Skip to main content

Jayalalitha and Dravidian movement: How politics in Tamil Nadu became art of managing contradictions

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*
Many in media were shocked to see the last remains of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalitha being buried and not cremated as per the Hindu customs. Actually, the hype of media reached its crescendo and they were well prepared for a grand brahmanical ceremony, but unfortunately their wish could not be fulfilled.
Those who know the legacy of Periyar and Dravidian movement will understand that all of them followed a legacy defined and articulated by Periyar.
Jayalalitha was a non-Tamil and brahmin, yet part of the AIADMK through its thick and thin. Even when it was well known that she diluted the whole Dravidian ideological legacies, the concept of welfare measures are part of this historical legacy and that is why Tamil Nadu remain one of the best Indian states in terms of welfare measures of the people.
The whole concept of Mid Day meal in India actually came through MGR's successful programme in Tamil Nadu. Even today, the meals provided in Tamilnadu remain better than other states.
Many a time, the media convert the entire issue of Tamil Nadu politics as influenced by the film stars without understanding the whole legacy of the Dravidian movement.
People might not even remember Jayalalitha as a film star but the legacy of Dravidian movement was with her even as I said, she diluted it and compromised with the brahmanical forces many times but then politics is the art of managing contradictions.
Jayalalitha reduced her ministers to nothing. Paneer Selvam was a pale shadow of her. Most of the ministers would just stand in front of her. But then it is politics which worship the power.
Jayalalitha was humiliated when MGR passed away and was merely an óutsider'even when every one knew that she was his political heir who he groomed. The coterie planted MGR's wife Janaki Ramachandran as chief minister and publicly humiliated Jayalalitha. That public humiliation perhaps made her more aggressive and revengeful.
While I do not subscribe to many of the freebies that she gave to people as that was nothing but a growing trend of bribing the voters but in some way good too when politicians are amassing huge wealth, living king size life, palatial bungalows, shamelessly spending money on their personal grooming then, one feel atleast, people are getting something.
Its people's money but my one request to freewallahs as well as to the people who feel elated over that is that why don't they ask to give land to the landless and house to homeless in their manifestos. Can any political party do it? It will fulfill the dreams of our constitutional forefathers of housing for all. It will relieve people and make their positive energy used elsewhere.
Politicians made people virtually beggars. For media it become an spectacle to suggest how many lakhs converse.. what a great leader one was and how much popular one was... let me say, people in India have enough time for all politicians, film stars, cricketers... and even when crooked dies people will go in millions. It is only when some body really good dies that we dont even remember. How is that a leader die and people become 'helpless'? Leaders are becoming larger than life and people powerless and helpless. This is not a great sign of democracy. Such larger than life images of politicians only hurt democracy.
Can we see some day a public figure die and cremated silently. Is there a need for grand function? But then it is the best period to market your religious belief, plant political agendas on non political people who look for a miracle.
Jayalalitha lived in style and never believed in any niceties and lived life on her conditions. It was she who on a midnight knock got an old Karunanidhi arrested from his house. Many of today's mass leaders rarely came from the mass movement. They don't remain leaders but much bigger like Gods and Goddesses and we start worshipping them.
Political people worshipping their leaders only reduce democracy to biggest farce when these power elite use democracy to subvert law and enjoy power without any accountability. There are many 'great' leaders and when they pass away you will see the same kind of rhetorics and dramas as we saw in Chennai.
The grand spectacle was in Chennai today, in Mumbai several years back, may be in Lucknow, Patna, Delhi, Hyderabad or elsewhere tomorrow... people have never been a problem in this country.. they come in the largest numbers... the only time they won't when you want to do some really good work.
Whatever may be her wrongs, Jayalalitha allowed ensured that in Tamil Nadu the political power remain with the Dravidian parties. With Jayalalitha's passing away the Hindutva groups are now cosying up to her party. We hope the Dravidian legacy will remain strong in Tamil Nadu as any alliance with Hindutva will ultimately finish them politically in the state.
Regional parties must learn from the experiences that BJP always started with a junior partner in many states but become senior partner after several years through various mechanism of using contradictions.
This is a crucial phase of Tamilnadu and we hope both DMK and ADMK retain their respective identities, but there is every danger at the moment where powerful drawing room mechanism might play games and push ADMK to the lap of Hindutva forces which would be the most dangerous thing. Jayalalitha did not do despite her soft corner for brahmanical rituals and practices.
Tamil Nadu's political formulations now need careful observation and we hope politicians will show maturity to their ideologies and provide a pro people inclusive governance.
---
*Source: From the author's Facebook timeline

Comments

TRENDING

'Draconian' Kerala health law follows WHO diktat: Govt readies to take harsh measures

By Dr Maya Valecha*  The Governor of Kerala has signed the Kerala Public Health Bill, which essentially reverses the people’s campaign in healthcare services in Kerala for decentralisation. The campaign had led to relinquishing of state powers in 1996, resulting in improvement of health parameters in Kerala. Instead, now, enforcement of law through the exercise of power, fines, etc., and the implementation of protocol during the pandemic, are considered of prime importance.

