Security Blanket
After Mumbai's date with mayhem and terror, security is the buzzword here.The airport was first to get its security blanket; there are nine tiers of CISFpersonnel and even the recently inaugurated flyover opposite is going to get awall so that no sniper can target Anna International terminal from there. Buteven so, December 6 saw hardly a thousand people in the airport, which one yearago had a mile long line for a security check at 6 a.m. At least seven flightswere cancelled as a result of the trickle of people that day. And after whathappened to the Taj and Oberoi hotels in Mumbai, Chennai Police Commissioner KRadhakrishnan says, "Having sniffer dogs, X-Ray machines and metaldetectors have become the order of the day. And, plainclothesmen from differentintelligence units will maintain surveillance on luxury hotels." Evenmalls, multiplexes and all public areas see gun-toting security men. This year,although the annual music season is on, many hotels have got cancellationsbecause rasikas would rather feel safe than sorry. The height is the securitygiven to cricketers – the local media carried a picture of the England cricketcaptain being followed around by three securitymen during a training session.But as usual this is a knee-jerk reaction because post-New Year, when the Mumbaiattacks, fade from public memory, it will be business as usual. Also VIPs willstart to complain about being coddled as has already happened with somecricketers like Yuvraj Singh flying off the handle. What one needs is a systemicand attitudinal change. As the police commissioner says, it is impossible toprotect every individual. There should be vigilance while renting out houses,when a stranger looks suspicious, etc. Is anyone listening?
"Political Jokers"
In August, DMK chief and CM Karunanidhi wrote a poem "Azhwargal Puranam"in which he took on Tamil Nationalist Movement chief P Nedumaran, going as faras to say that the latter extorted money from the LTTE. Nedumaran rounded onKarunanidhi then but now the Tamil nationalist leader has found a champion inthe DMK chief. A few days ago, when the Sri Lankan army chief Sarath Fonsekacalled Nedumaran (and MDMK's Vaiko) "political jokers" and accusedthem of being "corrupt" (for being on the payroll of the LTTE), itinfused new blood into Karunanidhi's flagging campaign for the Sri LankanTamils. Most pro-Tamil leaders led by Karunanidhi have gone into SriLanka-bashing mode. At a wedding this week, Karunaniodhi orchestrated a verbalattack on bête noire Jayalalitha for being the only leader not to condemnFonseca. He went onto hint that her sensitivities were not bruised because sheis not a Tamil saying, "I was thinking of what Mr. Thirumavalavan (VCKleader) had said earlier of Tamil pride. Only Tamils would make clear theirprotest". But as many point out here, Vaiko's roots are Telugu.Incidentally, he told a TV channel that Fonseca should be certified and belongedin a "mental asylum". It is strange, though, that Jayalalitha,who otherwise gives out two statements a day, has not commented even thoughFonseca has ruffled the feathers of one of her allies, Vaiko. The truth is thatVaiko is a misfit in the AIADMK political formation and would be more at home inthe DMK. Only problem is that Vaiko left some years ago because Karunanidhiwanted to promote his son, Stalin. Now with a Mahabharat in the Karunanidhiclan, despite the loving family portrait after reconciling with the Marans lastweek, Vaiko has no chance of making a career in the DMK.
Mayawati's March
Another party that is trying to rise in TN is Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party.And, keeping with her arithmetic of blending Dalits and Brahmins together,Mayawati already has one prominent Dalit in the bag and has made overtures to aBrahmin, AIADMK MLA and theatre personality S Ve Sekar. Sivakami, Dalitwriter and feminist, resigned from her administrative career, which by manyaccounts was not scintillating and included a string of "punishment"postings because of her run-ins with politicians over her perception that Dalitswere being marginalized. Days after she was relieved by the government, shejoined the BSP. "I am attracted by what Mayawati has done," Sivakami,who has written four novels, 100 short stories and columns in a number ofjournals, said. Her talks on Dalit and women empowerment, during her governmenttenure led her to believe that she could do more for the marginalized if shejoined politics. She is seen as a firebrand writer and is well known for her TheGrip of Change (originally a Tamil novel, Pazhaiana Kazhithalum, thatshe translated into English).
Sent to Coventry
During the last assembly session no one from the AIADMK spoke to Ve Sekar, atheatre personality who was given a ticket by Amma in 2006, or even associatedwith him, lest they get into Amma's bad books. "My party colleagues behavedlike school students who had been instructed not to talk to me," he says.The Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi MLA Selvaperunthagai sauntered across andtold him they both had much in common because he was in the doghouse too vis-à-vishis party. Now these two politicos may have more in common becauseSelvaperunthagai has left the VCK to become president of the BSP, which has beenvirtually moribund in TN for over 10 years. "I'm the right person in thewrong place," says Sehar, whose actions and words indicate that he does notcare about burning his bridges with Amma. He says, "Mayawati's people havespoken to me. I will be meeting her. The party is giving 25-30 per cent of theseats to Brahmins. If that is the case, I will consider the offerdefinitely." Well, here's one AIADMK MLA who will not be renominated. Butwhile Mayawati has been making inroads all over north India, she is bound tofind it difficult to make a dent here, because there are many Dalit partieswhich have already stitched up the Dalit vote