Whenever Jayalalitha was elected to power there was no dearth of tall claims and pronouncements and denunciation of the previous rule. In 1991, when she assumed power, she said she had inherited empty treasury and granary. But from the very next day of her taking over the reins of government to the last day of demitting office, the ostentatious manner in which she and her minions ruled Tamil Nadu proved otherwise. Similarly while returning to power in 2001, she claimed that she had been left with fiscal crisis by the previous rule and to restore fiscal health she had to resort to certain harsh measures. But other than cutting into the earnings of the government employees and welfare measures for the people, she did nothing positive and ultimately left over an increased debt burden of Rs.57,457 crore without any corresponding capital gains for the state through infrastructural facilities.
This time after ADMK’s electoral victory in the Assembly election in May last, Jayalalitha held a press meet at her residence on May 13, about which the daily ‘The Hindu’ reported on May 14 thus:
The first and foremost priority of the new government will be to restore law and order and fulfil all the promises made in the comprehensive election manifesto within a time frame of one-and-a-half years, said Jayalalitha, general secretary, ADMK.
Soon after her alliance swept the Assembly elections, with her party getting a comfortable majority to form the next government on its own, Jayalalitha said at a press conference in her Poes Garden residence that she had restored the fiscal health and economy of the State twice before, after she assumed power in 1991 and 2001 when faced with “a totally ruined economy” from the outgoing DMK governments.
“Today, that challenge has been magnified, multiplied a thousand times, a ten thousand times. It is a difficult task and an onerous task but we have taken it up as a challenge in the interests of the people of Tamil Nadu.”
In 2001, Jayalalitha said the State’s economy was in total ruin and Tamil Nadu had been “written off” by the World Bank, Asian Development Bank and even the Union Planning Commission. Everyone was saying the State was beyond redemption and pitied her for taking over as Chief Minister at such a juncture. “I took it up as a challenge and once again restored fiscal health and made it one of the foremost States in the country and a leader in many spheres.”
After she lost power in 2006, the DMK assumed office. “This time, the ruin that has been wrought, the havoc that has been wrought in Tamil Nadu is beyond description,” she remarked. Elaborating on the role of the new government, Jayalalitha said: “Our priority is to rebuild. Over the past five years, Tamil Nadu has been totally ruined. Time and again this has happened. It is not an easy task to rebuild an entire State.” Explaining with an analogy, she said renovating a house normally involved giving it a coat of paint and carrying out a few repairs here and there. But, when the house itself had been damaged and knocked down with debris strewn all around, it was no easy task to restore it. “First, the debris will have to be cleared for rebuilding the house. It’s not an easy task.”
What a tall talk and ‘faithful’ reporting! A reader of the daily, Aswin had posted the following comment in the daily’s website on May 14:
“While I already knew what Jayalalitha had said to the press after the ADMK results were announced, what I was unsure of then and even now, after reading this report, is the credibility behind her claims of the situation in TN in 1991 and 2001 and her claims of having turned it around during her reign as CM. Frankly, the analogy that Jayalalitha used, I felt were far-fetched and cheesy to say the least, indicative only of the overbearing freedom obliged to her by the party’s win. Only time will tell whether her words were mere filmy dialogues chosen to feed the juice-hungry media. It would have been a little helpful if the report had been more critical instead of merely reporting the facts like an ADMK supporter, not that I am against the party. But going by what has happened in the past, I only hold concern for the people of TN as to what this 3rd inning is really going to bring to the people and the state. To the end of corruption!”
The informed reader seems to have summed up the opinion of balanced thinking public, who would only ask Jayalalitha, if all her claims of turning over the economic fortunes of the state, establishing ‘a garden of peace’ in the State etc., etc., during her earlier reins, why was her party defeated in the subsequent elections in 1996 and 2006 – once she herself facing the ignominy of losing to a political novice of DMK in Bargur constituency?
If everything in the state are in shambles now and the fiscal health left over by the previous rule is so critical, where from has she drawn funds for increasing food subsidy by supply of free PDS rice and for announcing a slew of freebies? The dailies which were very critical of DMK government’s freebies now shower praise for her announcements.
