For far too long!

It is not often that we come across CMs with as much regard for the chastity of their office and public conduct as our very rational incumbent of Fort St George. The moment Karunanidhi came to know of the indiscretion, on the part of some overzealous officials, of allowing a mention of his platinum jubilee celebrations in the official invitations, he has, true to his wont, proceeded forthwith to quash the same. Well done sir, for the stitch in time, which surely has strengthened your moral fabric, and enhanced your image if not among cynics like us, at least with your discerning co-borns.

But then we are left wondering where such concerns for the sanctity of public office had gone to grass, when incidents of an even more blatant display of family ties and personal vanity have taken place with impunity. No doubt even the most rational of minds needs rest and several of those indiscretions might have happened during such holidays, but then we are an irrational lot cursed to doom as incurable critics of our well meaning CM.

And I hate to play spoilsport in this very auspicious platinum jubilee year, but then as I mentioned, I am beyond salvage. I am also tormented by a disease called memory which brings to my corrupted mind instances of a few of those aberrations and to be fair, the corrective action taken by the CM also.

The self-righteous CM, as a true respecter of the freedom of the press, we are sure would take the cue and initiate prompt action, that is assuming that it appeals to his rational mind. Of course, he will ignore them as mere insinuations by an irrational mind, if it does not suit him. No problem, the boss is always right, even if he is wrong.

Now, we all know what a dynasty is. And every five years- or is it two now?- we also get to know something about this scarce phenomenon called Democracy. As compulsive students of politics and being political animals ourselves, we are inclined to think that the perpetuation of a dynasty can turn out to be pretty nasty on democracy. It is not that our all knowing CM is not aware of the dangers posed by such a course, to the State… as well as to his family.

After all, he has quite a few sons, and a nephew too, and it would trigger a bloody war of succession, if he were to anoint anyone from his clan as the heir to his throne. The intelligent CM was well aware of the prospect of such wranglings in future, if not already in the present. Result: A favourite son is the father of the city, another not so favourite, but troublesome son is the lord of the temple city of Madurai, and of course, the CM’s nephew and his Man Friday, Saturday, Sunday etc, etc is a permanent fixture in any Cabinet whenever one notional front or the other makes it to the Centre. Could there be any better display of the CM’s sense of propriety in public life? Quite natural for him to be aghast when his birthday found a mention in official documents. Quite!

Anna Arivalayam, the sprawling DMK headquarters in the heart of city, is also the home of the ‘family’ owned Sun TV. The CM, no doubt, must be having a plethora of rational reasons for housing his family firm in party property, the primary one being the Sun’s yeomen service to the cause of Tamil through Udhaya, Gemini et al. If anyone were to fault the CM for allowing his proprietary concerns to get the better of his much touted probity, he must be blind to the fact of the ‘MK’ having two thirds majority in ‘DMK’.

The CM is also a man who practises what he preaches. And there is no secret about what he has been preaching in all these fifty years. The flow of rhetoric and the deluge of reason, that characterises his scripts, on and off the screen, have inundated our minds so much so, that it would take us another fifty years to forget them.

 But then it has taken our diligent CM just fifty seconds to unlearn whatever he himself has preached. No wonder we find him, with his consort(s), in one temple or the other, bowing his head to the Almighty in a reverence that cannot be matched even by a die-hard devotee, accepting the temple honours with alacrity, even reportedly re-enacting his marriage to ward off the ill effects of Sani, with the now familiar yellow shawl adding to the sanctity and serenity.

Of course, we are not to believe that the CM has suddenly become superstitious or that the fear of dismissal has put the fear of god in him. Rather, he is a very sensitive man and is only responding to the wishes and beliefs of the people…his people.

A few clarifications on the DMK’s stand on Theism, would however, be in order. Fire-walking continues to remain a barbaric act and ruling party members can indulge in it only at their own risk. Archanas in Tamil are okay, but they should no longer be eulogical of the rulers of the day. The CM has already had his fill of the Thalaiva potri, potri stuff and he feels enough is enough.

Afterall was it not he who wrote that temples should not become the home of hooligans? There is no problem if they turn into ego tickling centres, if only for a short time, in furtherance of their avowed wish of Engum Tamil, Ethilum Tamil. And we all know who personifies Tamil.

The faithfuls would no doubt seek to parade all these somersaults by their key player and leader, as an exhibition of his tendency to keep pace with change and even as a progressive outlook. But for the cynical few amongst us, there is no surprise for we have all along been well aware of the skin deep, superficial rationality of these self appointed reformers and the utter hollowness of their deceptive rhetoric. A deception that has lasted for well over half a century.

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