Water wars once again..

In politically volatile South India, even water can set States on fire. For decades on end, neighbouring states have fought over water sharing - with the Centre struggling to play King Solomon. Fasts, bandhs, litigation, statements, all party meetings, assembly resolutions - State Governments have flexed their muscles. Linguistic groups have hopped on to the bandwagon for their share of publicity.

Just a few months ago, it was the Mullaperiyar Dam dispute between Tamil Nadu and Kerala that saw even a controversial film 'Dam 999' being banned in Tamil Nadu for creating unnecessary fear psychosis and spreading imaginary panic. While the expert committee had ruled in favour of Tamil Nadu by declaring that the dam is safe and its height can be raised to 142 feet, Kerala used the leeway given to build an additional dam to interpret the decision in its favour. 

The Cauvery tangle is back on centre stage. Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa's latest missive to the Prime Minister (one has almost lost count of the number of letters shot off to the PM over the last one year since she was swept to power by a massive mandate) is a virtual mini chargesheet against Karnataka. 

Jaya's demand for an urgent meeting of the Cauvery River Authority is not without merit. The high powered body constituted during the earlier NDA regime, last met almost a decade ago, on the 10th of February, 2003 to be precise. So when the dispute is far from over, and if you need a Chief Minister to write to the Prime Minister demanding a meeting, that itself shows what a toothless tiger the authority comes across as.

And what about the Water Resources Ministry? In November, last year Jayalalithaa had written to the Prime Minister requesting him to direct the ministry to notify the final order of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal obtained five years ago, in the Union Gazette. A plea to put in place a Cauvery Management Board for effective implementation of the award is also hanging fire. The excuse: Let the Supreme Court dispose the case off.

If Tamil Nadu is to be believed; and there is no evidence to the contrary, Karnataka has been flouting both the letter and spirit of the order. Reports suggest that Karnataka has been using water for summer irrigation and in the bargain, depleting storage in the four major reservoirs. Consider these figures. The gross combined storage was 58.50 TMC feet on the first of February this year. It now stands at about 28 TMC feet. That's an outrageous depletion of more than 30 TMC feet in three months. By impounding the early monsoon inflow and releasing the left over or surplus water to Tamil Nadu, Karnataka seems to be using Tamil Nadu as a piece of convenience. The damage to the Kuruvai crop and the delay in Samba cultivation stare farmers here in the face. Distress is on the cards in Tamil Nadu. And the Distress Sharing Formula suggested by the Cauvery Monitoring Committee seems to exist only on paper.

What's worse, given the scarcity, Karnataka was specifically instructed to cap its area under cultivation to nothing beyond 11.20 lakh acres. The onus is on Karnataka to furnish annual details. Why is it silent? Does its silence imply another violation of the Cauvery Award?

You can't mess with Jayalalithaa. Not when she has such a brute majority on the floor of the House. Not when she has every twist and turn, every nuance and legal update on her fingertips. And she is merely asking for Tamil Nadu's legitimate share of water. 

If the Centre cares to disprove the charge that it is according step motherly treatment to non-Congress ruled States, here's where it can step in. At stake is the livelihood of farmers. And indeed, Tamil Nadu's welfare.

Soon Union Government Vs Tamil Nadu Vs Karnataka..

Who is J. Jayalalithaa?

Woman, actress, Brahmin, Kannadiga. Conventional wisdom would suggest that profile is all wrong in the hard playfield of Tamil Nadu politics and in a Dravidian party. But then J Jayalalithaa's life and career are the stuff fables are made of or movie scripts. 

The fame and celebrity she earned as a successful actress would pale in comparison with what she would get in her later years. Not 65 yet, Jayalalithaa is a political giant not only in Tamil Nadu, where she is now serving her third stint as Chief Minister. Brand Jayalalithaa is an undeniable presence at the national level; for over a decade she has been courted by national parties and this time it is the BJP wooing her assiduously in the run-up to the 2014 general elections, while regional parties from other states gather around her in alignment on issues that where they are increasingly crossing swords with the Centre. 

To her many supporters she is Amma (mother) or Puratchi Thalaivi (Revolutionary Leader). To MGR, her political mentor, she was Ammu; she acknowledges him as one of the most important influences in her life. The other being her mother, Sandhya, an actress who fell on hard times and had to send her 15-year-old daughter to a film studio rather than college.

Jayalalithaa was born on February 24, 1948, in Mysore. She began schooling at the Bishop Cotton Girls High School in Bangalore and later attended the Presentation Convent at Church Park, Chennai, when her mother began a career as a Tamil film actress. The family moved to Chennai after Jayalalithaa's father died when she was just two and the family fell into poverty. Worse days were to come when Jayalalithaa's older brother Jayakumar died.

Jayalalithaa was a good scholar and is said to have wanted to become a lawyer and be rich. Mother Celine, the principal at her school is the third person Jayalalithaa has said played a big role in shaping her. 

Jayalalithaa wouldn't be a lawyer, but she would be rich - a successful film career lay ahead. Chinnada Gombe, her first film (in Kannada) was a major hit. She also acted in an English film titled Epistle that was released in 1961. The film was produced by Shankar Giri, son of former President of India Dr VV Giri. It was a James Bond-style film, Gonndachari 116, which catapulted her to fame. Her first Telugu film was Manushulu Mamathalu while her Tamil debut was with the film Vennira Aadai. She was revolutionary in an industry where heroines had hitherto been sari-clad and demure. Jayalalithaa is said to have been the first to wear skirts on screen. 
        She also acted in a few Bollywood films, the most remembered among them "Izzat" where she was the heroine of Dharmendra, who would later also join politics as a BJP MP. In life and on celluloid she would really be Tamil Superstar MG Ramachandran's heroine; they acted in 28 films together, including Kavalkaran, Adimai Pen, Engal Thangam, Kudiyiruntha Koil, Ragasiya Police 115 and Nam Naadu. Some of her popular movies are Vennira Aadai, Aayirathil Oruvan, Kavalkaran, Pudhiya Boomi, Iru Deivangal, Nadhiyai Thedi Vandha Kadal.

