Under Hindu law, a Hindu Undivided Family is headed by a senior member called the karta. The karta, usually the oldest man, makes decisions on economic and social matters for the whole family. The other members are coparceners.
In 2016 the Delhi High Court ruled that the eldest woman of such a family can also be its karta. The court reasoned: “If a male member of an HUF, by virtue of his being the first born eldest, can be a Karta, so can a female member.”
On April 26, 1973, A.N. Ray became Chief Justice of India. The twelve Chief Justices before him had been appointed by the convention of seniority. Ray was not the most senior judge. His appointment passed over three judges senior to him: J.M. Shelat, K.S. Hegde and A.N. Grover.
All three resigned in protest. The legal site LiveLaw later called the date “The Saddest Day In The History Of Our Free Institution.”
In 2016 the government named Lieutenant General Bipin Rawat as the next Army chief. Two generals senior to him, Praveen Bakshi and P.M. Hariz, were passed over.
The Congress spokesman Manish Tewari asked: “Why has seniority not been respected in appointment of Army Chief?”
After the death of Dhirubhai Ambani, his sons Mukesh and Anil fought for control of Reliance, one of India’s largest business groups. On June 18, 2005, the split was announced by their mother, Kokilaben Ambani. The dispute had drawn her out of her role as a homemaker.
“I have today amicably resolved the issues between my two sons, Mukesh and Anil,” she said. Mukesh took Reliance Industries. Anil took the energy, finance and telecommunications companies.
On October 24, 2016, the board of Tata Sons removed its chairman, Cyrus Mistry. Ratan Tata, who had led the group before him, took charge again as interim chairman while a successor was found.
Tata Trusts own about two thirds of Tata Sons. Ratan Tata was the chairman of the trusts.
On June 1, 2013, Infosys called its founder N.R. Narayana Murthy back as executive chairman. He was 67, and the company was going through what reports called challenging times.
The outgoing chairman, K.V. Kamath, explained the choice: “Institution comes first and age comes later in a particular context.”
Aanvle ka khaya aur bade ka samjhaya peechhe maza deta hai. Amla eaten and an elder’s advice taste good afterwards.
The Rekhta dictionary explains that both seem unpleasant at first and prove very useful in the end. Amla, the Indian gooseberry, is sour and bitter when eaten.
The India Human Development Survey of 2011 and 2012 asked women how their marriages had been decided. According to an analysis by the National Council of Applied Economic Research, only about 5 percent said they had chosen their husband without any input from their families.
Reporting the same 5 percent finding, Business Standard gave a second figure. Seventy-three percent said that their parents or relatives alone had chosen their husband.
In Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995), Raj, played by Shah Rukh Khan, loves Simran, played by Kajol. Raj will not elope with her. He wants to win her father’s consent instead.
At the climax the father, Chaudhary Baldev Singh, played by Amrish Puri, lets his daughter go: Ja Simran ja, jee le apni zindagi. Go, Simran, go, live your life.
In the Ramayana, Prince Bharata is offered the throne of Kosala after his elder brother Rama is sent into exile. Bharata refuses it. He goes to Rama in the forest and returns with Rama’s sandals.
He places the sandals on the throne to represent Rama. For fourteen years he governs the kingdom as regent, from the village of Nandigrama, until his brother returns.