Politicians… we love to hate them! While most of us don’t take well to criticisms, their every move is judged as to whether they are being genuine or if they are just playing politics….. And still, it brings about a great amount of sadness when in less than 2 years, two of the most dominant leaders, who have together contributed in building 60 odd years of Tamil Nadu politics, are no more!!……
Jayalalithaa
Fondly called Amma (Mother), formerly an actress, served 6 terms as the chief minister of Tamil Nadu. Initially an actress, her story is not very different from that of Queen Elizabeth the 1st, where she tried to de-glamourise herself and constantly reminded her supporters of her ambitions to make her mentor MGR’s dream come true….
Karunanidhi
Fondly called Ayya (Father), a screenplay writer who was a powerful orator, served 5 terms as the chief minister of Tamil Nadu. Born in a small town, he soon became a screenplay writer for Tamil movies and used them as a medium to propagate his ideologies and views. While his strongly opinionated scripts got him in trouble from time to time, it propelled him into being a popular political leader.
There was a time when we used to debate Jayalalithaa or Karunanidhi. Tamil Nadu politics was fierce, vibrant and full of drama. I am sure George R. R. Martin, who wrote Game of Thrones must have got some inspiration from seeing these two go off at each other. There were rumours of affairs, scandals, internal power struggles, the splitting of parties, corruption charges, just to name a few….. We would get irritated with them… aaaah! Not again. Why can’t they stop going off at each other? Very annoying!
For this reason, perhaps they never managed to win 2 consecutive elections, and you always had this situation where the position of Chief Minister would keep alternating between them. Until 2015…… When Jayalalithaa won the election second time in a row, there were talks about how it was a bad omen and that never in the history of Tamil Nadu had anybody completed 2 consecutive terms…….
There was a time when their massive hoardings were all over the place in a city where hoardings were banned! Oh and let’s not forget the electricity they wasted lining up the road dividers with lights. Today there’s a deafening silence, with the political future looking dark. There are still those hoardings but with not so familiar faces and political parties with no clarity.
There are new players like Kamal Haasan with a lot of potential but will they be able to compete against more experienced politicians like Stalin, Panneerselvam etc. Will their experience show through or will they be busy with the infighting? Who will be the people left standing once the dirt settles down? Only time will tell. Till then there is a huge vacuum in Tamil Nadu politics.
We have gone from asking who will be our next CM to today asking the question who is there?
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Liked your article but Joe Stailn was of Russia and he slaughtered over a million of his own people. Churchill was shocked but soon learned how evil Stalin was. Like all Russians they suffer from blood lust and land grab. Hate work drink bottles of Vodka as we drink water. One or two are educated from the rest but suffer owing to their progress in humanity and learning.
The Stalin in this article is the son of Karunanidhi who has taken charge of the party.
As heartless, cold and power hungry the Russian Stalin was I don’t think Churchill would have been too surprised as he himself was quite ruthless with the people of South and South East Asia during the British rule.
Days of empire Churchill tried to bring British law to your nation and it did not work. Ghandi made a fool of power made politics and gave us English the dish of curry thanks to him all Asian foods i love. India and Pakistan I have many friends to love too. We are all Gods children we are immortal in his name. We are spirit inside on a frame. What sins we commit here we carry with us into the next room. Im sorry I misunderstood your Stalin is Asian please forgive my mix up. Where is it you live as It is such a big place your nation. May time and tide flow for you in harmony.
We too have imbibed the British culture in the form of cricket, English language and so much more.
Indeed I know and love it. I am happy that we can converse in one language from two parts of the world. Im residing in Latvia Europe having left UK to retire to write my books and garden.Fit for my age still 40 to look at and have built my own house and hen palace in rural countryside with few people near me. I have it English manor house style and English gardens I made too.. Tell me about you are you Indian or Pakistanni?
Sounds lovely! I am an Indian.
lovely I like Indian natives.
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The politics ground will never be the same again. I’m still reeling from the fact that almost all of the prominent political leaders that we watched and grew up with are no more.. Starting from Abdul Kalam to Kofi Annan.. They were the frequent answers to the GK questions in our second grade.. Apart from the nostalgia driven thought, they have left us a legacy. They sure made numerous corrupt decisions but there were times when they did the right thing. One of the acts of Karunanidhi to which I’m ever grateful is the Anna centenary library in Chennai. He envisioned this library years ago and it’s a reality Now. Thanks to him this library made me who I’m today.. And I wonder will there be a strong powerful leader like jayalalitha, the Margaret Thatcher of south again?
True!
i saw Bombay as it was in 1974 and it thrilled me until I drove a car up to palace. insides of the walls a garden filled with Jack fruit at edge led the eye to fountain of water welcome in that heat before monsoon. The sky was yellow and the heat so hot. Women outside my window carried every thing on head. The vast noise of life passed by me in technicolour the sari in reds and soft pinks and creams the view is with me even today. So many people so many camels and a few massive elephants brought it all into one picture of life. The smells too heady of spice and car exhaust mingled in food smells filled my mind with thoughts what lay ahead of the heaving city I was destined not to see as my flight took me away to Cypress for dinner. I know that island well. England I landed next afternoon my job done and desk job awaiting for my report to Government House.so glad now to have had the life I have had and seen a world unfold before me. In Rome I saw history before my every step and bought from the Vatican museum a bust of Julius Ceasar which today sits on a pillar base in my library. One day hoped it will be next yo my swimming pool.Heat daily here is 100f all summer not as hot as Bombay but hot enough for me to excavate a pool to cool off in. Next Springtime I think as too much to do with garden this summer.Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the noon day sun is true we do as nothing stops for us unless all is done properly.
You are right not just India but all over this world who knows how to make peace work. You see the real intelligent mind does not shout how good he is or look at me it takes idiots with small IQ with fully self love for themselves to even want to rule. Then when they are voted in by the mindless and the same nothing happens but cash moves about a lot .Then Im it wants more and on it goes to metal prices shares in arms and war that makes the fat hollow man richer. What we need is someone who laughs at himself or herself and can not worry over what he owns or what he can make. He worries over the peoples needs as they are the future of any nation. Trouble is we all suffer from candidates who have ulterior needs and self adoration. Feather my nest types. One thing JFK said do not ask what your nation can do for you,ask what you can do for your nation.
True!
Nice political thoughtful concept of CM, thoughtful blog keep blogging 💐
Prolific leaders…May they rest in peace.
Many thanks I was born in an historic castle my ancestors Kings of England Queen to King Henry VIII and me a Baronet Knight of the realm.My father told me we are all Gods children we may be here for a while so do not ever look down on anyone ,help when you can. I believe my father a wiser man than most but I have never seen myself higher than anyone in life all have taught me something.Some have effected my life some have lost their way and have noting left but pity for themselves when all it takes is smile and your on your way back up as you will not allow anything or anyone to knock you down again.Those that rule over us are their own worse enemies though they will not know that in this life then it will be too late to repent. Life is bit a test it is its main purpose. The end result is worth the battle to me. I hope to all of us. Prayer never goes for nothing. it is heard if not replied to always.
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