Jayalalithaa's last film was Nadhiyai Thedi Vandha Kadal in 1980. In her tempestuous relationship with MGR, there were many crests and troughs. They fell out and then, in the early 1980s came together as the most important phase of Jayalalitha's life began. In 1982, at the age of 34, she joined the AIADMK. There was no struggle or grind - she went straight to the top echelons of the party, became the propaganda secretary much to chagrin of many seasoned partymen and was soon nominated to the Rajya Sabha. 

She learnt her politics from a man known to have been one of Tamil Nadu's shrewdest politicos. But she rebelled too, obviously very much her own woman. Jayalalithaa is single, she never married. 

MGR died in 1987, in harness as Chief Minister. The next year the AIADMK split with one faction supporting MGR's widow Janaki and the other supporting Jayalalithaa, who laid claim to MGR's political legacy. She remained a Rajya Sabha MP till she was elected to the Tamil Nadu Assembly in 1989 and became Leader of Opposition. Around the same time, she charged a DMK leader, Durai Murugan, with assault. She said he had tried to pull her sari when she obstructed then Chief Minister M Karunanidhi while he was presenting the 1990 state budget.

In 1991, Jayalalithaa became Chief Minister for the first time, heading a coalition government that included the Congress.   She lost the 1996 Tamil Nadu elections and the DMK government that succeeded her filed cases of corruption against her that she is still battling in court. In 1997, when the DMK government confiscated all her jewelry during investigation into cases relating to owning disproportionate assets, Jayalalithaa swore that she would not wear jewelry again. 

For 14 years a woman known to have fondly owned a gold waist belt studded with diamonds, more than 10,000 saris and 750 pairs of shoes, among many other things, wore not a piece of jewelry. She only did last year after her massive electoral comeback. Then too because, she said, party workers asked her to, some even threatening to kill themselves if she didn't acquiesce.

The Tamil Nadu CM is proficient in many languages - she speaks English, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Hindi fluently. MGR is said to have sent her to the Rajya Sabha as she spoke English so well. An accomplished dancer, Jayalalithaa trained in classical dance forms like Bharatnatyam, Mohini Attam, Kathak and Manipuri and performed all over India. She also started learning Carnatic music at the age of 4 and sang several songs in her own films.

In 1972, she was honoured by the Tamil Nadu government with the award Kalaimamani. These awards are given by the Tamil Nadu Iyal Isai Nataka Manram (literature, music and theatre) for excellence in the field of art and literature.
      Jayalalithaa is a voracious reader and reads practically everything. Her favourite authors are Charles Dickens, Jane Austen and, among others, Oscar Wilde, Bernard Shaw, Sidney Sheldon, Danielle Steel, Pearl S Buck and James Hadley Chase.

Even as an actress, she would always carry books with her to the studio, and would sit quietly by herself in a corner and read between shots. She has a large private library with a huge collection of books.

(as said in NDTV website)

She is the best administrator. I remember how she implemented the Rain Water harvesting scheme in the State. Some of her remarkable steps she taken are,

    Rain Water Harvesting scheme

    Cradle Baby Scheme

    Chennai water crisis problem solved (Veeranam scheme)

    Women Police Station

    69% reservation system in government jobs

    Encounter of Veerappan, Veeramani…

    Women Self Help Group

    Modernisation of TNPSC

    Banned lottery tickets

    Kudankulam crisis solved in a peaceful way

    Mullaperiyar – justice done

    Cauvery – she is the lone leader fight for this (Vaiko too)

    Tackled effectively when the government staff went on strike 

Jaya, Modi and the PM’s job after the next elections

Anybody with access to any English newspaper could not have missed May 16, 2012 morning’s spectacular advertising splurge by the Tamil Nadu government extolling the virtues of Puratchi Thalaivi Selvi J Jayalalithaa on the first anniversary of her return to power. The front page cover ads, complemented by several inside page ads, were impossible to avoid.

Question: why would a Tamil Nadu Chief Minister want English readers outside her state to know how well she is doing in her state? (Her vision includes creating a state with “no poverty” by 2023?) The money could have been better spent buying publicity in her state, which is where her future is going to be decided.

There could several theories. Maybe she wants her current term to be a defining one in the history of her state. Just as Mayawati built her elephant parks, Jaya is investing in paid publicity to build her image. Or, maybe, Tamil Nadu is losing some of its industrial sheen, and she wants to tell the world her state is open to business. But there is also another intriguing possibility: that she has national ambitions.

Consider the current political reality. The Congress is on the ropes nationally. The BJP is a mess, unable to take advantage. In many crucial states (UP, Bihar, Orissa, Andhra, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu), regional leaders hold the high cards – and could determine the shape of the next government at the centre. This, surely, would have whetted the appetites of all regional leaders.

The ambitions of Mulayam Singh Yadav , who has been restlessly pacing the corridors of influence after placing his son in the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister’s gaddi, are well-known. He certainly would like to be PM after the next general election.

Nitish Kumar of Bihar has always been mentioned as a possible choice for PM – either of a third front or as leader of a coalition where the BJP does not have enough strength of its own to lead a coalition.

So why not Jayalalithaa?

There are several reasons why Jayalalithaa could be in with a chance.

   First, with the DMK in disarray, she could be controlling as many as 30-35 MPs from Tamil Nadu after the next parliamentary elections.

   Second, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi , who has a good equation with her, could be propping up her candidature as an alternative to Nitish Kumar in case he cannot head the BJP after the next election. There is no love lost between Modi and Nitish Kumar – largely due to the latter’s eagerness to distance himself from the Gujarat CM  – and Modi surely is not going to allow the BJP to back a Nitish Kumar candidature at any cost.

