Only strict term limits can stop dynasty politics.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi hit out at political dynasts on Friday during Constitution Day celebrations, and said parties controlled by the same family for generations posed a threat to a healthy democracy," HT. Absolutely right. The control of political power by families is a modern form of feudalism. "As defined by scholars in the 17th century, the medieval 'feudal system' was characterized by the absence of public authority and the exercise by local lords of administrative and judicial functions formerly (and later) performed by centralized governments; general disorder and endemic conflict; and the prevalence of bonds between lords and free dependents (vassals), which were forged by the lords' bestowal of property called 'fiefs' and their reception of homage from the vassals," Britannica. Modi's constant barbed comments are mainly towards the Nehru Gandhi family which has provided 3 prime ministers in Jawaharlal Nehru, his daughter Indira Gandhi and his grandson Rajiv Gandhi. Modi is surely aware that Ms Sonia Gandhi refused to become prime minister in 2004 to unite the nation and protect the coalition government from spiteful accusations of allowing a foreigner to rule, India Today. Nehru became prime minister of a bankrupt nation after 1,500 years foreign rule, first by Muslim invaders and then by the British, with no constitution and a literacy rate of just 12%, wrote Shashi Shekhar. Even as Field Marshall Mohammad Ayub Khan seized power in Pakistan through a military coup, wikipedia, Nehru maintained democracy in India, built centers of excellence, like the IITs and AIIMS, and built a professional army under civilian control. Indira Gandhi is criticized for declaring Emergency in 1975, HT, but she made India much stronger by making Sikkim a part of India, conducting the first nuclear test in Pokhran in 1974 and converting East Pakistan to an independent Bangladesh in 1971, wrote Shekhar. It maybe argued that, in a democracy, to pass power on to the next generation present rulers must perform some service so that people develop affection and gratitude towards the family. On the other hand, people with no family pedigree would want to hang on to power any which way even to the detriment of the people and the nation. Joseph Stalin was born in poverty, his mother was a washer-woman and his father was a cobbler, BBC. Stalin sent 3 million people to gulags, of whom 750,000 died, 93 out of 139 Central Committee members were killed and 81 of 103 generals and admirals were executed. Mao Zedong "was born in the village of Shaoshan in Hunan province, son of a former peasant who had become affluent as a farmer and grain dealer", Britannica. Around 65 million Chinese are estimated to have been killed by Mao, "by execution, imprisonment and forced famine", Heritage. Adolf Hitler was born in Braunau am Inn, Austria and failed twice to secure entry to the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna, Britannica. "For some years he lived a lonely and isolated life, earning a precarious livelihood by painting postcards and advertisements and drifting from one municipal hostel to another." In February, the BJP passed a resolution lauding Modi for passing three farm laws and standing up to China, ET. Modi has absolute, invincible majority in the Lok Sabha, TOI. If he really wants to stop powerful families he should make term limits legally mandatory. This is a golden opportunity.