[monsoonJournal.com] By Siva Sivapragasam
Tamilnadu Chief Minister octogenarian Muthuvelu Karunanithi is a troubled man these days.
He is facing an onslaught from his ally, the Congress party and his arch enemy- convent educated cinematic idol, former Chief Minister Jayalalitha .In a recent outburst he has declared “our self-respect is clearer than the crown of thorns that denotes power. We are ready to lose power if our self-respect is under threat”. The bone of contention that is rocking his boat is divisive politics, family squabble, Sri Lankan ethnic problem and the question of a successor after him.
When Mu Ka (as he is affectionately known by his party cadres) assumed power, he had no absolute majority in the State Assembly and had to depend on the ruling Congress Party at the center and other minority parties to form the Government. Thus, Jayalalitha Jayaram always pokes fun at him by referring to his Government as the “minority government”. Now and then his major allies, the Congress Party and the PMK give him pin-pricks on delicate issues. He also earned the wrath of religious leaders in the North sometime back when he scorned Lord Rama as a mere imaginative epic hero and not of the status of a Hindu God.
Other issues haunting Karunanithi are internal squabble within his family and the problem of a successor after him. Two of his sons-MK. Stalin and MK.Alagiri, born to different mothers are competing for leadership after him. It was Stalin, the “Thalapathi” who had been groomed by party followers all these years as his legitimate successor. But Stalin lacks lustre and charisma that is a sine-qua-non in Tamilnaadu politics. It was film charisma than efficiency that plummeted MGR and Jayalalitha into power. On the other hand Alagiri is a tough-talking “goonda” type politician who rules the roost in Madurai. A third person who has come into the lime-light recently is his sweet smiling daughter, poet Kanimoli .She has been made an M.P. at the centre and perhaps would soon be elevated to the rank of a cabinet minister. She would be the best choice for Karunanithi specially to oppose Jayalalitha.
But the big problem that is plaguing Karunanithi now is the Sri Lankan ethnic strife and the allegation from his allies and opposition parties about LTTE presence and support in Tamilnaadu. Tamil politicians in Tamilnaadu like Nedumaran, Thirumalavan and Vaiko Gopalasamy are protesting against the Centre’s alleged arms support to the Sri Lankan Government and want Karunanithi to take the issue with the Central Government and suspend any such assistance. At the same time, the Congress Party in Tamilnaadu and Jayalalitha are alleging that he is giving a free run to the LTTE in Tamilnaadu, which he has vehemently denied. So, he is caught between the devil and the deep sea.
Against the back drop of complexed problems, the economy in Tamilnaadu is basically sound. The economy is flourishing with foreign investment pouring in and several high-tech and auto industries being setup. The business sector and almost the entire film world which has a big say in Tamilnaadu politics is backing Karunanithi (as evident in a function held sometime back to felicitate him).
As a seasoned politician and a diplomatic personality, the Kalaignar is bound to emerge unscathed from the vexed and complex issues confronting him. Perhaps, in the evening of his political career he would utter the word “Success”which he penned for his onetime friend Sivaji Ganesan in his legendary success film “Parasakthi.