   Third, the BJP – and Modi certainly – would not want a Mulayam Singh or Lalu Prasad leading a third front. This is why a new Third Front is being formed, with Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Jayalalithaa forming a new axis with Modi’s quiet backing.

   Fourth, neither the Congress nor the BJP can be assumed to stay in one piece in case the next Parliament throws up a hopelessly hung verdict where both the two main national parties get around 120-140 seats each, and cannot hope to call the shots.

   Fifth, Jaya cannot be unaware of her value to a reduced Congress seeking more outside support, both as a counter-weight to Mamata Banerjee  and in order to keep the BJP out. 

So what could be Jaya’s calculations, assuming she wants a national role?

Assumption one: Between AIADMK, BJD, Trinamool, and Telugu Desam, there could be a chunk of 90 seats. Add small parties like the AGP in Assam, the Telangana Rashtra Samiti and stray independents, there would be around 100 MPs in this block. If Sharad Pawar and Mayawati  can be seen as open to supporting her from the outside with, say, 20-30 MPs between them (Maya cannot back Mulayam Singh in any circumstance), and we add the Akalis and Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) with another 40 seats,  that would be another 60-70 seats. With a 130-seat BJP support from the outside, or even the inside, with BJP getting the Deputy PM’s chair as consolation prize, it would be enough to fetch a majority, even if the coalition would have serious contradictions.

Assumption Two: If either the Congress or the BJP manage to secure more than 150 seats, but need new allies, Jayalalithaa and Mamata would hold the key to the government’s stability. Add Naveen Patnaik, and we have a solid block of 75 MPs bargaining for federalism and resources.

Assumption Three: A Jaya candidature makes maximum sense in case there is an early general election – since neither the Congress, nor the BJP is ready for it this year or in 2013. In this situation, a Third Front gain is the most likely possibility after a mid-term poll. One can’t rule out a mid-term poll, since Muyalam Singh, Jayalalithaa, and Mamata Banerjee are in favour of one. It only requires one mishap – a diesel price deregulation crisis, or something else – to precipitate a mid-term election. This is where the Modi factor will play a crucial role in Jaya’s calculations. As things stand, Modi has several challenges before him. First, the Gujarat election due this December. One assumes he will win, even if his majority is trimmed a bit. Next, he has his own party to fight at the centre. His differences with Nitin Gadkari and the current party leadership are well-known. After the Gujarat elections, he could make a serious bid to take control of the party. That, in itself, would not be difficult, but Modi knows that he has serious problems of acceptability in finding coalition partners. This is where an interim arrangement with Jayalalithaa at the centre – especially if there is a mid-term poll — would give him time to build his long-term national alliances and image. Modi has always faced a hostile centre for the last eight years. A friendly PM can be of immense value in dealing with his legal cases in the short-term.

With his control of Gujarat MPs, and even some in neighbouring Maharashtra and Rajasthan, Modi would be in a position to veto his own party’s preferences for PM, both inside the party and outside it. The one person he will not accept will be Nitish Kumar as PM. He may also prefer a Jaya to a Sushma Swaraj or Arun Jaitley, though he may not mind LK Advani for a bit.

A shaky coalition headed by Jaya may suit Modi since its longevity cannot be guaranteed. After the UPA disaster, and a short-lived coalition, the electorate may well look for a strongman. Modi fits the bill.

It is impossible to predict the actual shape of politics over the next two years, since a lot would depend on how politics plays out against the backdrop of a deteriorating economy.

The Jaya-Modi axis is thus a critical element this year and the next.

Jaya’s first year of mega promises; are we seeing results yet?

As Jayalalithaa completes her first year in office, which was marked by an unprecedented media blitzkrieg across the country, what remains in one’s mind are her glorious announcements of mega schemes for the socio-economic development of the state.

In fact, the scale and reach of her schemes, and the constituencies that she has targeted, have been mind-boggling: she hasn’t left out anybody and it couldn’t have happened without tremendous planning and hard work, that too from day one. In fact, her first array of announcements came as soon as she assumed her office, indicating that she was well-prepared for a headstart. However, what one has yet to see is visible results. Perhaps it is too early.

But if the entire state machinery is not continuously on the treadmill for the next four years, Jayalalithaa is likely to be burdened by the weight of her own promises because they are far too many, and way too big. At the core of her promises is the “Vision 2023,” which in her own words seeks to make Tamil Nadu “the most prosperous and progressive state with no poverty and where its people enjoy all the basic services of modern society.”

We haven’t seen a more audacious plan and welfare-state-speak from any of our chief ministers. In her vision document, Jayalalithaa wants the state to become one of the top three investment destinations in Asia. She wants to multiply the per capita income by six times, build infrastructure on an unprecedented scale and roll out welfare schemes that will take care of basic needs of people such as health, education, employment and housing.

Even as a political statement, her vision is significant because it brings back the centrality of the state’s responsibility towards the welfare of its people in the midst of the neo-liberal fury.

Mixers, grinders and electric fans for women; milch cows, goats and sheep for the poor; free rice; four grams of gold and financial assistance for marriage of women and; laptops for students — these were among the first that Jayalalithaa announced as soon as she got to office. Karunanidhi’s TV sets paled into insignificance.

In fact, it was AIADMK-founder and former chief minister MG Ramachandran or MGR, and his Andhra Pradesh counterpart NT Ramarao (NTR), who pioneered such imaginative and useful welfare schemes. MGR introduced the noon meal scheme, which were scoffed at by some during his time, but subsequently became a best practice for other governments, international development organisations and students of poverty in international universities. It was a breakthrough in nutrition and school-enrollment. Similarly the two rupee rice scheme of NTR has been followed by almost all his predecessors in Andhra Pradesh. Adjusted against inflation, two rupees doesn’t look all that cheap now, that too when compared with the one rupee rice schemes that some are pitching for now.

