Thirumangalam, in an ironic defiance of its pleasant sounding name, turned out to be most inauspicious for TN’s already fouled poll politics. The by-election, buy-election rather, held there in Jan ‘09 under the auspices, not of EC, but Alagiri, sparked a decisive plunge to the depths in voter bribery. R K Nagar today, in 2017, is the latest, lethal but not the last milestone in TN’s twisted, treacherous highway to a delusionary destination: Democracy.
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When there is nothing to write or no inclination to write on anything, best is to write about oneself. Not an autobiography but the prevailing mood placed on auto-pilot. A narcissistic verbal trip is a nice indulgence, if passed off as common musings.
It seems to be time for all good, bad and ugly men and women to come to the aid of the party. The provocation for this rising din of unified voices from manifold walks of TN life is the disturbing rise of one of the most hated characters in recent political history. Never has the mood of multitudes been so manifest and of such magnitude against one person: V.K.Sasikala. The very mention or memory of her name evokes a primal revulsion that bursts from the core to the surface in a jiffy.
Rational TN can stump lawmen and laymen alike. The happenings here have always been high on absurd theatrics and can easily carry away and confound even the sanest of minds in an emotional sweep. The current scenario is just old wine adulterated by a Midas touch, in fresh disposable plastic crush cups.
The Supreme Court with just a stroke of the pen has incidentally called off a supreme calamity that was staring TN in the face. The conviction of CM wannabe and udan pirava sahodhari (UPS) of late, lamented J, along with J herself and two of the UPS clan, has saved the State, its people, the treasury, J’s party and possibly, her iconic Poes Garden residence too from near doom! Some dangerous debris is still littered on the landscape, but we hope the clean up will start soon.
This moment and movement belong to the young who are inhaling the fresh, free air of post-J TN for the first time. No one asked them to; they just did. Conspiracy theories of agent provocateurs are passe; the tsunami that is hitting Marina and beyond is so strong and spontaneous that it has even swept away all the usual suspects who habitually hit the streets at the drop of a, er, dung.
Ahen a new day dawns Jan 1, the calendar flips to a fresh year. Though a speck in the endless expanses of time a year is still a long period in the short span of mortal existence. Our minds are tuned to such milestones.
At last the time of awakening for Rip Van Winkle alias Centre appears to have arrived. No, I am not talking of the elusive acknowledgement let alone redress of the post demonetisation goof-ups. My concern is over our own turf, namely TN, perennially down, and under water, wind, wasted decades and what not!
I can reminisce on her only through the prism of my experiences, personal and professional. My encounters with her for over thirty-plus years, first as TRR’s son during my teens and later as Editor of
News Today, will forever remain etched in my psyche.