Mysore royalty leaves an ink trail

Royalty has left its indelible mark on democracy here. And it’s not just because His Highness Sreekantadatta Narasimharaja Wodeyar is the sitting Congress MP looking for another term from the Mysore Lok Sabha constituency. It was his grandfather, Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar, who founded the Mysore Paints and Varnish which today is the sole manufacturer of all the indelible ink—9,000 tonnes—that’s going to be used in these elections.

In the age of disinvestment, this is one of the few state PSUs that is healthy and going strong. The shop floor where the ink is manufactured is strictly out of bounds for visitors, but the filling station where leftover orange plastic bottles are being used to store the extra load has a tired look about it. And why not. ‘‘We have just dispatched over 9,000 tonnes of indelible ink to various states as per the requirement sent to us by the respective state poll officials,’’ is Managing Director Hemanth Kumar’s relieved response. ‘‘That’s worth about Rs 350 lakh, about 45 per cent of our total turnover.’’ So what if the prime beneficiary is the government and shareholders (MPVL declared a dividend of 25 per cent), democracy and its rites of passage are proving to be quite a money-spinner for some. For others, it’s the simple yet noble pleasure of being a part of it. ‘‘Yes, it feels great,’’ is all that Surasena manages as he directs a pre-calibrated nozzle to the top of each bottle to ensure that all are filled. ‘‘Actually, I have lost count,’’ says the 49-year-old working here for the last 20 years, referring to the number of occasions their product has been summoned. ‘‘Panchayat polls, Vidhan Sabha polls, bypolls.’’

Initially, it’s a trifle puzzling to see Wodeyar not using his own backyard-generated feel-good to full advantage during campaigning. But may be he doesn’t need to. For, the Congressman with assets worth over Rs 1,521 crore has won four times from Mysore and shares a bond with the people that goes way beyond today’s vote-bank politics. After all, these are people who know him, his father and grandfather for generations.

On the road from Hassan at Doddekopal village, we wait for him in the dead of night. Strangely, the road has no white markings that glow in the night— incidentally, another popular offering from Mysore Paints 24,000 litres of which keep all Bangalore’s roads glowing at night.

‘‘I have spent Rs 9.5 crore from my MPLAD fund during all these years,’’ Wodeyar declares to a modest gathering of people waiting for him for at least four hours. ‘‘I will always try to help you. But if I can’t, I will never harm you.’’ That’s his emotional pitch, not in royal finery but in a white T-shirt and party-coloured scarf. He is the people’s prince.

So, when Surasena walks out of the poll booth, perhaps looking intently at his finger that’s been smeared with black ink, he will be smiling. You may not notice it, but 79 other workers of the Mysore Paints and Varnish will also be sporting that satisfied look. For, they are the ones who’ve left an indelible mark on our elections.