016 Caveat Emptor about sons

ybrem:

Here is a part quote from the Complete Works of Mahatma Gandhi, Vol. 32. Date: 18.6.25. Gandhiji was writing in his journal: Young India.

Context:

Harimohan Gandhi was Gandhiji's son. It appears that Harimohan Gandhi had started a stores and collected Capital subscriptions from public. Public might have thought that Mahatma Gandhi's son could not be dishonest. The business went bad unfortunately. One gentleman who invested in Harimohan's Company contacted a lawyer. The lawyer wrote to Gandhiji. The lawyer wrote to Gandhiji. Gandhiji replied through his journal. The quote is from Gandhiji's reply.

I pity the client who, out of respect for me, became a share-holder in a concern whose constitution he evidently never cared to study. Let the client's example be a warning against people being guided by
big names in their transactions. Men may be good, not necessarily
their children. Men may be good in some respects, not necessarily,
therefore, in all. A man who is an authority on one matter is not,
therefore, an authority on all matters. Coveat emptor.

ybrem

*Above is only an excerpt. Gandhi gave a detailed reply. Interested readers may please open up vol. 32 and read the full reply.

*2011: Politicians of all the parties suffer from son-strokes. Probably, not only in India, but also in the developed countries like U.S.A., France, Germany, U.K. Politicians globally take care of their sons. Gandhiji of 1925 was an exception.

*The caution which Gandhiji gave to public in Young India of 1925 ought to have been given in 1921 (circa) when the son started his business. It would have been in tune with the adage 'Prevention is better than cure.'. But, Gandhiji was very busy in 1921, leading the non-co-operation movement. It was reasonable that he did not/could not pay much attention to this preventive aspect. Besides, advance public intimation by Gandhiji through his Young India Journal, would have infuriated Harimohan Gandhi. Even without that such advance intimations, relations between Mahatma and his son were critical.

*2011. At home, in Andhra Pradesh, our State, we have the son of our (Late) Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, acquiescing (or aiding him) when his son mobilised hundreds of crores of Rupees, as a quid pro quo for official favors done by his father when alive. For example, India Cements Ltd. was said to have invested in Sakshi Publications Rs. 140 crore (1400 million). The chartered accountant of the Company was arrested a few days back and is in the custody of C.B.I.

*Another example: Karunanidhi and his daughter Kani Mozhi. Karunanidhi and Azhagiri. Karunanidhi and Stalin.

*Late Jyothi Basu, former West Bengal C.M. and his son.

*Indira Gandhi and Sanjay Gandhi.

*Late Bizoo Patnaik and his son who is C.M. of Odissa now.

*Mulayam Singh Yadav and his son.

*Deve Gowda former PM and his son Kumaraswamy.

*BSE and NSE also serve as example, where people invest large amounts blindly just on the basis of hearsay.

*Another example: Actor son of Akkineni Nageswara Rao, -- Nagarjuna was said to have earned about Rs. 2.5 crores, just by posing in an advertising short for a jewellery firm. People buy gold ornaments blindly from a particular shop simply because some film star recommends it. That film star makes millions through the ads., whatever be the price, quantity, quality of the products he recommends. The Hollywood celebrated star Paris Hilton was said to have made millions of Euros just by posing on the cover of a particular magazine.


**Men may be good in some respects, not necessarily, therefore, in all. A man who is an authority on one matter is not, therefore, an authority on all matters.: This caveat will apply even to Mahatma Gandhi. He may be good and an authority in some matters; = An ordinary person in some other matters. Pl. see my blog post No. #005 about Sarala Devi Chowdharani.