The Maharajas of erstwhile princely states of
India traded their independence, and joined the Indian Union, when India gained
independence from the British, with a promise, in return, to get a privy purse,
or an annual payment, in compensation. These privy purses were abolished in 1971
through a constitutional amendment.
We now discover that the privy purses were never abolished, only the recipients are different. The fruits of power are bestowed on the political class, and all of them, in varying degrees, are beneficiaries of it. Last week we saw that the kith and kin of political leaders such as Vijay Darda and Subodh Kant Sahay, of the Congress, S Jagatrakshakan of DMK and Prem Chand Gupta of RJD were awarded rights to mine coal.
We now discover that the privy purses were never abolished, only the recipients are different. The fruits of power are bestowed on the political class, and all of them, in varying degrees, are beneficiaries of it. Last week we saw that the kith and kin of political leaders such as Vijay Darda and Subodh Kant Sahay, of the Congress, S Jagatrakshakan of DMK and Prem Chand Gupta of RJD were awarded rights to mine coal.
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