Exiting for a while from the perpetual battles of Bengal, I was amused to see a different political scenario in Tamil Nadu. Here too, AIADMK the ruling party has lost heavily in the Lok Sabha elections, giving their sworn adversaries, the DMK a handsome victory. However, there is no battle, Jai Shri Ram or whatever, in TN, which has settled down maturely to move forward.
There are critical issues, which the opposition could have cashed, like the severe water shortage in many parts of Tamil Nadu and particular Chennai, the Sterlite Copper Ltd issue, the Hydrocarbon hunting in Cauvery basin, hurting the interests of the farmers. Surprisingly, there are no loud noises, either inside or outside the State Assembly. On the contrary, there seems to be a tacit understanding developed between the two DMK parties.
Despite AIADMK partnering with the BJP in the Lok Sabha polls, many senior functionaries of the state leadership feel that the drubbings it received are merely because of its alliance with BJP and that it could’ve done better had it fought the elections together. BJP brings back the lurking fear of Northern domination over the gullible south, the basis of which the Dravidian parties grew in stature and power over the last five decades.
Tamil Nadu is a lot changed from the olden days when one had to hunt for Rotis landing at Chola, a five-star hotel or Buhari a no sweaty shop those days. Today the situation has reversed with most eateries, even in towns and developed villages, offering only northern delicacies, be it vegetarian or otherwise during dinner. The splendorous Pavadai and Dhavani that fluttered the most around girls’ colleges are just not seen, giving way to salwar and kameez, which the Tamil women have adopted, without any qualms.
The change in attire or culinary habits may not be very comfortable for the Dravidian parties, though they can do little about eating and wearing. They, however, do have much to say about political beliefs. The other exciting thing that many may have observed is about the pattern of voting in Tamil Nadu. It was never unusual for the state to simultaneously elect one party for the State legislature and another one for the parliament. The resilience of the Tamils, therefore, are proven time and again. However, the demon of Aryan invasion to the detriment of the great Dravidian beliefs must be kept alive, as both the AIADMK and DMK parties know well that BJP has a long way to go, before making any delible mark in the state fighting the elections without the support of either Dravidian parties.
Back to West Bengal scenario, the anti-incumbency factor against TMC and Mamata, the anger against their corruption has resulted in the electoral victories for the BJP, but the victors want to add their winnings by spewing violence and lawlessness in the state. On the contrary, the victors and the vanquished in Tamil Nadu are, it is whispered, are meeting behind the curtains to tackle many problems affecting the state, including keeping BJP at a distance.
Sampath Kumar
Intrépide Voix
