Cong cracks down on royalty, abolishes titles

FEUDAL MATTERS: In politics symbolism is crucial, but in democracy it's the substance that matters.

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New Delhi: Many centuries ago, Machiavelli said: 'To fully comprehend the nature of the people, one must be a prince'.

But the grand old party of India - the Congress - is all set to turn away from the Machiavellian advice. According to the latest diktat, the party has asked all its members to discontinue using any feudal titles.

So Kunwar Jitin Prasad of Shajanapur would now be Shri Jitin Prasad, Begum Noor of Rampur would now be Mrs Noor Bano, Raja Amrinder Singh of Patiala could still use the title Captain Amarinder Singh but that is all and Shrimant Jyotiraditya Scindia - the Raja of Gwalior - will do with Mr Scindia.

The General Secretary of the party Digvijay Singh, popularly called Diggi Raja by his supporters cited his own example as a consolation to his fellow rajas and nawabs.

"There is no question of anyone being called raja or maharaja or kunwar whatsoever. But there are some people who would like to live in their past history and their past glory. We have no issue with them," says he.

Among the many princes, nawabs and begums who have served the Congress, is Kunwar Natwar Singh. He says even the socialist Nehru didn't mind being a little courteous towards his princely subjects.

"Pandit Nehru as prime minister of free India wrote to a large number of Indian princes and he addressed them as My Dear Maharaja Sahib or My Dear Nawab Sahab. He had no qualms about it," says an obviously disappointed Natwar Singh.

Natwar Singh who is a prince from Bharatpur, says its all because the Congress leaders are ignoring the essential readings in politics.

"I don't know how many people in the Congress party have read Machiavelli," says he.

In politics symbolism is crucial, but in democracy it's the substance that matters. And the present Government, though ostensibly for the aam aadmi, has more than its fair share of Kunwars and Nawabs who will continue to run the show. The titles have been abolished but the road to democracy is long.