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Journalism of Courage
The 8220;friendly warning8221; that AIADMK J.Jayalalitha issued last Friday had a distinctly unfriendly ring to it which the Vajpayee government can ignore only at its peril. For far too long has it been trying to do the tightrope walk between Chennai and Delhi. Thus far it has sacked ministers, send fact-finding teams on wild goose chases, set up coordination committees, despatched special emissaries to soothe ruffled feathers, all in order to manage the various contradictions that keep creeping into its relations with its southern partners. But like the fisherman8217;s wife in the familiar fairy tale, Jayalalitha keeps asking for the impossible. Yes, the dismissal of the Karunanidhi government at this juncture exists in the realm of the impossible and the sooner she realises this, the better. The BJP cannot allow itself to be browbeaten without permanently damaging its credibility as a responsible political party.
The problem, of course, lies in the shotgun marriage that marked the coming together of the BJP andthe AIADMK during the early, uncertain days of government formation. Jayalalitha today insists that there was an 8220;explicit understanding8221; on the dismissal of the DMK government, while finalising the alliance. What is the country to make of the accusation? With the BJP promptly disclaiming such an agreement, the charge only boomerangs on Jayalalitha. By stating publicly that her party and its allies entered the alliance for extraneous considerations, she is also revealing to the world that she was more than willing to play murky political games in order to achieve her own cynical ends. Apart from cynicism, her recent statements also reveal a great deal of paranoia. Why else would she express her trepidation about the BJP having a 8220;hidden and secret8221; contact with the DMK? If Jayalalitha has any concrete evidence that this is indeed the case, she must come out with it and break all links with 8220;big brother8221; in Delhi.
As Jayalalitha points out, good conduct is a two-way street, and the BJP must recognise that it has a responsibility to be fair in its dealings with the AIADMK. But on her part,Jayalalitha must remember that even a two-way street can end in a cul-de-sac if she chooses to drive into one.
