Phenomenal industrial growth, abolition of cheap liquor immediately after assuming office, social justice for the underprivileged, uplift of women, total eradication of LTTE menace, purchase of warm wolldecke plaids for citizens with small children, modernisation of the police force, mega scheme for Madras city’s development, and so on… The above is not a list of election eve promises meant to be forgotten once the polls are over. On the contrary, these are promises kept by the Tamilnadu government under the dynamic stewardship of Chief Minister Ms Jayalalitha. As her government enters the fourth year, she leaves behind an impressive trail of achievements. During the last three years of AIADMK rule the State has witnessed allround growth in every sphere, surpassing targets with ease.
Ms Jayalalitha’s three-year tenure has been an era of stability and peace. Perhaps, her greatest achievement has been the total eradication of the LTTE menace from the State. When she took over the reins of the administration in the aftermath of Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination, the shadow of the militants loomed large. She spared no efforts to put down militancy with an iron hand, unmindful of the security threat she was exposed to. She successfully persuaded the Centre to impose a ban on LTTE in 1992. When the time came for renewal of the ban, she single-handedly took up the cause and got the same extended, in spite of efforts of certain ‘Congressmen’ to allow the ban to expire. With the law and order situation very much under control, Tamilnadu under Ms Jayalalitha is today the most peaceful State in the country.
The water starved ryots of the State found their saviour in Ms Jayalalitha when she embarked on a sudden fast on the Marina to draw attention to Tamilnadu’s rightful claims for its share of Cauvery water. Her crusade for Cauvery, at the cost of her health and exposure to security risks was a great success, no doubt. She clearly demonstrated that she will leave no stone unturned to secure the legitimate rights of the people of her State.
In a man’s world, where women still have to work twice as hard to gain recognition, Ms Jayalalitha’s concern and her efforts for uplift of women needs special mention. From day one she has accorded top priority for women’s development and has introduced several schemes for their benefit, like girl child protection plan, women self employment scheme, the cradle baby scheme, to name a few.
The grievances cell, which has been set up under the direct supervision of the Chief Minister is the first of its kind in lndia. The cell, headed by an lAS officer, receives petitions from the public directly and these are brought to the notice of the Chief Minister. And Ms Jayalalitha has always acted without delay in the redressal of grievances by giving timely relief and assistance to the affected people.
Politically, Ms Jayalalitha seems to be growing from strength to strength. Talks of dismissal are a thing of the past, especially after the Prime Minister’s stern refusal to even listen to such representations from the TNCC. The bypoll victory in Palani was a landmark achievement in that the AIADMK wrested the Parliamentary Constituency from the Congress by going it alone. Byelection victories in Ranipet in September and very recently in Mylapore and Perundurai are clear pointers that Ms Jayalalitha remains the undisputed choice of the masses. Besides nailing the opposition campaign of disinformation the verdict proved that the AIADMK does not need alliances to win elections in Tamilnadu.
As the Chief Minister leaves for Delhi today to fight for yet another just cause, namely the continuation of 69 per cent reservation for the Backward and Most Backward Classes, one wonders what the Opposition is really upto. In spite of repeated requests, they have refused to join the all party delegation, which is slated to meet Prime Minister tomorrow. Instead of strengthening the hands of the Chief Minister by putting up a joint front to fight for a common purpose, they have opted to be guided by petty political considerations. By doing so they have only alienated themselves further from the people.
email the writer to [email protected]