Election 2011 – Tamil Nadu

 

Everyone writes political commentary, so why should I be left behind? In any case no one is able to read the collective mind of the people, let me add my opinion to increase the existing confusion and madness. One more drop will not cause any tsunami.

MGR during his time was criticized by educated public of winning the elections through gimmicks; giving midday meal to school children, and distributing pension and cloths for old people living in the villages.  If this over enlightened view were to be true reason for MGR’s unprecedented victory (his party, as long as he was alive, was never defeated in the assembly elections), then Mr.Karnanidhi too should not have been defeated at the election 2011. Mr.Karnanidhi, did successfully implemented the free gifts he promised to the people and he promised more in this election. Then how come people emphatically rejected him?

Is it corruption? MGR too was accused of corruption, and Ms.Jayalalitha was the first politician to bring glamour into corruption. And Mr.Karnanidhi (original inventor of corruption) took the corruption to another level altogether in his fifth term. You and I are not better in any way; we too give bribe if not in a big way, certainly when it comes to getting reservation in train or in getting license. Corruption is not new, our conscience is already numbed enough to tolerate any amount of corruption in private and public life.

The beauty of corruption during MGR’s regime was that ordinary people either did not believe or they were happy about it. Their reasoning was that MGR does not have any children, therefore all the money he makes legally or illegally, will be distribute to people only. Literally they saw Robin Hood in MGR when he was accused of corruption.

When MGR implemented schemes and distributed free things to poor people, it was perceived by the people positively and they attributed it to his love for them and his generosity. Mr.Karananidhi distributed free television and other things not only for the poor but also to the middle class people. Technically more people received benefits from him than MGR. But people perceived him to be a cunning politician and he is distributing not out of love but only for votes.

In case of Ms.Jeyalalitha people have shown benefit of doubt for two reasons; she still is seen as successor of MGR, and there is no viable alternation. May be the third reason is that she too like MGR without any children. How much one has to make money for his or her old age security?  Our greed goes beyond imagination because we want store money for our children and children’s children. So people must have construed that she will be better than him. May be we should make a law that only person with no children is qualified to occupy the powerful posts in the country. Then certainly I also will have a chance of becoming CM if not PM.