10 things Chennai journalists learnt after Jayalalithaa's death
Until September 22 last year, Chennai was considered a safe haven for a journalist to work in. It was quite clear that Jayalalithaa kept Tamil Nadu clad in an "iron curtain" woven by her bureaucrats.
No AIADMK politician or government official was allowed to speak on the subject, no matter what the situation. If they did, severe penalty awaited them. Even journalists pitied the state and would often forego reactions to a story.
Tamil Nadu was declared a paradise via manipulative surveys, graphs, etc.
Yet, all good things come to an end. Since AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa's admittance to hospital, the life of a Chennai journalist has been nothing short of a walk through hell.
Here are 10 dramatic things that a Chennai scribe learnt after Amma's death.
1) The first lesson is that no matter how many days you stand outside the hospital where the late CM was admitted, you'll always get pleasant news promising her survival until that fateful night she'll die in just a matter of seconds.
2) The next lesson is that though the process of a leader's selection in India is via democratic methods, such rules don't apply to the AIADMK. Anyone can become "Big Amma" or "Small Amma", depending on the need of the hour.
3) The surprising lesson was that AIADMK leaders are psychic, especially OPS and also that Jayalalithaa is still ruling the party in spirit, still communicating through Panneerselvam. No wonder she was named as the permanent general secretary.
4) The astonishing lesson is that you can sway the people of Tamil Nadu and do politics just by ordering a judicial probe into the death of the former chief minister, and they'll forget all graft charges against the man raising the conspiracy.
5) The weird lesson is that the memory of a typical AIADMK MLA is equivalent to that of a goldfish – that is of not more 2 seconds. In the morning they'll be ready to accept Chinnamma as they're true leaders and by nightfall they would have thrown her entire family out of the party.
6) The intriguing lesson is that nothing scares an AIADMK leader like the mention of "income tax" department. Just say IT and you'll see "paseena" (sweat) running like the river Nile across their face.
7) The crazy lesson is that be prepared for major announcements only after 10 pm. AIADMK leaders are blessed with strange enlightenment which only begins to shine after sunset.
8) The interesting thing is that Chennai journalists learnt the beautiful names of other ministers in AIADMK who were literally hibernating when Amma was alive. Wonderful Tamil names like Sengottaiyan (red fort holder), Thangamani (golden pearl), Thanga Thamilchelvan (golden winner of Tamil), Vaithyalingam (medicinal linga) came up and more precisely, how they looked.
9) The nauseating lesson was that it is easy to herd AIADMK MLAs. Just say that you're taking them to a resort (kuvathur) and they'll abide. Tell them you are taking them on a ship ride (INS Chennai) and they are the most joyous crowd.
10) The difficult lesson is that the era of Dravidianism has come to an end in Tamil Nadu as no political heirs are ready to take it forward, but as the state's people still believe in sovereignty and socialism, as portrayed by Periyar, Anna, Karunanidhi and MGR, the current generation of leaders is skimming over it to squeeze out votes.
Also read: Jayalalithaa was one of India's most iconic leaders