நமக்கு நாமே!!

அண்மையில் அறிவிக்கப்பட்ட தமிழ்நாடு மாநில அரசு திரைப்பட விருதுகளில் பல விருதுகள் கலைஞரின் திரைப்படமான ‘உளியின் ஓசை’க்கு அளிக்கப்பட்டது. இதற்கு முன் அண்ணாவின் நுற்றாண்டு விழா முன்னிட்டு தி.மு.க.  சில விருதுகளை நிறுவித்து தனக்கும் தன்னை சார்தொருக்குமே  கொடுதுக்க்கொண்டது. கலைஞர் ‘அண்ணா விருது’ என்று ஒன்றை நிறுவி தனக்கே கொடுத்துக்கொண்டார்!! இதை விமர்சித்து சிலர் இது கலைஞரின் புதிய ‘நமக்கு நாமே’ திட்டம் என்றனர்.

ஆனால் இது ஒன்றும் இவர்க்கு புதியதல்ல என்பது போல் பேசுகிறார் கவிஞர் கண்ணதாசன், தனது வனவாசத்தில்.

வனவாசம் கவிஞரின் சுயசரிதையின் முதல் பகுதி, அவரது அரசியல் பயணம் பற்றியது. இதில் 47 ஆம்  அத்தியாயம் ‘கணையாழியும் கசப்பும்’. இதில் தி.மு.க. சென்னை மாநகராட்சி தேர்தலில் வெற்றி பெற்ற பின் கடற்கரையில் நடந்த வெற்றி விழா பற்றி கூறுகிறார்.

“…வருணனைகளோடு ஒரு விஷயத்தை (அண்ணா) சொல்ல ஆரம்பித்தார். “நான் என் மனைவிக்கு நகை வாங்கக்கூட கடைக்குச் சென்றதில்லை. எனக்கென்றுகூட நான் நகைக்கடை ஏறியதில்லை. இன்று மதியம் வேகாத வெயில்லில் ஊரெங்கும் அலைந்து கடையெங்கும் தேடி வாங்கி வந்தேன் ஒரு கணையாழி; அந்தக் கணையாழியை இந்த வெற்றியை ஈட்டித்தந்த என் தம்பி கருணாநிதிக்கு அணிவிக்கிறேன்.” கூட்டத்தில் பெருத்த கையொலி. ‘கருணாநிதி வாழ்க!’ என்ற முழக்கம். அவன் (கண்ணதாசன் தன்னை அவன் என்றே சுயசரிதையில் குறிப்பிடுகிறார்) கூனிக் குறுகினான். பயன் கருத்த உழைப்பு, அரசியலில் எப்படி அலட்சியமாக ஒதுக்கப்படும் என்பதை அப்போதுதான் அவன் கண்டான். ..
……அவன் நேரே அவரிடம் போனான். “என்ன அண்ணா! இப்படிச் சதி செய்துவிட்டீர்கள்?” என்று நேருக்கு நேரே கேட்டான்.
“அட நீயும் ஒரு மோதிரம் வாங்கிக்கொடு. அடுத்த கூடத்தில் போட்டுவிடுகிறேன்” என்றார்.
“அப்படித்தான் கருணாநிதியும் வாங்கிக் கொடுத்தாரா?” என்று அவன் கேட்டான்.
“அட சும்மா இரு. அடுத்த தேர்தல் வரட்டும் பார்த்துக் கொள்ளலாம்” என்றார்.”

(வனவாசம், பக்கம் 283 , 284. )

இதில் எவ்வளவு உண்மை என்று தெரியவில்லை. ஆனால் ஆங்கிலத்தில் ‘History  repeats  itself!’ என்று கூறுவர். அது தான் நினைவிக்கு வருகிறது!கவுண்டமணி டயலாக் ஒன்னும் நினைவிக்கு வருது!!”அரசியில இதெல்லாம் சாதாரணமப்பா!!”

On ‘dynastic’ politics

I am currently reading the book ‘Courting Destiny’, memoirs of Shanti Bhushan. Shanti Bhushan is an acclaimed lawyer and has appeared in several important constitutional cases. His claim to fame is his success in the election petition case against the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in the Allahabad High Court. That success led subsequently led to the Emergency and changed the political course of our country. He was also a founding member of the BJP (though he quit its primary membership in 1986) and was also the Union Law Minister in the first non-Congress Government under Moraji Desai. His memoirs is a fascinating read giving an insider view of one of the most happening phases of Indepedent India’s history. It showcases the highs and the lows of Indian judiciary.

One particular passage in the book caught my attention given the recent focus on dynastic politics. Shanti Bhushan writes,

“People normally deprecate the concept of a dynasty in politics. They do not realize that the environment in which children grow has a tremendous impact on their thinking and attitudes. A son of a politiocian, therefore, may become a successful politician in his own right. He may get a head start due to his family background, but it is generally ignored that he becomes a successful politician only if he has the talent and works hard. Children of doctors or lawyers also have that advantage and many go on to become successful doctors or lawyers. But they achieve success in their professions only due to talent and hard work.” (Pg. 249)

But there are dynastic politics and dynastic politics.

Rajiv Gandhi was sworn in as Prime Minister within hours of the death of his mother and then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Though Rajiv went on to win a historic landslide later the first time he was made a Prime Minister was a blatant case of perpetuating a dynasty.

