The Daddy Syndrome

A disturbing case of amnesia seems to have affected thousands of affluent youngsters across India. These rich brats speed around recklessly, violate traffic rules, and when stopped by a policeman, insolently ask if he knows who their father is.

Now, the poor traffic constable clearly has no clue as to who could have sired such an impertinent twit. It takes a while for him to realise that this is actually a rhetorical question designed to instil awe and invoke fear in the minds of minions who are used to genuflecting before wealth and power. The cop is expected to quiver at the prospect of being suspended by his superiors for having had the temerity to haul up the son of an influential man. He, therefore, humbly salutes as the smug brat speeds off, unpunished.

In rare cases, when the constabulary refuse to kowtow before arrogant youngsters, it makes their influential fathers very angry indeed. A recent drive by the Mumbai Police against tinted car windows resulted in a senior policeman's son being stopped for violating the law. Bruised egos came into play and daddy dearest soon became embroiled in a nasty blame game with a lady cop as matters spun out of control. This familiar scenario is played out on a daily basis across India. Everybody believes they are famous, wealthy, powerful and connected. And so, the rules should not apply to them and their extended families.

Increasingly, we read of spoilt brats who are involved in ugly disputes with their siblings and parents over their share of the family fortune. Some money-grabbing offsprings have no compunction in throwing their aged parents out of their homes since they believe that the roof they jointly reside under rightfully belongs to them. As a nation, we have grown up on tales of filial devotion — like that of Shravan Kumar who carried his blind parents around in a basket — and are horrified when we hear stories of a son acting so callously.

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