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Journalism of Courage
Bizarre. That in a word describes the situation in Tamil Nadu, where the supporters of one son of Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, are on the rampage over the ascension of another. For some time now, the chief minister and his party, the DMK, has had to grapple with the two-son problem. While M.K. Stalin, the present mayor of Chennai, was his father8217;s acknowledged favourite, the elder son, M.K. Azhagiri, has not hesitated to make his unhappiness over this clear by resorting to a combination of sulking and trouble-making. A month ago, Azhagiri even made a tearful speech at a party functionary8217;s wedding, announcing his retirement from active politics; he would not have anything to do with the DMK from now on, he said. But nothing is as it appears in the celluloid-driven politics of the state. The grand gesture, the hyperventilation, the tears, mean very little when tested against the reality of power politics. The moment the chief minister made it clear in a recent statement in the DMK party organ,Murasoli, that he was disowning Azhagiri, the latter8217;s supporters in Madurai have been indulging in a frenzy of violence, pelting stones on state property and setting buses on fire.
This development is bound to prove exceedingly embarrassing to the chief minister but he should have seen it coming. For too long has he given both his sons a free run and allowed them to build their own power bases to the general detriment of the party. Over the years, Azhagiri has carved out a formidable constituency in the southern part of the state largely, it appears, through the politics of intimidation. He is also believed by some to have stymied the DMK8217;s electoral prospects in that region and the party8217;s official candidate for the Madurai constituency during the 1999 Lok Sabha election had complained bitterly about Azhagiri8217;s role in his defeat. Meanwhile, M.K. Stalin has also been extremely energetic, politically speaking. Active in the youth wing of the party, his stint in jail during the emergency only added to his public profile. Winning the mayor8217;s seat in the Chennai corporation four years ago helped this son build his own public profile.
