An invitation that was not
First-time DMK MLA P.T.R.P. Thiagarajan is a regular visitor to the Meenakshi Temple. A week ago, when officials invited him to participate in a function at the temple, he agreed. But when he was about to leave for the function on Saturday, an official called him on the phone and “requested” him not to attend the event. The official reportedly told the legislator from the rationalist party (his father P.T.R. Palanivel Rajan was also a believer), that some AIADMK functionaries had threatened that Ministers Sellur K. Raju and R.B. Udayakumar, who had agreed to participate in the event, might stay away if he attended it. Mr. Thiagarajan said that he was initially upset, but in larger public interest, he stayed back as good things from any quarter was welcome for the people of Madurai.
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‘Something’ is not right
A Congress MLA’s ‘revelations’ at the bicentenary celebration of Tamil education in Malaysia held at Fatima College last week left many squirming. The MLA from Mudukulathur constituency, S. Pandian, was nostalgic at seeing visitors from Malaysia, where he had spent about 50 years of his life. He addressed Malaysia as ‘thirunaadu’ (heaven) and regretted his decision to return to India.
Not just that, he also regretted becoming an MLA.
“I do not know why I became an MLA,” he said and added that voters of his constituency elected him not for his service but for “something else.”
He went on to say, “Nobody troubled me in Malaysia. Here life is very difficult.”
But DMK MLA P.T.R.P. Thiagarajan had a different account of his life as an MLA: he said in his speech that he did not bribe even a single voter in any form.
He further rubbed it in saying he won because of the goodwill gained by his ancestors and by God’s grace.
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Another ‘Amma’
In political circles , the word ‘Amma’ is used to refer only to AIADMK general secretary and Chief Minister Jayalalithaa. However, cadres of the MDMK who attended a meeting in Kancheepuram put up a flex banner hailing another ‘Amma’. The banner had a photograph of an elderly woman – the late mother of party leader Vaiko. Looks like the MDMK leader, who in the past was banking on the AIADMK’s ‘Amma’, is now invoking the blessings of his real ‘Amma’ who had gone on a fast demanding prohibition barely months before she died.
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A weekend of toil
Many police officers prefer to take it easy on weekends, especially Sundays. However, this weekend, many police officers and even ministerial staff were busy . They were poring over files to keep themselves armed with details as the Chief Minister presents the Home Department’s demand for grants in the Assembly on Monday. “We have been asked to be at our office at 8 a.m. on Monday,” an officer in Coimbatore said.
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Ties that endure
Unlike in the North, politicians in Tamil Nadu rarely bond during Raksha Bandhan or Holi. However, last week, BJP State president Tamilisai Soundararajan sprung a surprise on PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss by tying a rakhi on his wrist at the Madurai airport . Union Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda, who was also there, watched in amusement. It remains a mystery as to what gift Mr. Anbumani gave to his political ‘sister’.
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The missing spark
In Tamil Nadu politics, the word Theepori conjures up an image of a lanky man spewing political fire on rivals from opposition parties.
But ‘Theepori’ Arumugam, the platform speaker of the DMK now admitted in a private hospital, is a pale shadow of his former self and is in need of financial succour.
The title ‘Theepori’ was conferred on him by no less a person than DMK founder C.N. Annadurai, who was captivated by his speech .
His stinging tongue had been a constant source of irritation for the opposition, which had even attempted to chop it off.
However, in his long political career, he had switched loyalties to the AIADMK once, only to return to his parent organisation.
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‘Three cheers’ to friendship
A friendship extending to three generations was evident in the Assembly last week when DMK MLA from Tiruverumbur, Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, made his maiden speech. Actor Udayanidhi, son of Stalin, watched from the VIP gallery as Mr. Mahesh , spoke for nearly an hour.
The friendship between the two families dates back to the days of their grandparents — Mr. Karunanidhi and Mr. Anbil Dharmalingam. -----------------------------
Missing academics
The University of Madras now has three non-academics as members of the convener’s committee that administers the university in the absence of a Vice-Chancellor.
At the special syndicate meeting last week, the Director of Technical Education Madhumathi was elected to the panel replacing the Director of Collegiate Education K. Sekar, who retired recently.
Others in the committee are Vishal Jain and Higher Education Secretary A Karthick, both non-academics.
(Contributions by L. Srikrishna, S. Annamalai, V. Venkatasubramaniam, M.K. Ananth, Dennis S. Jesudasan, B. Kolappan and T.K. Rohit)
