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Journalism of Courage
One could argue that M. Karunanidhi is simply adhering to the acute concern political parties have expressed for Abdul Nasser Mahdani in neighbouring Kerala. As a special investigation in this newspaper has highlighted, he is acting upon the pleas of his Kerala counterpart, Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan, to usher into Coimbatore prison the best ayurveda treatment he can procure. The courting of Mahdani, prime accused for the 1998 Coimbatore blasts that took 58 lives, has already revealed a dangerous bid by Kerala8217;s political parties for votes on extremely communal axes. The preferential treatment being offered to Mahdani in Coimbatore now shows the dangers lurking in the DMK8217;s Tamil Nadu. The party has clearly not conquered its history of polarising the electorate by wooing forces given to terrorist methods.
This, after the DMK has had to struggle long and hard to don the cloak of moderation. It has taken immense effort by the party to overcome its dalliance with extremist forces supposedly espousing the Tamil cause in Sri Lanka. That episode in India8217;s political history has been stamped on the national psyche. Nonetheless, it8217;s been seen to be to the DMK8217;s credit that it has not overtly involved itself with the issue upon joining successive governments at the Centre and now assuming power in Tamil Nadu. The hospitality being rolled out for Mahdani, however, now invites grave doubts that the DMK has indeed seen the benefits of the middle ground. It shows not a party that has learnt its lessons the painful way, but a party given to forgetting the unfortunate consequences brought by expedient politics.