Reject WHO's 'draconian' amendments on pandemic: Citizens to Union Health Minister

By Our Representative  Several concerned Indian citizens have written to the Union Health Minister to reject amendments to the International Health Regulations (IHR) of the World Health Organization (WHO) adopted during the 75th World Health Assembly (WHA75) in May 2022, apprehending this will make the signatories surrender their autonomy to the “unelected, unaccountable and the whimsical WHO in case of any future ‘pandemics’.”

A Hindu alternative to Valentine's Day? 'Shiv-Parvati was first love marriage in Universe'

By Rajiv Shah*   The other day, I was searching on Google a quote on Maha Shivratri which I wanted to send to someone, a confirmed Shiv Bhakt, quite close to me -- with an underlying message to act positively instead of being negative. On top of the search, I chanced upon an article in, imagine!, a Nashik Corporation site which offered me something very unusual. 

Bihar rural women entrepreneurs witness 50% surge in awareness about renewal energy

By Mignonne Dsouza*  An endline survey conducted under the Bolega Bihar initiative revealed a significant increase in awareness of renewable energy among women, rising from 25% to 76% in Nalanda and Gaya. Renu Kumari, a 34-year-old entrepreneur from Nalanda, Bihar, operates a village eatery that serves as the primary source of income for her family, including her husband and five children. However, a significant portion of her profits was being directed toward covering monthly electricity expenses that usually reach Rs 2,000. 

Work with Rajasthan's camel herders: German scientist wins World Cookbook Award 2023

By Rosamma Thomas*  Gourmand World Cookbook Awards are the only awards for international food culture. This year, German scientist  Ilse Kohler Rollefson , founder of Camel Charisma, the first of India’s camel dairies, in Pali district of Rajasthan, won the award for her work with camel herders in Rajasthan, and for preparing for the UN International Year of Camelids, 2024. 

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

Why is electricity tariff going up in India? Who is the beneficiary? A random reflection

By Thomas Franco*  Union Ministry of Power has used its power under Section 11 of the Electricity Act, 2003 to force States to import coal which has led to an increase in the cost of electricity production and every consumer is paying a higher tariff. In India, almost everybody from farmers to MSMEs are consumers of electricity.

'Pro-corporate agenda': Odisha crackdown on tribal slum dwellers fighting for land rights

By Our Representative  The civil rights network Campaign Against State Repression (CASR), even as condemning what it calls “brutal repression” on the Adivasi slum dwellers of Salia Sahi in Bhubaneshwar by the Odisha police, has said that the crackdown was against the tribals struggling for land rights in order to “stop the attempts at land-grab by the government.”

Deplorable, influential sections 'still believe' burning coal is essential indefinitely

By Shankar Sharma*  Some of the recent developments in the power sector, as some  recent news items show, should be of massive relevance/ interest to our policy makers in India. Assuming that our authorities are officially mandated/ committed to maintain a holistic approach to the overall welfare of all sections of our society, including the flora, fauna and general environment, these developments/ experiences from different parts of the globe should be clear pointers to the sustainable energy pathways for our people.

Hazrat Aisha’s age was 16, not 6: 'Weak' Hadith responsible for controversy

Sacred chamber where Prophet and Aisha used to live By Dr Mike Ghouse* Muslims must take the responsibility to end the age-old controversy about Hazrat Aisha’s age at the time of her marriage to the Prophet (pbuh) – it was 16, not 6 (minimum was 16, Max 23 per different calculations). The Hadiths published were in good faith, but no one ever checked their authenticity, and they kept passing on from scholar to scholar and book to book.  Thanks to 9/11, Muslims have started questioning and correcting the Hadiths, Seerah, and mistranslations of the Quran. Now, the Ulema have to issue an opinion, also known as Fatwa, to end it and remove those Hadith entries. Mustafa Akyol, a scholar of Islam, implores Muslims to stop deifying “the received traditions” and critically study their religious past, shedding rigid legalism and close-mindedness. Someone else used the phrase “copycat Muslims” to identify scholars who copied what was given to them and passed it on without researching or questioni