It is now globally accepted that during the times of economic growth, shocks and liberalisation, the State needs to spend on the welfare of its people. The World Bank, ADB and their ilk who once prescribed across-the-board structural adjustments, and the UN, now call it social protection. India, replete with examples from Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, tops their list of case studies.

Let’s look at some of Jaya’s announcements during her first year and how well they fare.

Health: The Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme has won a lot of attention. She scrapped the previous health insurance scheme named after Karunanidhi and dropped the private company that handled it. Instead, she raised its scale and scope, and enrolled a public sector insurance company.

The government says that it has so far treated 42,848 people at a cost of Rs 110 crore. The revised scheme aims to strengthen government hospitals and makes it mandatory to use them for several common ailments. However, her critics can still say that instead of going the PPP and insurance way, she could have done better by investing in the state health infrastructure and its technical capacity, and universalised access to healthcare.

It will certainly take a few years before one could gauge her scheme’s success with some objectivity.

Women, poverty, etc: women and children have always been Jayalalithaa’s priority. During her previous regimes, she had paid special attention to maternal and infant mortality, reproductive health and women’s empowerment. This time around, the highlights include providing milch cows or sheep and goats to poor women for their empowerment; free mixies and grinders, free ration and marriage assistance. She also highlights the cash transfer to fisherfolk, relief to people affected by the Thane cyclone, monthly pensions and relief to the disabled.

However, what is missing is a breakthrough idea that could aim at the overall empowerment of women — a wholesale package than the headline-seeking retail benefits.

Education: The government claims to have built 11 new arts and science colleges and upgraded close to 900 schools; given two sets of free uniforms, free footwear, school bags and other teaching aids; and strengthened infrastructure for higher education.

There is more — she has a list that fills four full pages of newspapers that also includes roads and bridges, temples, water supply, tourism and so on. One can get completely lost in the maze of announcements and claims of achievements.

The hype is more or less predictable in the first year — at least it charts out the path and the development philosophy the government seeks to pursue. However, it requires enormous governance resources to implement them, let alone the money.

However, if at least half of what she promises gets done, it will be a significant success story.

Jayalalithaa's one-year anniversary

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa is known to be a voracious reader. I'm sure she has read Dale Carnegie's "How To Win Friends & Influence People". As the pendulum swings every five years in Tamil Nadu, that's what the Chennai Super Queen has been doing every decade. Winning allies and influencing voters. Every new innings has been the result of a huge comeback; a landslide victory that would make psephologists eat humble pie. I've reported extensively on Amma's election campaigns, her second innings and the start of her third stint.

2011, in some measure, comes across as an encore of 2001, in more ways than one! I'm not merely referring to the Michael Jackson style wave and the flashing of the victory sign to the sea of supporters from her balcony that I witnessed outside Poes Garden as a twenty eight year old correspondent; and now an Editor in my late thirties! It's the will to take her opponents head on, the will to fulfill election promises and the will to take tough, even 'unpopular' decisions.

So after one year in office, what does Jayalalithaa's report card look like? 

Comparisons can be odious. To be fair to Jayalalithaa, her performance must be viewed keeping in mind, two important facts. First, running a Govt not as an ally of a ruling coalition at the Centre is not quite the same as a regime with a 'Most Favoured State' tag. Unlike the previous DMK dispensation, the present AIADMK Govt has got the short end of the stick from the Centre. And the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister has made no bones about the "discrimination meted out to non-Congress ruled States"; through a slew of letters to the Prime Minister on a host of issues, ranging from financial assistance to the demand for more power from the Central grid or at least the entire power generated from Koodankulam. Secondly, the State's coffers were not just empty; a one lakh crore debt greeted the new incumbent.

Against this backdrop, Jayalalithaa's Robert Frost like 'I have promises to keep' persistence deserves encomiums. From free rice to mixers and grinders, cows & goats, laptops, the list goes on. This was enough to prompt one of her Ministers to break into a customary adulatory tone with this gem: "All along our hearts used to beat 'Lub Dub, Lub Dub. Now it's Laptop, laptop!" Doling out freebies after inheriting a huge debt, calls for a great deal of financial skill. That's a big tick mark.
        Talking of freebies, would inverters be a good bet?! When Karunanidhi gave ration rice for a rupee, (a DMK election catchphrase coined by former Telecom Minister Dayanidhi Maran, then was 'a kilo and a hello for one rupee!) and free TVs in 2006, that needed cable connections for a hundred rupees, there were questions raised by critics. Now, is it pertinent to ask: 'Mixers & grinders but no power?' The State is reeling under a massive power shortage, exacerbated by the Centre's refusal to pitch in, despite repeated pleas for help. If Chennai faces a two hour power cut every day in peak summer, there are districts that suffer up to 8 hour outages. Power is well and truly the Govt's nemesis. Quite like Mathematics on my school report card, this singular issue is pulling down the overall score.

And the biggest plus point? Ask any average resident of Tamil Nadu about the AIADMK's biggest USP; and you will get a stock reply: Law & Order. You will not come across cops making excuses like "our hands are tied" during the AIADMK rule. A free hand is the hallmark of effective policing - a simple prescription that led to the elimination of the Veerappan menace during her previous tenure. This matters more than fund allocation for the police budget. If officers are to be believed, the khakhi clad dept doesn't have party workers poking their noses into their work.

