Fall of Amma and Chinnamma – The plot of ‘should and should not’

Continuously changing political climate and political uncertainty in Tamil Nadu has however not given enough sun shine to make hay for the opposition party. However they are seriously engaged in several table top experiments and hoping to get some breakthrough. One such experiment is the recent demand for the removal of Amma’s pictures as she was convicted.

However technically such demand may hold some water, but it will certainly go against them purely because larger section of people in India still love and revere Amma. In fact many do believe that she is victim of a criminal conspiracy and not an abettor or the chief architect of any crime and cannot be also. Certainly the evidences alone make conviction and acquittal possible in all courts of law and not really the person is guilty or innocent. Therefore convictions always need not make a person criminal in the court of people.

Amma always wants her party to belong to people and so was her government & governance. As a result she had always given audience to people and has taken most decisions based on the demand of a group of people than individual. Perhaps this weakness someone would have realized and utilized cleverly and as a result Amma would have fallen into a trap.

The ‘family’ at home would have decided to operate not as an individual, as Amma may not listen much to individuals. As a result the family would have assembled their entire cohorts as a strong insulator around Amma.

Since it was a family with one clear agenda, all members would have naturally agreed to speak to Amma whenever they get an access and opportunity, more or less, the same views and opinions. Naturally when different people speak the same point, any leader would assume some merits in such suggestions. But unfortunately Amma missed to recognize the larger truth that all such similar or same views come although from different individuals but all of them belong to the same family and therefore they need not represent Tamil Nadu. This is only a possibility or a guess.

With time the family would have smartly positioned itself as miniature Tamil Nadu just to make Amma believe whatever they speak is nothing but the voice of people. The family in fact shielded Amma away from the rank and file as much as possible so that Amma would get no piece of information from anyone other than from various members of the same family. This is how many believe. Perhaps this innocence of Amma or Amma’s commitment for people would have scripted her downfall as the family would have used this leadership quality of Amma to exploit and liquidate.

After Amma’s demise, the partly has become an orphan and was looking for a leader. Interestingly the family had realized the gap and smartly sketched the character and dialogues imitating Amma in every sense. But unfortunately the family appeared to have cared the least for people and showed great urge and urgency for power in the party and as well as in the Government. But people at large are not with ‘the family’ to lead the party or the Government that was once lead by the extra ordinarily great leader - Amma.

It means, the fall of Amma and Chinnamma speaks nothing but the two sides of a same coin. Amma perhaps believed that the different members when speak in same voice may represent miniature voice of TN but failed to recognize the truth that all of them belong to the same family and hence the script and speech can be highly choreographed.

On the contrary, the Chinnamma does not want to believe or value the views of people at large except own; OPS had even stated that he had advised Chinnama not to become CM as the time was not ripe and the people at larger were angry both with party and Chinnamma.

Chinnamma did not listen to the party but only to her family as it looks like.

Both Amma and Chinnamma had made almost the same mistake i.e. entertained the family.

The request of people of Tamil Nadu to the law makers of AIADMK is that please do not follow the same family that had defeated both Amma and Chinnamma.

Whereas OPS heed both to people and the inner voice of Amma and took a bold stand. Today the rank and file of AIADMK are not broken because of OPS and are glued around him firmly.

Based on the popular understanding of Amma and here true intentions for Tamil Nadu, people at large believe that she would not have committed any crime but only her ‘ghost players’ would have thatched such heinous act by misusing her power and authority as centre point. Thus she had fallen victim to those whom she trusted the most. This is how many believe.

It is not a good practice and culture to abuse someone who has died; we should remember and recite only their good deeds and should not engage in abusing them for some political mileage. In that respect, people of Tamil Nadu are highly sensitive and sentimental about Amma. Therefore demanding the removal of the pictures of Amma and describing her as convicted person should not be linked. All those who engage in such politics will be severely punished by people in coming election.

People believe that OPS alone can resurrect the party from its present ignominy.

It is for the law makers of AIADMK to decide whether they want to be with a family or with people of Tamil Nadu. Certainly people also do not want the law makers of AIADMK if they don’t want people. Now the choice is left to them, said one sympathizer of AIADMK.

Dr S Ranganathan