Editor's Byte

The drama being played out in Tamil Nadu could only happen in Tamil Nadu. Specifically, in a state where the main players in politics are movie stars or connected with the making of movies. Reality inTamil Nadu politics is cinematic -- larger than life and utterly bogus. 

Mr M Karunanidhi, the poet and screenplay writer, manipulates the emotions of the electorate as per the guidelines of a 3-hour Tamil box office extravaganza. It’s a formula which has never failed him. The empress of the state, J Jayalalitha, is not far behind, but she still has to learn a trick or two from the maestro. 

The maestro himself, ageing, surrounded by scheming and ambitious sons and daughters, is slowly losing the plot. But as the events of April 27 show, he still has a few tricks up his sleeve. The stunning military advance of the Sri Lankan army in the north of the country had come at an inconvenient moment-- during elections. While the LTTE and Prabhakaran may not have many admirers in Tamil Nadu, the plight of innocent Tamil refugees caught in the crossfire did have tremendous resonance. Mr Karunanidhi, because he is in coalition with a party which has a serious score to settle with Prabhakaran, is vulnerable to the charge that he has betrayed the Tamil Sri Lankans. He is, of course, vulnerable to anti-incumbency too, which means a loss of many Lok Sabha seats. 

His enemies in the state, particularly a lady living in Poes Gardens, have exploited his discomfiture most effectively. However, the old man might still have the last laugh. The manner in which he announced his "indefinite" fast and the manner in which he has called offthis "indefinite" fast seems like a masterstroke. I have no "evidence" to back up my hunch, but I would not be surprised if this "stunt" has been organised, to relieve Karunanidhi of the "betrayal" charge, by the government of India, the government of Sri Lanka and the government of Tamil Nadu. The fast, considering the DMK chief’s health, had to be kept short and sweet. Only someone in Chennai’s movie business could have conceived this brilliant scene! 

Tailpiece: Full marks to Subramanian Swamy for dubbing the gambit as a fast "between breakfast and lunch".