 Like a shrewd captain, Jayalalithaa knows how to pick the best players in the bureaucracy and where to field the right hands just like she did during that massive tsunami reconstruction project. The first posting soon after being sworn in as Chief Minister was that of JK Tripathy as the Chennai Police Commissioner. A tough, no nonsense, honest officer with a firm grasp of city policing, his appointment resulted in many rowdy gangs taking to their heels! K Ramanujam, known for his high integrity and a seasoned intelligence officer as the State Police Chief, the US educated S George, who was sidelined by the previous Govt as his second in command and to also oversee the entire crackdown on land grabbing, Sheila Priya who had a record stint as Secretary to the Governor as her main trusted lieutenant, along with good officers like Rama Mohan Rao & Ramalingam, Debendranath Sarangi, an efficient officer as the Chief Secretary, Amaresh Pujari, with his rich experience in the Intelligence Bureau, as the IG Intelligence & Dr J Radhakrishnan, former Nagapattinam Collector during the tsunami to head the implementation of Special Programmes, speak volumes about the intention of the Govt. What's noteworthy is that many officers who held plum positions in the DMK Govt were not sent to the boondocks but have been posted in key positions, some like Dr Karthikeyan, were even retained as Chennai Corporation Commissioner. Bringing back retired DGP R Nataraj as the Chairman of the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission to ensure that the body that was involved in a scam earlier, is "more about service and not about 'commission' was a masterstroke.

However, the sudden transfer of Sheela Rani Chunkath from the Home Dept, the young dynamic IT Secretary Santhosh Babu, PWC Davidar and five Transport Commissioners in one year, have been discussed in hush tones in the Secretariat. 

If there were doubts expressed about the competence of a particular law officer, the appointment of PH Arvindh Pandian, as Tamil Nadu's youngest Additional Advocate General has certainly sent the right signals in legal circles. With the disproportionate assets case in Bengaluru still quite a thorn in her flesh, Jayalalithaa will need all the acumen at her command to overcome the last legal hurdle placed by her bete noire.

The handling of the Mullaperiyar stand-off - along the Tamil Nadu-Kerala border and then the legal battle that the State recently won on raising the height of the dam - are feathers in Amma's cap.

The convent educated Chief Minister, who has often said that she would have become a top notch lawyer, had she not entered tinsel town, seems very comfortable in corporate conclaves, rubbing shoulders with world leaders, like Hillary Clinton and business tycoons. Tamil Nadu has well and truly emerged as the Detroit of Asia with automobile goliaths like Yamaha, Daimler, Eicher & Nissan, among others setting up shop here. The huge employment spin off is too conspicuous to be missed. However, there are murmurs about clearances for building sanction plans and some other projects being mired in red tape. Political opponents cite the delay in the approval of the renovated portion of the MA Chidambaram cricket stadium, under the auspices of BCCI Chief N Srinivasan, said to be close to the Marans, as an example. However officials insist it boils down to rules and there is nothing political about it.

Jayalalithaa, has time and again, demonstrated her crisis management skills. We saw that during the tsunami in the past and we've seen that with the response to the devastation caused by the 'Thane' cyclone. When sufficient vitamin-M didn't seem forthcoming from the Centre, she made an appeal to the public that opened the floodgates to donations.

If it was banning religious conversions the last time that caused heartburn among Christians, it is a different sort of conversion that has sparked criticism from many quarters! The decision to convert the new Secretariat Complex and the Anna Centenary Library - both pet projects of Karunanidhi, into hospitals may not have been what the doctor ordered and will have to stand the test of judicial scrutiny. To some extent, goodwill of the laptop scheme for students may have been dented by the Government's perceived intransigence over the Uniform School Syllabus; ultimately resolved by the Supreme Court.
        Taking tough decisions is not new to the 64 year old Chief Minister. Government employees who resorted to a strike the last time, got a taste of the iron hand. That hand resurfaced just after the Sankarankovil by poll and took the Koodankulam protestors, who thought the State Govt was on their side, by surprise. A placard: "Why is the Govt slapping cases of waging war against the State on thousands of its own people who are peacefully campaigning for solar energy as against the hazards of nuclear power?" summed up the standoff. AIADMK insiders point out that their Amma who pioneered the rain water harvesting scheme and who has now banned plastics and is setting up another tiger reserve in Sathyamangalam, needs no environmental lessons from anyone. And that the nod for Koodankulam was given only after a safety audit.

The 2001 midnight arrest of Karunanidhi may have backfired. But that didn't deter the AIADMK Govt this time, from cracking down on land grabbing and arresting almost three fourth of the erstwhile DMK cabinet. The vendetta card was predictably flagged by the DMK. But with the party that is not even the principal opposition in the assembly, ensured that the backlash was minimal, if at all.

Setting her own house in order, quite literally, Jayalalithaa even expelled her aide Sasikala and the entire 'Garden Coterie' that observers felt were interfering in areas that didn't concern them, was a bold move. Sasikala, of course, is back after an explanation. But the line between household and government and party, one hears, has been clearly drawn.

Contrary to common perception, Jayalalithaa can be quite courteous to the media. She is one political leader who, no matter what, will always wish you back, when you greet her. When she took over as Chief Minister for the first time in 1996, she started on a great note, in the absence of a real political opposition, requesting the media to play that role. But in course of time, the equation changed. In her second innings, about a hundred defamation cases were slapped against mediapersons but later withdrawn. Last year, as she drove in to Fort. St. George, her promise or rather "deal" with the media - of a weekly interaction, was music to all our ears. Sadly, it lasted just three weeks! But her PR Dept has been efficiently sending out press releases; something that doesn't help the electronic media adequately.

Politically, Jayalalithaa is on a strong wicket; with even the BJP cosying up to her. Not to speak of other regional parties. If the AIADMK manages to win about thirty seats in '201 whenever' Amma could well emerge as King Maker. I will never forget her smile and the response 'Thank You For The Compliment' when I asked her if she would like to be Prime Minister one day, given her experience and competence.
 
Now for the final score card! Keeping in mind the constraints it has had to work under and based on a dispassionate assessment, I'd give this Govt a First Class. I'd perhaps top that up to Distinction if I get that exclusive interview! Meanwhile, Congratulations, Amma!