What are her latest claims and the reality the state witness now? During her interaction with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on July 20, Jayalalitha was reported to have told her, according to a government press release, that Tamil Nadu was aspiring to become a global hub in automobile industry. She was also reported to have given a detailed account of on the road infrastructure in Tamil Nadu. (Jayalalitha did not bring any magic wand on May 16 when she assumed office to create this potential for TN’s aspiration to become a global hub in automobile industry and the road infrastructures in the state, but were fortunes left over by the previous and earlier DMK governments). Again, intervening the speech of a DMDK member during the debate for grants for the Industries department, she said that Tamil Nadu was now the leading state in the country in automobile and automobile spare parts sector, and that in the next five years she would make the state one of the global centres in the sector.
Notwithstanding this exalted assertion of Jayalalitha what happened in the last two months leave very much wanting in her capacity, competence and sincerity of purpose to achieve anything tangible.
France’s leading car maker and the second largest in Europe, PSA Peugeot Citroën set eye on India for setting up their plant after China, late in February last. The company had shortlisted Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh for setting up the plant in one of them. But given the state of turmoil in Andhra Pradesh following Telangana agitation, the race was only between Tamil Nadu and Gujarat. Tamil Nadu and Gujarat are vying to become the car manufacturing centre of India, which is to become the world’s third-largest car market by 2020, after China and the US. Peugeot Citroën is the only global carmaker who not yet have a presence in India. The company was forced to leave the Indian market in the late 1990s following a drawn-out legal dispute with its Indian partner, Premier Automobiles. The rapid growth in India’s car market, though, has become impossible to ignore. Last year, Indians bought more than 2.7 million cars compared with 7,00,000 about 10 years ago.
A high level delegation from PSA, including PSA Peugeot Citroën CEO, China (Asian Operations) Gregoire Olivier, Managing Director of PSA Peugeot Citroen Indian project Frederic Fabre called on Chief Minister Jayalalitha at the Secretariat on June 28. Following this meeting, the Tamil Nadu government on the same day issued an official press release stating, that ‘the PSA identified land at Sriperumpudur to set up a plant with an initial capacity of three lakh cars per year. After evaluating sites in various states, PSA has selected a site near Sriperumpudur. The company would provide direct and indirect employment to 20,000 people at the facility, besides also attracting a large number of auto-component manufacturers from France.” Based on this official release of the government, all the dailies faithfully carried reports on June 29, showering praises on Jayalalitha for her ‘first victory’.
Two days after Tamil Nadu government released the official release, ‘The Wall Street Journal’ of the US reported on July 1 that, “the PSA Peugeot Citroën was forced to issue a clarification after the State government of Tamil Nadu independently issued a press release stating that the French company had already chosen a site for its facility at Sriperumpudur.” The company in a statement said it was yet to take a decision on the matter. “The decision related to the location of a future plant in India is not taken at this stage”. While the news of the denial of the company was published in dailies in other States, in TN none of them published it in a show of loyalty to her.
On June 30, the top delegation of the company met Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi. According to an official statement by the Gujarat government, a delegation of Peugeot Group of Companies led by Gregoire Olivier, chief executive officer, of Asian Operations for PSA Peugeot Citroen, China, Frederic Fabre, managing director of PSA Peugeot Citroen India project, and Jitesh Gadhia, senior managing director, The Blackstone Group, among others met Chief Minister Narendra Modi and expressed their desire to set up a manufacturing plant.
The statement quoted Peugeot officials as saying that Gujarat is rapidly emerging as a hub for automobile industry. The company is impressed with the fast-paced development of Gujarat and is in talk with the state government regarding a suitable place for the plant. “The company is in talks with three states for setting up its first plant in India and that Gujarat is one of the favourite places of the company. However, the company has not taken any decision yet and the Board of Directors will finalise the matter,” the statement quoted Olivier as saying.
Unlike the clarification issued by the French company after the claim made by the ADMK regime, no clarification or denial was issued after the Gujarat government released the press statement.
Though Jayalalitha did not seem to be much interested in follow-up measures owing to her preoccupation in the witchhunt of DMK functionaries and in deploying delaying tactics in the Disproportionate Assets case in the Special Court in Bangalore, some officials of the Industries department were hopeful of getting the Peugeot’s project for Tamil Nadu. As late as on August 30, a senior official of the department had exuded hope and told the ‘Economic Times’ daily that they were expecting a favourable response from the French company in September.
But to the dismay of officials nonetheless to the nonchalance of their Chief Minister, the French carmaker signed an MoU with the Gujarat government on September 1 in the presence of Chief Minister Narendra Modi.
