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The minacious road to the chair.

Indian politics has remained a bastion for the old guards, a system that feeds from the young workers and rewards the ancient dynasties. It is, therefore, not surprising that the MP's average age of 60 in the world's most young population. Only those blessed with ancestral thrones have made it to the parliament, even young politicians. Only a few times have reigning leaders handed the helm to ambitious newcomers, and only sometimes have they been women. Today, look at two of the most shameful events orchestrated against two of India's brave chief ministers.

To start with Jayalalithaa. Things went south with her after the demise of MGR, leaving a vacuum in the AIDMK. Even in his funeral procession, Jayalalithaa was brushed off by MGR's relatives. But the worst came on March 25, 1989, when the DMK and AIDMK legislators faced each other. Midst abuses and allegations, the assembly turned violent. Attacks were directed at both the leaders, Jayalalithaa and Karunanidhi. And just as she struggled to leave the premises, D Murugan allegedly attempted to pull the loose end of her saree. This is one of the most atrocious attempts ever in the legislative history. 

A case not too different, on June 2 1995. With the falling health of Kansi Ram, Mayawati has seen heir to the BSP, which was in power owing to an alliance with SP. On an unfateful day, Mayawati was meeting with BSP MLAs on the partnership's future, which looked bleak. Thus an enraged SP supremo Mulayam S. Yadav signalled his men to gherao the guest house. The attack was so deadly that Mayawati locked herself in a room to survive a physical assault. BJP MP Brahm Dutt Dewedi saved her from what could have been the most shameful page in UP politics.

It may seem like a traditional episode of violence, but in both these contexts, what's stands out is the massive intolerance against emerging young leaders. The stench of a patriarchal supremacist with a devilish design to humiliate an ambitious woman. This is a weak signal of how minacious this realm of politics can be for people without a safety harness.

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