 

 A cartoon (Source: Dinamalar) on dynastic politics in DMK. The top row shows the five great leaders of DMK in the past – CN Annadurai, Nedenchezian, EVK Sampath, Mathiazhagan & SV Natarajan. The bottom row shows the five ‘great’ leaders of the present – M Karunanidhi, Son Stalin, Son Azhagiri, Daughter Kanimozhi, Grand nephew Dayanidhi!!

“தி.மு.க என்பது திருக்குவளை மு.கருணாநிதி லிமிடெட் கம்பெனியாகிப் பல காலம் ஆயிற்று.” – ஞாநி, குமுதம், 26-5-2009

 

““Yes, the Gandhi name gives one an unfair advantage, but many more of you should join politics and take away that edge.”

“I am the product of an unfair, closed world. I want to use my unfair advantage to rpice the world open for you” – Rahul Gandhi (Source: Tehelka)

 

I also read recently that the adopted son of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister CN Anna Durai twice rejected offers of Lok Sabha election tickets once by the party founded by his father (DMK) and the other by the party founded in the name of his father (ADMK).

“…the life of C.N.A. Parimalam, son of DMK founder C.N. Annadurai, offers a study in contrast. A government doctor, Parimalam committed suicide by jumping into a well in Chennai’s Nungambakkam area in March last year. He was 67. He is said to have ended his life because he was worried about the expenses his family was incurring for his heart ailment. The high ideals Parimalam had imbibed from his father forbade him from seeking financial support from either of the two big Dravidian parties that live off his father’s legacy.” Outlook , June 8, 2009 (http://www.outlookindia.com/full.asp?fodname=20090608&fname=Cover+Story&sid=3 )

So, there are dynastic politics and there are dynastic politics!

Should Rahul Gandhi join the Cabinet?

The Reuters website had asked this question in their website (http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate-in/author/tonytharakan/).

Should Rahul Gandhi join the cabinet? If yes, which portfolio would suit him best.

My opinion:

The real question to ask here is as to in which role would Rahul Gandhi is more needed today both with respect to the Congress party and the country in general. The answer to that question is that Rahul Gandhi has a greater role to play outside the Cabinet than being part of it. By being part of the Cabinet he would be forced to devote more of his time and energy within the narrow confines of that ministry apart from giving some inputs in the Cabinet meetings etc. Indeed this is an important role. But consider the role outside it. By virtue of his surname, his clear intention to make a difference and bring about a changes, his demonstrated actions over the last two years and the electoral mandate which has vindicated his approach to a great extent, Rahul Gandhi is uniquely positioned to continue with greater fervor his attempts to bring in more democratisation in the country’s oldest and popular political party and in a larger context inspire the youth of this nation to take more active interest in politics. While there may be a lot of equally competent people to fill in the role of a Cabinet minister, Rahul is uniquely positioned to fulfill the latter role. For the long term interests of his own party and the country Rahul should not accept to be part of the Ministry and continue the good work that he has been doing. If at all, he becomes a Minister I would like to see him as Minister for Rural Development or Health or Program Implementation.

Mandate 2009: The real test starts now

To the collective relief and surprise of all we have a stable government at the centre and that too free of any major encumbrances to govern. And to the collective of relief of many it is not a BJP led government!

I was proved completely wrong in Tamil Nadu. DMK did not do as bad as expected. Given my training as a strategy researcher for the last one year, ex-post I can propose that people voted against the Third Front in Tamil Nadu   Jokes and ex-post analysis apart I should say I am happy that a stable, free government is finally there under the leadership of Dr.Manmohan Singh.

The real test for Dr.Singh starts now. Given his age and recent medical ailments, he may want be a “man in a hurry” (courtesy: ToI today’s edition). It was heartening to see in the news today that the PM has asked every department to come with a 100-day plan and has said that he will hold his ministers responsible for the delivery of the promises made in the manifesto. He can start by inducting the right persons for the job. A healthy mix of youth and experience is promised. Lets hope it will be delivered.

NREGA and RTI were two very good pieces of legislation that the outgoing government can take credit of. Agreed there may be shortcomings in these (every law or initiative has them), but still these are legislations that would impact the social, economic and political evolution in the times to go. The new government while plugging the gaps in these should look ahead to create more such legislations which will institutionalize inclusive growth of our country.  I would like to see legislations which would guarantee each of our citizens the Right to Education and Right to primary health.

As far as Rahul is concerned, I would like him to work and build the party further rather than take up ministerial positions now. Over the last one year I have become a huge fan of him. He appears to be sincere and is talking the kind of politics that I would like to see. He has lots of things still to do to make progress on his vision for the party in specific and politics in general. Though Congress might have surprised itself by winning more than 200 seats, much needs to be done. The results are not a reflection of Congress’s revival as some may like to see. It is the result of many factors. If something can be claimed about the mandate, it is that it is a mandate for stability. Congress need to reinvent itself. The recent victory should help Rahul assert himself more and usher in the change.

The real test for the Congress and Dr.Singh’s government starts now.

Why don’t we care about Sri Lanka? – The Telegraph

Why don’t we care about Sri Lanka?
-Dean Nelson, The Telegraph
“We can’t see the impact of American bombing of civilians in Afghanistan, just as we cannot see the victims of LTTE shooting and army shelling in Sri Lanka. And because we can’t see it with our own eyes, our emotional reaction to it is weak.”
“Seeing is not just believing, but the first step to caring. Out of sight and beyond our care, thousands of innocent Tamil civilians have been abandoned to their fate in the crossfire.”

Full version of the article at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/srilanka/5324790/Why-dont-we-care-about-Sri-Lanka.html