(Courtesy: NDTV)

Good morning, India: Brand Jayalalithaa

Imagine newspaper readers in Kolkata waking up to see Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa's picture and achievements on their front pages, instead of Mamata Didi! Well, politicians in the South are known for their cult status. Special occasions call for larger than life celebration. So as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa completed one year in office, her Public Relations Department went on an overdrive with front page advertisements in almost all national dailies.

Most newspapers in the country both national English dailies as well as Tamil papers, except the ones owned by DMK members, looked very similar this morning. The caption: "One Year Of Achievements. Hundred Years Leap Forward ", said it all.

Inserted by the Tamil Nadu Department of Information and Public Relations, each power jacket advertisement is said to have cost upto Rs. 1.5 crore. Sources say a budget of Rs. 25 crore was earmarked to promote brand 'Jayalalithaa'.

AIADMK leaders say despite inheriting a one lakh crore rupee debt, and with little help from the Centre, the fact that their government has been able to fulfill its election promises is an achievement worth publicising in this manner. They also point out that several government functions have been conducted via video conferencing saving a lot of money.

The publicity blitzkrieg wasn't restricted to newspapers. The entire route from Jayalalithaa's Poes Garden residence to the Secretariat was dotted with hoardings hailing her achievements - free gold, mixies, grinders, cows, goats and laptops. Harping on the power shortage Tamil Nadu is reeling under, DMK Chief Karunanidhi was at his caustic best with his report card for the Govt: "There has been darkness for one year. We are waiting for the dawn."

Taking a dig at the DMK on the last day of the current assembly session today, Jayalalithaa hit back: "We thank those who praise us, criticise us and also those in the Opposition who think their role is only to find fault and not give credit where it is due."

So is the pan India brand promotion a strategic move in keeping with Jayalalithaa's national political aspirations, ahead of the 2014 general election? With friends across the political spectrum - from BJP leaders to other Chief Ministers like Naveen Patnaik and Left leaders like Prakash Karat, Amma is clearly looking to play a decisive role in 2014. Today's advertisements are perhaps just a prelude to her gameplan.

வழக்கு எண் 18 /9

 

ஜோதியை கிழித்துப்போட்ட காகிதமாக அள்ளிக்கொண்டு நகர்கிறது ஒரு ஆம்புலன்ஸ் ....படத்தின் முதல் காட்சியே , இருக்கையில் சாய்ந்து உட்கார அனுமதிக்காமல்  , வில்லை போல் வளைந்து பார்வையை கூர்தீட்டி "இடி ஒன்று இறங்கபோகிறது , நெஞ்சை திடப்படுத்து " என எச்சரிக்கை செய்தபடி ஜோதியை சுமந்துகொண்டு  ஆம்புலன்ஸ் மருத்துவமனையை சென்றடைகிறது . "என் ஜோதி அப்படி பட்ட பொண்ணு இல்ல சார் , அவள காப்பாத்துங்க " என்று உயிரை அறுக்கும் ஒரு தாயின் ஒப்பாரியோடு  தொடங்குகிறது  "வழக்கு எண் 18 /9  " இன் விசாரணை ......

காலம்  இப்படித்தான் கிழித்துப்போடுகிறது சிலரின் வாழ்க்கையை , ஜோதியின் வாழ்க்கையை போல ...... தாட்சண்யமற்ற  , கொஞ்சமும் ஈரமற்ற  உலகம் - வேலுவை வட இந்தியாவில் முறுக்கு சுற்ற அனுப்புகிறது . சுதந்திர இந்தியாவில் இருக்கிற பகுதியில் கொஞ்சமும் சுதந்திரத்தின் சுவை அறியாத சூழலில் யாக்கையை எரித்து பணம் சம்பாதிக்கும் வேலு !  இறந்த  தாய் தந்தையின் முகத்தை கூட பார்க்க அனுமதிக்காத ஈவு இரக்கமற்ற சமுதாயத்தை வெற்றி கொள்ள  முயற்சித்து உதிர்ந்த இறகைப்  போல சென்னையின் தெருவோர குப்பையில்  வந்து விழுகிறான். பரத்தை தான் .!  ஆம் ரோசி ஒரு பரத்தை தான் .புழு நெளியும்அசிங்கங்களை  சுமக்கும் பரத்தை தான் ! கவிச்சி வாடை அடிக்கும் ஈன ஆண்மையினை சுமக்கத்  திராணியாக காலையிலேயே மதுவின் துணை நாடும் பரத்தை தான் . ஆனால் அவளுக்கு யாரை விடவும்  ஈரம் அதிகம் இதயத்தில் .  சென்னையின் தெருவில் மயங்கி விழுந்தால் அவன் குடிகாரன் என்கிற பொது புத்தியில் இருந்து வழுவி  உன்னதமான மானுட நிறம் பூசி உலவும்  பரத்தியவள் .  வேலு செய்த புண்ணியம் , அப்பரத்தையின் வடிவில் ஆட்கொள்ளுகிறது !. ரோசி அக்காவின் பேருதவியோடு தெருவோர கடையில் வேலைக்கு சேரும் வேலுவுக்கு மஞ்சள்  மலர் போல , மாமழை  குளிர் போல வறுமையின் வெம்மைக்கு நடுவில் குறிக்கிடுகிறாள் ஜோதி !

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மேட்டுக்குடி வர்க்கம் . பணம் என்பது ஒரு பொருட்டில்லாத வர்க்கம் .  பிள்ளைகளை விடவும், பிள்ளைகளுக்காக சேர்க்கப்படுகிற சொத்தே முதன்மையானது என சொத்தை சேர்த்து பிள்ளைகளை தொலைக்கிற வர்க்கம் . இந்த வர்கத்தில் இருக்கிற மேட்டுக்குடி ஊதாரித்  தாய் . அவள் பெற்றெடுத்த,  வயதை மீறத்துடிக்கும்   மாணவன் . அம்மாணவனின்  வலைக்குள் வீழ்ந்து மீண்டெழும் ஒரு மேட்டுக்குடி மாணவி .

