CHAMEOLONS
AND TURN COATS OCCUPY BOTH DRAVIDIAN PARTIES
WEED
WEEDS OUT: HEED TO ANNA’s LIFE’s MISSION
Dravida Munnetra Kazhgam [DMK]
launched in 1949 by Aringnar Anna is now at cross roads. A lady who remained in
wilderness when DMK was in power had suddenly pretends to be a lady with a
vision who had come as savior of Tamilnadu. Yesterday i.e. 7th July
2011 speaking to media she says the people have already brought DMK down and
its end has arrived. Electoral setbacks never bury a party in its catacomb. Many
a party in Indian politics that faced defeats has bounced back. DMK is a party
with difference. It was embarked upon the ideological plank of cultural
nationalism. Its seeds lay hidden in the grammatical principle enunciated by
Tholkappiar, 3000 years ago to eschew Sanskrit alphabets from Tamil script. The
movement which spearheaded the Tamil language struggle of 1965 failed to
translate the dreams of those martyrs who self immolated for the cause of their
mother tongue. It was content with neon light boards over government buildings
proclaiming long life for Tamil but failed to make Tamil medium of instruction,
and for all practical purposes adulterated Tamil, admixture of Tamil and
English known as Tamilish was thrust into the minds of Tamils through television
channels patronized by DMK.
In every hamlet in thatched sheds a
library would come up where uneducated and semi-literate would meet in evenings
to read numerous publications of DMK and would debate for hours on every issue
of the world. Teashops, cycle hiring shops, hair dressing shops and in the
mini-reading rooms named after Anna, Navalar, Perasiriyar etc would become
debating platforms on serious subjects like atheism. During emergency though
there was not anarchy in Puducherry as in Tamilnadu, for precaution I was
hiding in a launderers shop in Bussy Street of Puducherry, and Mathivanan,
Chairman of the 15 th ward of DMK branch unit, who is not a teetotaler would
explain Vietnam War to the stunned listeners. In fact for many articles I wrote
during emergency in official organs of DMK, his witty and informative inputs
were stimulants. Gone are the days when every DMK men was strong in debating
field with wide knowledge gained through writings of Periyar EVR, Aringnar Anna
and many a DMK leader of those days. Aringnar Anna while speaking on behalf of
Malaysian DMK declared that DMK’s public meetings are evening colleges of
Tamilnadu. Read everyday debate everyday was the unwritten rule of DMK cadres
of those days. Educate the people; serve the people, Anna gave the call and
students of the day thronged to him to learn on Gresham’s law of Economics
while studying in elementary and high schools. Gone are those golden days.
Now DMK and ADMK are led by and fed
by business magnates of self financing colleges. Liquor mafia and Land mafia
are the office bearers in both these parties. Men may come and men may go but I
go on forever, Mathew Arnold wrote as if a river spoke. Parties may come and go
but plunderers and profiteers are same tribe. Just change the dress to match
the current party’s flag and be well versed in praising those in power, seems
to be the principle enunciated by current breed of politicians.
Before 1967 party elections DMK
raised funds by selling DMK flag badge for 4 ana, 25 paise was known as 4 ana,
and in Cuddalore led by veteran DMK leader Mrs.Sathyavanimuthu I remember
having sold such badges to public to raise funds for meeting party’s election
expenses. Auditorium meetings where people will buy tickets to hear speakers
generated funds. Drama too brought in funds. Through such simple means from
public DMK collected election funds and the target was 10 lakhs but Treasurer
M.Karunanithi collected more than target and Aringnar Anna in wittingly said Rs
11 lakhs will be the candidate in Saidapet constituency instead of mention
Kalaignar by name. Such a party headed by Aringnar Anna now had been brought to
shame. Actor S.S.Rajendran’s reminiscences on Anna published
as a chapter by International Institute of Tamil Studies recalls how MGR and
SSR, then DMK’s leading film stars decided to repay all the debts of Aringnar
Anna Founder of DMK when Anna passed away. But Anna’s family was not willing so
all the DMK legislators and members of parliament contributed their one month
salary which though insufficient to wipe out all debts was accepted by Anna’s
family.
Later when SSR was producing a film a taxi was hired by his unit which
was not in good running condition. SSR thought of dropping that taxi but found
it was owned by Anna’s wife to earn for family expenses. On knowing this both
MGR and SSR regularly contributed Rs 5000 each to meet the family expenditure
of Anna. Later one day Anna’s adopted son[ Anna did not have an issue, his
sisters son was adopted son] Dr.Anna Parimalam came to MGR and SSR and told
that he had got job and hereafter both actors need not pay regular monthly
assistance. What a nobility and honesty, Anna had inculcated in his adopted
son. It is well known to all in Tamilnadu, that Anna.Parimalam a medical doctor
by profession unable to give himself to money fleecing ultra-modern hospitals
of the day committed suicide. This is the history of DMK founder’s family and
those who garland his statues as ritual do not know this past. MGR when he
floated his own party after Anna’s name, the DMK cadre thought he will emulate
Anna’s honest path since in his film songs he had created such a myth about his
honesty.
Joining hands with one liquor baron
MGR is alleged to have gained in every bottle of India made foreign liquor
sales in Tamilnadu and on the day MGR breathed his last, as we have now seen in
Sathya Sai Ashram, from MGR’s Sathya Gardens lorry loads of gunny bags full of
money was smuggled out by men closer to him who overnight became
multi-millionaires of self financing medical and engineering colleges in
Tamilnadu. These men even kicked J.Jayalalithaa out of the military vehicle
which carried MGR’s body for burial in Marina beach.
When I went to meet MGR in
his Arcot Mudaliar Street house in Thiagaraya Nagar named after Sir
P.T.Thiyagarayar founder of Justice Party, in Chennai a young friend of mine
who gave me coffee and informed MGR over intercom about my arrival and who
worked as his errand boy is one of the top richest men in Tamilnadu, of course
education is his business .Overnight millionaires created by MGR infiltrated
into DMK after emergency and thereafter in both the DMK and ADMK men of
principles or ideologically firm cadres were shown the exit door.
Same sand mafia, land mafia, liquor
mafia, education mafia and chameleons of perfection well versed in the art of
gaining confidence of rulers of the day within few hours of poll results are
ruling both parties. Both parties’ boast of their strength while in power
because they get intoxicated by the pretenders of loyalty paraded by these
political chameleons and that leads to their downfall. Now it is the turn of
the DMK to be at the receiving end and a day which ADMK experienced in past
will again re-visit them in future.
So boasts like end of DMK are mere
wishful thinking. DMK is not built by those who now enjoy power in DMK. The
political businessmen are not the strength of DMK. The cadre which self
immolated for DMK is DMK’s strength. They may not sacrifice for selfish coteries but they will rebuild DMK from scratch, and like mythological phoenix DMK will raise
again if it fights all mythologies and espouses the simplicity and honesty of Anna;
of course weeds have to be weeded out. DMK will never meet its end, for whom
victory had brought illusions about a party built by Aringnar Anna.
N.Nandhivarman
General Secretary Dravida Peravai 8.7.2011
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