You can’t fool all the people all the time
Three fasts since January by major political leaders since January and noceasefire in Sri Lanka to protect Tamils. The latest farce was enacted by TamilNadu chief minister M Karunanidhi who went to the Marina on Monday morning at 6a.m. to "sacrifice my life for the Sri Lankan Tamils." Six hours later, hedrank a glass of juice, and the fast between breakfast and lunch was called off.These are some of the reactions in the local papers about his fast:
"We know that M Karunanidhi is a good scriptwriter for films and he hasproved his political acumen by leading from the front for more than 50 years.Now, it seems, he wants to prove that he is a good actor. If the fastingundertaken on Monday was to earn the sympathy of the electorate, he is totallywrong".– Mukundan Mangalamkat, Tiruchy
"No one can beat the CM in political stunts. The fast was one suchstunt. Any impartial observer of TN politics would easily deduce that he was notcompelled by compassion towards Tamils in Sri Lanka. Instead his goal was toscore over Ms Jayalalitha" – S.Sridharan, Srirangam.
"Karunanidhi’s sudden fast will be remembered only as a comic interludein the current elections. Since the war in Sri Lanka is coming to a close, thescope for using heavy weaponry is limited by ground realities. Under thecircumstances, there is no substance in Kalaignar’s claim that the Sri Lankanarmy will henceforth, be used only for humanitarian purposes" – KNarasimhan, Adyar.
Karunanidhi can pretend that his "sacrifice" called a halt to thehostilities, but here’s an excerpt from an interview by Sri Lankan presidentMahinda Rajapaksa: "No, it is not a ceasefire. You know, when you say you arenot using heavy weapons and you are not using air attacks, then what is it?It’s proceeding almost like a ceasefire only."
With anti-incumbency going against the DMK (one Congress candidate admittedthe scenario was "grim"), Karunanidhi, in a desperate move to divertattention as well as gain the upper hand in the one upmanship that has come tobe the norm among political parties allegedly concerned about the Sri LankanTamils, went on the fast. But, going by the letters, people are not fooled.
And Karunanidhi’s response to the low-level war in Sri Lanka? "The rainis over…. but the drizzle is still continuing."
The cacophony in Tamil Nadu
On March 9, AIADMK chief who had always maintained that a solution to the Tamilsshould be found within the framework of Sri Lanka, enacted her own melodramaseeing that the issue had become centrestage for all parties. On March 9, shedid a day-long fast and collected over Rs 2 crores for the Tamils. But seeinghow the other parties -- chiefly her bete noire Karunanidhi -- were makingpolitical capital out of the trauma of Sri Lankan Tamils, she did a U-turn, evencalling for a separate Eelam. She was unfazed by Sri Lanka’s firm rebuttal --"Not in Sri Lanka." She just wanted to be one up on Karunanidhi, becausehaving the Congress as his allies, he could not demand a separate Eelam. And thelatest is that she is ready to invade Sri Lanka to make her Tamil Eelam happen.Her justification is that after all India sent troops before the formation ofBangladesh and the IPKF was sent by India after the Rajiv Gandhi-Jayawardeneaccord.
The third fast -- really the first, because it was on January 15 -- was by TholThirumavalavan of the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi. His "fast unto death"was over in four days. At the end of which his cadre went around burning buseswhile he declared: "Congress has no respect for the feelings of the 6.5 croreTamils. Whatever the situation, we will have no relationship with the Congressever." Famous last words, because VCK is Congress’ ally in the ongoing poll.
But the good news is that people don’t believe any of the leaders anyway.
They don’t need no education
A management graduate from Harvard (P Chidambaram, Congress, Sivaganga), fromXLRI, Jamshedpur (K Pandiarajan, DMDK, Virudhunagar) and from IIM, Ahmedabad (ESarath Babu, independent, South Chennai); former Madras high court judge (Justice K Samidurai , VCK, Villipuram), a B.tech graduate (V V Ramakrishnan,DMDK, South Chennai), a post doctoral fellow in women and development (RejinaPappa, DMDK, Sivaganga); former Vice-Chancellor of Manonmaniam SundaranarUniversity (Cynthia Pandian, AIADMK, Thoothukudi).
These are among the 824 candidates in the fray for 39 seats that will go tothe polls on May 13. There’s also Congress candidate from Mayiladuthurai (ManiShankar Aiyar) who was in the IFS and contesting against him is Dr M HJawahirullah, a professor, Management graduate and a Ph.D. Mani Shankar Aiyarwill also get competition from a former IAS officer, L V Saptarishi.
Hell hath no fury like an alliance partner scorned
T Pandian, the CPI’s North Chennai candidate, who is credited by many forbringing the sufferings of the Tamils to the centrestage last October, must berueing the day his party split from the DMK and went into the AIADMK’swelcoming arms. He is being accused of suppressing details of his property (landworth Rs 1.79 lakh in Madurai district that he purchased on February 11, 2008)by the DMK led by CM Karunanidhi. Karunanidhi waved the property papers at apress conference seeking Pandian’s disqualification.
Pandian has responded saying, "Karunanidhi’s family members, who arecontesting the polls, should be ready to part with at least 10 per cent of theirassets if their real assets’ worth was revealed. Because, people know thatthey have amassed more wealth than what they have declared." Well, DayanidhiMaran, the Central Chennai MP who is seeking re-election, has declared assetsamounting to Rs 3.79 crores. Significantly, last year his brother KalanithiMaran, the big boss of Sun TV Network, was the only south Indian listed in thetop ten by Fortune 500 with a wealth of $19 billion.
Speaking of assets, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee chairman, K V Thangabalu(Salem’s Congress candidate), is now facing an "amassment of wealth"charge. A complaint regarding his wealth case has gone to the Lok Sabhasecretary general, the CBI told the Madras High Court last week. Thangabalu isthe owner of Mega TV.
To add to his troubles, his wife Jayanti faced a hostile crowd when she went fordoor to door canvassing at Kannankuruchi village in the constituency. "Who isThangabalu, we do not know him because he never visited us," angry villagerstold her.
To sir with love
Or if you like, Guru dakshina in the form of a withdrawal. That’swhat independent R L Venkataraman (50) did so his professor PMK’s M Ramadass(not to be confused with PMK founder S Ramadoss) would have a smooth ride.Ramadass, the Puducherry candidate, had approached his student Venkataraman andasked him to withdraw so there would be no splitting of votes. Not only hasVenkataraman taken his hat out of the ring, he has also decided to canvasssupport for the man who taught him economics when he was a student in TagoreGovernment Arts College.
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