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இந்த இரு வகையான வாழ்க்கை ஒரு புள்ளியில் பார்வையாளனுக்கு வலி மேலிட வந்திணைகிறது.  அந்த இணைப்பை தேர்ந்த திரைக்கதை மூலம் லாவகமாக கையாண்ட பாலாஜி  சக்திவேல் தமிழ் சினிமா இதுவரை வகுத்தளித்த இலக்கணங்களை பாரபட்சமின்றி தகர்த்து தவிடுபொடியாக்கி  பார்வையாளன்  மனதில் ஓங்கி உயர்ந்த இடத்தில் ஆகிருதியோடு  வந்தமர்கிறார் .

இவர் தன் கதைக்கு  கதாபாத்திரங்களை தேர்ந்தெடுக்கும்  விதம் என்னை மலைக்க வைக்கிறது . சாமுராய்  படத்தில் தொடங்கி காதல் வழியாக கல்லூரியில் பயணித்து இதோ இந்த வழக்கிலும் அந்நேர்த்தி பளிச்சிடுகிறது. உதாரணத்திற்கு  சாலையோர உணவக முதலாளி முதற்கொண்டு  பஞ்சர் ஒட்டுகிற தொழிலாளி வரை இயக்குனர் பாலாஜி சக்திவேலின்  கதாபாத்திர தேர்விற்கு ஒரு சிறந்த எடுத்துக்காட்டு .   ஸ்ரீயும் , மிதுன் முரளியும் , ஊர்மிளா , மனிஷா என்கிற நாயகிகளும் இப்படத்தில் அறிமுகம் என்பதை ஏற்றுகொள்ள மனசு தயங்குகிறது . தன் தாய் தந்தை இறந்துவிட்டார்கள் என்று கேள்விப்படுகிற நொடியில் ஸ்ரீ காட்டுகிற முக உணர்ச்சிகள் , "பொருக்கி " என ஸ்ரீயை கடக்கிற பொழுதெல்லாம்  ஜோதி என்கிற ஊர்மிள காட்டுகிற முக பாவனைகளும் , தன்னை நம்ப வைத்து கழுத்தறுத்த மிதுனின்  காமவிகாரத்தை கண்டுகொண்ட நொடியில் உடல்  நடுங்கி  பதைபதைக்கிற மனிஷாவின் நடிப்பும் , தற்கால பணம் படைத்த பொறுப்பில்லாத தாய்க்கு பிறந்த  மேட்டுக்குடி  மாணவனை  கண் முன் நிறுத்துகிற மிதுன் என அனைவரது நடிப்பிலும் பத்து படம் செய்த முதிர்ச்சி !

இதில்   குறிப்பிட்டு   சொல்லவேண்டிய   கதாபாத்திரங்கள் இருவர் . கூத்துக் கலைஞனாக வருகிற சிறுவன் சின்னசாமி  வெறுமனே இக்கதையில் திணிக்கப்பட்ட  ஒரு கதாபாத்திரமில்லை . ஒருகாலத்தில் தமிழக கிராமியக்கலைகளில் முதன்மையானதாக  இருந்த  தெருக்கூத்து கலைஞர்களின்  இன்றைய நிலையை  வலியோடு நமக்கு உணர்த்திப்போகிறான் . வேலுவின் கையை பிடித்துக்கொண்டு "நான் கடைசி வரைக்கும் உன் கூட இருப்பன்யா.." என்று உருகும் இடத்தில்......

காவல் துறை ஆய்வாளராக  வருகிற  முத்துராமன்,குறிப்பிட நினைத்த இன்னொருவர் . மிக சாந்தமாக வேலுவை விசாரிக்கத்தொடங்கி , பின்  "சாவடி தான  அடிச்சீங்க , சாவடிக்கல இல்ல " என்று அலுங்காமல் குலுங்காமல் பஞ்சாமிரிதம் சாப்பிட்டுக்கொண்டே    கேட்கும் இடத்தில் , நமக்கு ஏனோ உயிர் அதிர்கிறது .... மிக லாவகமாக தூண்டிலில்  இரையை மாட்டி மீன் பிடிக்கும் கதாபாத்திரத்தில் முத்துராமன் வெளுத்துவாங்கியிருக்கிறார் ....ஒரு நாயை தலையை தடவி வேலை வாங்குவது போல , வேலுவை அவன் செய்யாத குற்றத்தை ஒப்புக்கொள்ள  வைக்கிற காட்சியில் -  அவர் நரியின் நிறம் !

ஒரு பாட்டு நியுஸ்லாந்தில், ஒரு  பாட்டு இங்கிலாந்தில் , ஒரு பாட்டு ஊட்டியில் , இன்னொரு பாட்டு நாக்கை துருத்திக்கொண்டு பீச்சோரம் போதையில் என்ற வறட்டு தமிழ் சினிமா  கௌரவங்களை   வெடி வைத்து தகர்த்த நெஞ்சுத்தீரத்திர்க்காக தனியாக ஒரு பாராட்டு விழாவே பாலாஜி சக்திவேலுக்கு எடுக்கலாம் . ஒரே பாடல் ,அதுவும் பின்னணி இசையின்றி  படத்தின்  தேவையான இடங்களில் உயிரை அழவைக்கும் ஒரு குரலில் ஒலிப்பது இப்படத்தின் ஆகப்பெரிய பலம் .  அதிலும் "உன் கண்ணக்குழி அழகினில் தான், என் கற்பனையை நான் வளர்த்தேன்" என்ற வரிகளை கடைசியில் பாடும் போது ஜோதியின்  சிதையா முகத்தை  காட்டும் காட்சி உங்களை  பச்சாதாபம் மேலிட அழவைக்கும் சக்தி கொண்டது . பாடாலசிரியர் நா.முத்துகுமாரும் , இசையமைப்பாளர் பிரசன்னாவும்  நிரம்ப பாராட்டுக்குரியவர்கள்.  