With the signing of memorandum of understanding (MoU) with French carmaker PSA Peugeot Citroen, the Gujarat government will add a major chunk to its kitty of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the state. It was believed that after Ford, getting Peugeot to set up its manufacturing facility in the state will give a major fillip to FDI figures. Sources close to the development said that Peugeot will be investing around Rs4,000 crore in the state to set up its manufacturing facility and the production is expected to start by the year 2014-15. At the same time, Ford, which has also signed an MoU with the state government on July 28 for setting up its production facility in Gujarat will also start rolling out cars by 2014.
Peugeot and Ford originally chose Tamil Nadu in February last because of the tradition of the auto industry in Chennai business friendly, transparent and easily accessible power centre, road infrastructure, port connectivity and National Automotive Testing and R&D Infrastructure Project (NATRiP) at Oragadam, the second such facility in the country brought by Kalaignar by urging the Centre. The only difference now for the two foreign auto majors to flee to Gujarat is the change of guard in the power centre, which is seen by investors as unlike of the previous rulers.
By her indifference and callousness Jayalalitha had given away to Gujarat two major car manufacturing units, Rs.8,000 crore foreign direct investment and employment opportunities for about 60,000 persons. Leave alone her making the state as one of the global hubs in automobile sector, she is slipping out the numero uno position of Tamil Nadu in India to Gujarat.
On her pledge to ‘restore’ law and order, she claimed that thieves, robbers and chain snatchers had exited to neighbouring Andhra Pradesh after her victory in the election. Replying to the debate on grants for Police department she claimed that people were living in peace without any fear and greeting the regime, children return home safely from schools etc.,
But what is the reality is day-to-day experience of the people, Kalaignar listed 86 murders, 110 burglaries, 38 chain snatchings and 13 highway robberies in 100 days of ADMK regime. There were five cases of kidnapping of children for ransom of which four were returned by the kidnappers themselves. Still the 11 month old boy child found missing from the residence of a Muslim couple in Chindadripet in Chennai, has not been traced. Contrary to her claim that all chain-snatchers had run away to AP after ADMK victory, now they continue to have field days in Chennai. In one day on Sep.7, three gold chains weighing about 30 sovereigns were snatched from three women in separate incidents at Neelankarai. Aminjikarai and MGR Nagar.
All these statistics are given not to argue that incidents of crimes had increased with the ADMK returning to power. Crimes takes place due to social and economic inequalities and disparities. But Jayalalitha used to issue statements during DMK rule demanding the stepping down of Kalaignar for his ‘inability to control criminals.’ However, effective policing could check crimes. Already the strength of TN police force is inadequate to wholly address law and order in the State. But Jayalalitha is deploying even this inadequate force in the tasks of securing complaints of land grab against DMK cadre, foisting false cases, vindictive arrests, presenting them before magistrates for judicial custody, transporting them to prisons in distant towns for lodging, again transporting from there in convoys of police trucks as if they are terrorists, from prison in one place to the court in another place seeking police custody or extension of remand and retransport to the original prison etc., For instance, former Minister K.N.Nehru was brought from Cuddalore prison to Tiruchi court with heavy police escort and on being refused police custody by the Magistrate taken back to Cuddalore and lodged in jail. Similarly former Minister Veerapandi Arumugam was brought from Coimbatore prison to Salem court and on rejection of their plea taken back to Coimbatore prison, only to bring back to Salem the next day for custody in new case and taken to Tiruchi jail instead of Salem as ordered by the court. Similar is the exercise in the case of every DMK functionary. What a colossal wastage of man power of the police force. When will the police find time and men to ensure law and order and check crimes in the state?
Jayalalitha’s tall claims should be translated into action as proved. The proof of pudding is in the eating. Her claims on automobile industry and law and order are turning into fiascos!
If not the nominal opposition parties (allies of ADMK) allowed to be present in the Assembly, do not raise concerns of the state and people and play second fiddle to the ruling party, the media should fulfill its duty of objectively presenting the true picture of the state. The counter issued by Peugeot Citroen following the media in TN singing paeans for Jayalalitha in bringing their unit to the state, was released by Indian news agencies like PTI on the same day. But none of the dailies or TV channels here –both English and Tamil published the news apprehending earning of her displeasure. Had they done their ethical journalist duty, atleast the officials of the government would have woken up if not Jaya. The result of the dereliction of their duty resulted in the loss of Rs.8,000 crore investment, and 60,000 employment opportunities for TN and people. Had the DMK been allowed to discharge its democratic duty in the Assembly, its members would have raised the issue unlike the other nominal opposition parties.
Hence the people of Tamil Nadu should identify the section of the media and political parties which work against their interests and decisively reject them!
No comments:
Post a Comment