"This 8 letter word is destroying everyone in today's world. And who is responsible for creating such a hypocrite. We the people have to repose this curse and make sure to control it with our coming generations, else it will destroy the whole world. And there'll be no humanity left in this world" - Ikramul Hannah.
Nepotism is based on favoritism granted to relatives instead of giving a fair chance to others in a particular field, be it business, politics, sports, entertainment or any. Nepotism is generally defined as "the bestowal of patronage by public officers in appointing others to positions because of blood or marital relationship". It exists almost all over the world, but in India it is found to be a bit too much. As stated by Rahul Gandhi, “Nepotism is a culture in India". In addition to this, we can say that Nepotism is a product of nepotists; means- powerful or well-established people giving preferential treatment to their relatives and friends in employment irrespective of their qualifications, whereas showing intolerance to outsiders. It creates stress in the workplace and increases dissatisfaction among the staff about their organizations which indirectly leads to self-criticism, self-doubt and retardation.
Nepotism is found in almost all the fields but it is practiced most in business, politics, sports and entertainment sectors. It has been in practice since time immemorial, but some special cases have made it to the limelight in the past few decades. Let’s have a closer look into the matter:
Nepotism in business: Nepotism in this field can mean from increased opportunity at a job or attaining the job, to being paid more than other similarly situated people. Moreover, it can also be referred to as a situation or system where the kith and kin of the ones in the position of power are benefitted in certain ways and enjoy certain benefits which deprive the rest of them of competition. It kills healthy competition among eligible candidates. No matter how qualified and eligible a person is, if he/she doesn't have any link to the ones in power, they will ever be subjected to the fear of being objectified. On the other hand, other individuals are regularly given an opportunity merely because of the fact that they are identified with the proprietor, not necessarily because of their skills or talent or qualification. This kind of favoritism and cronyism has been into existence for decades now.
It’s a pity that a talented person works hard and tries to be ‘self-made’ but still lags behind as he/she does not possess the so-called status of being the son/daughter of a well-established person having a high economic status in the society. Thus, these kinds of feelings create insecurities and negative self-criticism which further causes mental health issues. It is very unfair on the part of the system to do so because this way the fair and talented people are left demotivated as their sincere efforts, hard work and talent could not help them achieve their desired goals.
In the present circumstances of cut-throat competition, this subject has turned into an extremely sensitive and delicate issue seeing the ever-increasing mental pressure that is caused by such practices, leading to depression, trauma, mental retardation and many other hazards among the people struggling to make their career. In many of the companies or organizations if someone from a particular family holds a higher position or in case he owns the company, possibly more than half of the vacancies would be occupied by or given to the people related to him through blood, by marriage, or due to friendship. This favoritism is one of the most essential reasons behind unemployment, the economic crisis which automatically hinders the development.
Nepotism in Indian Politics: Despite being a democratic country, Nepotism has always existed in politics in India. Various factors have contributed to it, the first being its citizens. Some might strongly agree while the others may not, but the people of India have always been used to being dominated. It is mainly because of the notion brought up by the 'Varna System' which upholds that only the son of a priest can become a priest. This same mentality still exists even today because most of the Indian citizens are still illiterate which in conclusion makes it common for them to choose their political representatives with a notion rooted in Nepotism.
If this political Nepotism goes on, corruption in the country will never end and it will keep on rising as ever. It has become an issue that needs to be strongly and immediately tackled. Everyone has a right to stand a fair chance in all professional fields, and it can only be possible when all the hurdles are removed and only smart and talented politicians are elected irrespective of their family background, who in turn will take our country to new heights.
Nepotism in the Entertainment Industry: It is normal to see the struggling actors and youngsters who don’t bear a tag of being relative or associated with big names ruling over the entertainment industry. As it can clearly be seen, Bollywood for years has always been dominated by ‘some’ celebrities bearing a particular surname, coming from particular families and starkids from within the circle. Youngsters and newcomers to the industry, often more talented than most 'star kids', hardly get a fair chance. It is more clear by seeing the current situation of Nepotism and favoritism excessively prevailing in Bollywood after the sudden demise of Sushant Singh Rajput, a talented actor who didn't get what he deserved.
Several actors like Kangana Ranaut, Dharmendra, Raveena Tandon and Payal Rohatgi have opened the issue that has been going on in the film industry and also reveals the dark side of Bollywood. We see how the undeserving ones receive plenty of awards while the deserving ones are not even nominated. This shows how this Nepotism is functioning in Bollywood. This can be stopped only if we raise our voices against nepotism like how Kangana Ranaut and several other actors have done and continue to do, otherwise, one day the whole world will get destroyed and there will be no humanity left over.
Nepotism is unfair. It causes a severe negative impact on the common people who are often treated as outsiders at their workplace, and face adverse effects and decline in morale also. Nepotism means promoting inequality which kills the positive attitude and confidence of people involved in as victims. It also creates insecurities among the ordinary employees or artists. And, if they dare go against the norms, they have to face consequences as there are high chances that the person raising his voice would get banned from the industry/company whereas the product of nepotism, on the other hand, enjoys the attention and luxurious life. It’s high time that we need to call this trend out. It's difficult to raise our voices against this when our political parties are already engaged in this toxic culture. We live in a time where everybody strives to protest against a system of hierarchical inheritance but seizes to protest against such an open exertion of dominance. But, we must stop it!
Degree of Thought is a weekly community column initiated by Tetso College in partnership with The Morung Express. Degree of Thought will delve into the social, cultural, political and educational issues around us. The views expressed here do not reflect the opinion of the institution. Tetso College is a NAAC Accredited UGC recognised Commerce and Arts College. The editors are Dr Hewasa Lorin, Dr Aniruddha Babar, Nisha Dahiya and Meren. For feedback or comments please email: dot@tetsocollege.org