இப்படம் முழுக்க ஸ்டில் கேமராவில் எடுக்கப்பட்டதாம் . என்னன்னவோ பெயர்  சொல்லி அழைக்கிற  கேமராக்கள் வந்துவிட்ட காலகட்டத்தில் , ஒரே நேரத்தில் சுழன்று சுழன்று வெவ்வேறு கோணங்களில் படம் பிடிக்கிற கேமராக்கள் வந்துவிட்ட காலகட்டத்தில் விஜய் மில்டன் வெறும் ஸ்டில் கேமராவை வைத்து காட்டி இருக்கிற ஜாலம்  தற்கால ஒளிப்பதிவாளர்களை பொறாமைப்படவைக்கும்."தவமாய் தவமிறுந்து " திரைப்படத்திற்கு பிறகு ,  கன்னம் நனைய  அழுத திரைப்படம் "வழக்கு எண் 18 /9 " . இத்திரைப்படத்தை திரையரங்கில்  சென்று பாருங்கள் . பாலாஜி சக்திவேல் என்கிற சினிமாவை காதலிக்கிற , நான் நினைப்பதை எடுக்க எவ்வளவு காலமானாலும் பரவாயில்லை பொறுத்திருந்து செதுக்குவேன் என்று மெனக்கிடுகிற , எண்ணிக்கையில் இல்லை என் உயரம் -  பார்வையாளர்களின் பாராட்டே எனது உயரம் என்று ஆத்மார்த்தமாய் உழைக்கிற பாலாஜி  சக்திவேல்  என்கிற இயக்குனருக்கு நம் பாராட்டை  நாம் வேறெப்படியும் சொல்லி விட முடியாது .

படத்தில் அங்கொன்றும் இங்கொன்றுமாக குறைகள் தெரிந்தாலும் , அதை சொல்ல வேண்டிய அவசியம்  இல்லை .  நிச்சயம் குறைகளாக நான் நினைப்பவை நம் ரசனையின்  குறைபாடாக இருக்கலாமேயன்றி , இப்படத்தின் குறைபாடாக இருக்க முடியாது . படத்தின் கடைசி காட்சியில் ஜோதியின் முகம் அழற்சியை தொண்டைக்கு  பரிசளித்தாலும்  .,  "நீ கவலைப்படாத ஜோதி ...நான் இருக்க வரைக்கும் நீ கவலைப்படாத  ஜோதி ..." என தள்ளாடி தள்ளாடி கலங்கி நடக்கிற வேலு என்கிற ஸ்ரீயின்  அந்த உண்மையான காதல் , மனதில் கொஞ்சம் ஆறுதலை தந்தது !ஆனாலும் இது வெறும் படம் என்பதை தாண்டி , படம் முடிந்த  பின்னும் ஜோதிக்காக மனசு  வருந்தி கலங்கியது . திரையரங்கை விட்டு வெளியேறுகையில் "பொறம்போக்கு நல்லாவே இருக்க மாட்டான் " என மனசு மிதுனின் கதாப்பாத்திரத்தை சபிப்பதை தவிர்க்க முடியவில்லை ....

இந்தப்படம் சொல்கிற சேதி  ஒன்றிரண்டல்ல .... உங்கள் பிள்ளைகள் எப்போதும் கைப்பேசியில் புழங்கிகொண்டிருக்கிறார்களா ..? அவர்களை உற்று கவனியுங்கள் பெற்றோர்களே என எச்சரிக்கை மணி அடிக்கிறது இப்படம் .  இன்றைய காலகட்டத்தில் மீசை முளைக்கும் முன்னமே ஆண் பிள்ளைகளுக்கு ஆசை முளைத்து விடுகிறது , எனவே அவர்களை மிகுந்த கவனத்தோடு கையாளவேண்டிய பொறுப்பு  பெற்றோர்களுக்கு இருக்கிறது என்பதையும்  இந்தப்படம் சொல்லாமல் சொல்கிறது . இச்செய்திகள் இந்த காலகட்டத்திற்கு மிகுந்த தேவையாக இருக்கிறது . வகுப்பறையில் சக மாணவனோடு நெருங்கி இருந்த மாணவி, ஆசிரியையோடு  ஓடிப்போன மாணவன் , சித்தப்பனை கொன்று சித்தியோடு உடன் போக்கு போன மாணவன் ,  ஒன்பதாவது படிக்கும் போதே கள்ளக்காதல் என நம் பண்பாட்டு விழுமியங்கள் எல்லாம் பூஞ்சை  பிடித்து பல்லிளிக்கும் இக்காலகட்டத்தில் , பாலாஜி சக்திவேல் தகுந்த ஒரு படத்தின் மூலம் நமக்கு உரைக்கும் படியான செய்தியை சொல்லி இருக்கிறார் .

balajisakthi

 சூழலாலும் சட்டத்தாலும் வஞ்சிக்கப்பட்ட வழக்கிற்காக , என்னை இவ்விரவில் கிழித்துப்போட்ட வழக்கிற்காக  - படம் முடிந்து வீட்டுக்கு வந்த இரவில் , பாலாஜி சக்திவேலின் கைகளை பிடித்துகொண்டு இரண்டு சொட்டு கண்ணீர் விட வேண்டும் போல் இருந்தது ! 

பாலாஜி சக்திவேல் !!!   "நீங்கள் தற்கால தமிழ் சினிமாவின் தனித்த அடையாளம் " !!!


(downladed from facebook)