Friday, June 3, 2011

The 'Bad friendship" of Karunanidhi

Bad friendships bring bad effects - a birth day advice usually given for kids has been given by Karunanidhi on his 88th birthday to his cadres.
Is it a loud thinking on his own friendship with the Congress?
Or is it about his daughter's friendship with Nira Nadia?
Or is it a warning to the cadres not to move with the Maran brothers now that they have been caught in the scams?
Is he hinting that he is distancing himself from the Marans with a view to disconnect himself and his party from any fall-out of the scams of Maran?


A little thought on why all these things came up inspite of their decades of experience in corrupt ways with an acumen that saw them steer through without being caught shows the Marans as the root cause. If only Maran had not been politically ambitious and  if only the Marans had not chosen to upset the MK & Sons, they would not have been shown the door by MK some 3 years ago. The ouster led Maran to throw the hammer as and  when possible.The Wikileak 'confession' confirms this and the first hints on  2G scam was also given by Maran only. In return, Raja could have dug up the BSNL scam at the residence of Maran but subsequently shelved it once the families patched up.
The apt sayings in this case are "Nunalum than vaayaal kedum" (The frog invites its death by croaking) and
"When two thieves quarrel, their thefts come in the open".


It is not bad friendship or mutual digging, but it is bad behavior that actually lands one in trouble.
It is not 'Kooda natpu" (unwarranted friendship), but 'Kooda ozhukkam" (unwarranted behavior) that brings "kedu" (ill effect).
MK and his men did everything with an eye on some returns for them.
Think of the schemes that he brought out.
If he is offering free TVs, his family will take money for the cable connections.
If he offers  more eggs in the noon meal scheme, his family will get into poultry business to supply the eggs.
Now people say that the electricity crisis that started soon after DMK assumed power (inspite of the surplus left by JJ regime before), was because they diverted power to select industries at the expense of common man and were paid money for that!!


This tendency of MK is not new if we look at the most atrocious decision that he can be accused of as having taken in the early years of his political life.
It was his decision to lift Prohibition.
Prohibition was  in place in Tamilnadu at that time he assumed office. The govt of India - still under the Gandhian influence at that time - wanted all the States to enforce Prohibition. Many States told of their inability to do so citing revenue loss. The Central Govt offered a subsidy to overcome the revenue loss due to Prohibition. This was offered to the States where Prohibition was not in force. Karunanidhi - the man ever in the quest of money - wanted the Centre to extend the subsidy to Tamilnadu also, where Prohibition was already in force. The Centre did not budge, as a result of which Karunanidhi removed Prohibition saying that the Centre could then give the subsidy so that he can introduce Prohibition.
Is this the way the one who cares for the masses will behave?
If there is money, MK will not hesitate to make the people become addicts.
His logic is skewed where money is involved. His sense of justice or justification had been flawed like this on most occasions.


Perhaps his "Dravidian" ideology has made him so.
A Dravida is one who has lost any trace of Kshatriya-hood according to Manu smruthi.
Manu smruthi tells that if a kshathriya ceases to function as a kshathriya and his descendants also cease to be kshathriyas, by the 7th  generation, the person born in that lineage becomes completely bereft of kshatriya nature. That is, those born from the 7th generation onwards would be totally devoid of Kshatriya qualities.
Such descendants are known by the name "Dravidas"
By kshathriya- hood, it is meant the qualities of a warrior, who will be fearless, ready to endure physical pains for protecting others, ready to lie down life for the sake of people and work for the good of the country. The Dravida will lack all these qualities.
By embracing Dravida-hood, MK has stood as a symbol of what this Dravida stands for. Everything for oneself - and not for the country.
He qualified Dravida hood with kadamai, kanniyam and kattuppaadu( கடமை, கண்ணியம், கட்டுப்பாடு) - the behavioral tendencies which he did adhere in his quest for money and power. We can see the kattuppaadu - in burying differences in the Tihar tours of his clan.


On the contrary, I think Annadurai, his predecessor was an Aryan to the core.
The Aryan motto is neeti, nermai, nyayam (நீதி, நேர்மை, நியாயம்)  - all these are goal oriented.
Justice and straightforwardness stand out as the sublime goals that a person should follow.
Anna had these qualities. One instance stands out to show this.


Anna was of the opinion why should the MLAs who were servents of the people be paid a salary.
At that time they were given a monthly salary of Rs 1000/= which he felt was quite high.
So the first thing Anna did on assuming office was to reduce the MLA's salary by half.
Such an act can be done by one who has Aryan qualities.
 "ozukkam" - behaviour is the root of Aryan nature.
It is good behavior that defines a person and shapes his destiny.
MK needs to make a complete overhaul of his personality to understand that it is kooda ozukkam, rather than kooda natpu, that brought him where he is now.