them. Though the West isn't immune to Nepotism, it cannot equal the low income countries of Africa and Asia as far as Nepotism is concerned.
In India, the scope of nepotism isn't only limited to one's progeny, it encompasses a large number of people including cousins, second cousins, brothers -in -law and a zillion other relatives. The term used for Nepotism in local lingo is "Bhai-Bhatijavad". In Indian workplaces too, seeing a company headed by a talentless person isn't an uncommon sight.
Nepotism being ingrained in our culture has several reasons. First of all, Indian culture is a close knit one. Where most people still live in close circles with one's children, cousins and other relatives living in the same house or at the very least nearby. Here, blood is way more thicker than water! These people automatically develop an affinity to each other for sharing happiness, sorrow, borrowing money etc. Indian parents share very close relationships with their children and in turn children are expected to respect their parents and take care of them in their old age. Indian children are not thrown out of their houses to make a living on their own. They are assisted by their parents in building a safe and secure life. This has been the culture of this land since time immemorial.
So, what this leads to is parents supporting their child even if he/she is incapable of handling responsibilty for a work. A funny incident took place when the supremely "talented" Rahul Gandhi, president of INC said that I am in politics because my entire clan has been in politics! Imagine the state of affairs here. The Indian film industry is the epitome of Nepotism. Not more than five families completely dictate things here. Even the so called outsiders have their own share of relatives secretly working behind the scenes in the industry.
Nepotism is unfair but so is life. One in authority would always misuse his/her power to benefit oneself and his kith and kin. An irony is that most people who lack money, resources, connections complain about Nepotism. If ever given an opportunity these very people who complain about nepotism would be the one who practice it!
Taking instance of SRK, an actor claimed to have no relatives in the industry and struggled for the top spot in the industry. Now that he has worked his way in the industry, won't he launch his own kids if they need him? He wouldn't ask his children to toil hard for work, when he can make films for them on his own.
Most people who cry and crib about Nepotism should understand that humans are truly emotional beings who hold tremendous biases within themselves. Truth is that most people simply use 'logic' to justify their emotions.
In India, the scope of nepotism isn't only limited to one's progeny, it encompasses a large number of people including cousins, second cousins, brothers -in -law and a zillion other relatives. The term used for Nepotism in local lingo is "Bhai-Bhatijavad". In Indian workplaces too, seeing a company headed by a talentless person isn't an uncommon sight.
Nepotism being ingrained in our culture has several reasons. First of all, Indian culture is a close knit one. Where most people still live in close circles with one's children, cousins and other relatives living in the same house or at the very least nearby. Here, blood is way more thicker than water! These people automatically develop an affinity to each other for sharing happiness, sorrow, borrowing money etc. Indian parents share very close relationships with their children and in turn children are expected to respect their parents and take care of them in their old age. Indian children are not thrown out of their houses to make a living on their own. They are assisted by their parents in building a safe and secure life. This has been the culture of this land since time immemorial.
So, what this leads to is parents supporting their child even if he/she is incapable of handling responsibilty for a work. A funny incident took place when the supremely "talented" Rahul Gandhi, president of INC said that I am in politics because my entire clan has been in politics! Imagine the state of affairs here. The Indian film industry is the epitome of Nepotism. Not more than five families completely dictate things here. Even the so called outsiders have their own share of relatives secretly working behind the scenes in the industry.
Nepotism is unfair but so is life. One in authority would always misuse his/her power to benefit oneself and his kith and kin. An irony is that most people who lack money, resources, connections complain about Nepotism. If ever given an opportunity these very people who complain about nepotism would be the one who practice it!
Taking instance of SRK, an actor claimed to have no relatives in the industry and struggled for the top spot in the industry. Now that he has worked his way in the industry, won't he launch his own kids if they need him? He wouldn't ask his children to toil hard for work, when he can make films for them on his own.
Most people who cry and crib about Nepotism should understand that humans are truly emotional beings who hold tremendous biases within themselves. Truth is that most people simply use 'logic' to justify their emotions.
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