“Personal interests must be subordinated to the Party’s interests, the interests of the local Party organization to those of the entire Party, the interests of the part to those of the whole, and temporary to long-term interests. This is a Marxist-Leninist principle which must be followed by every Communist”. - Liu Shao Chi How to be a good Communist, 1939
Of course, this condition put forth by the great Chinese helmsman, second to Mao Tse Dung, for a good communist can never be applicable to the intractable chatterbox D. Pandian, paradoxically the Tamil Nadu State Secretary of the Communist Party of India (CPI).
In an exclusive interview to ‘The Hindu’ (Tamil) on October 13, to the question about the reported strategy to push Jayalalitha towards the post of Prime Minister with the support of the BJP, Pandian has ‘enthusiastically’ said, “You can mark it as happy. I will be happy if Jayalalitha becomes Prime Minister by hook or by crook, I’ll be happy”. Asked about her Prime Minister dream, he has said, “If Jayalalitha becomes Prime Minister on behalf of the third front, is it not good news for Tamil Nadu? Let it happen”.
What Pandian has not made clear is whether this is his personal desire or the stand of his party, the CPI. It is quite unlikely of their central leadership approving this bizarre idea of their TN state secretary. It is for their National Secretary D.Raja to explain. If he also takes up a wishy-washy stand adducing something like ‘personal opinion’, then, borrowing the words of Rajnikanth, ‘even god cannot save’ whatever is left of their party.
Asked, “Have you become an extremely loyal man of the ruling party? They say ‘Pandian has mortgaged party to ADMK for the sake of MP seat?” Pandian has replied, “Communist Party is a world party. ADMK is a regional party. Can a world party be mortgaged to a regional party? Those who say so are damn fools”. It is altogether different that his party faced the danger of losing ‘national party’ status from the Election Commission and could sustain by the grace of other Left parties like the CPM. What transpires from this interview and from his latest utterances is that he is more than an ordinary ADMK minion totally loyal to its supremo.
How does he estimate the two and a half year regime of ADMK? He says, “In the whole of India, this is the rule that implements many people’s welfare schemes. It was TN which first gave free ration rice in ration shops, gives four gram gold and Rs.50,000 for marriage assistance of poor women. In which place do they give idli for one rupee and sambar rice for Rs.5? Outside water is sold for Rs.20 but TN government gives for Rs.10. thus many good works are done. We cannot but appreciate”.
The daily’s correspondent perhaps could not digest a ‘communist leader’ hailing selling of water by the government and points out that providing protected drinking water is the duty of a welfare state and asks as a communist how can he appreciate this. Pandian has said, “In a government not ruled by communists only this can be called as achievement”. If this is the yardstick for him to measure a government, then all state governments and in the country and even the Centre should be appreciated by him. But he and his party use the scale of communists for that. Is it not double standard? If you try to defend the indefensible, this is how you will start prattling.
Even a political novice will ask to how many people do they provide food at these cheap prices and will say that this is a humbug to cheat people. CPM politburo member Brinda Karat has condemned the government selling drinking water. Providing protected drinking water is not a charity by the government because the citizens are paying water tax to local bodies and one percent of the bus fares all over the State go to the government for maintenance of bus stands and providing drinking water and toilet facilities in all bus stands. If the government sells water to passengers, it is a failure to be condemned.
The state secretary may be all in praise for Jayalalitha, but even an ordinary member of the CPI will list the reasons for this to be called an anti-people anti-democratic.
Pandian has said politics in Tamil Nadu has come to standstill and the principal Opposition party (he means the DMK which was in power earlier) is not agitating and only his party was resorting to stirs. He also blames people for not taking interest in agitations and more preoccupied with entertainment.
People outside the State, who could observe state of affairs in Tamil Nadu only through media, might possibly think that politics here had come to standstill and there are no stirs by political parties on issues of people, because that is the impression given by the dailies, periodicals and TV channels, singing paeans for the ruling party and imposing blackout on the statements and actions of the DMK.
But people of the State, by their day-to-day experience, are raging against the ADMK regime and, in spite of the motivated designs of the media, have started realising that it is only the DMK which is fighting against this anti-people and anti-democratic regime. In fact, if there is one leader in the Opposition who takes this government to task almost daily, he is Kalaignar. If there is one party which takes up every problem of people, at the State and local levels, and fights for them, it is the DMK.
Issues on which the DMK launched agitations since Jayalalitha assumed office in May 2011:
2011: June-July Students protests all over the State against ADMK regime move to scrap Samacheer Kalvi; July 29 DMK call for boycott of educational institutions in TN protesting against move to scrap Samachher Kalvi; July 30 Arrest of M.K.Stalin in Tiruvarur leads to spontaneous protests all over the state; August 1 over 2.5 lakh DMK workers arrested all over TN protesting against foisting of false cases on DMK functionaries and cadre; August 25 public meetings in all districts on ‘Ordeal of democracy in TN Assembly’; Nov 15 DMK Youth wing demonstrations all over the State protesting against ADMK government’s move to sack 13,000 Makkal Nala Paniyalargal, over 1.5 lakh participate; December 12 Thousands of DMK cadre observe a day’s fast all over the State on Mullaiperiyar dam issue.
2012: January 5 Kalaignar treks through 550 km of cyclone Thane-ravaged areas of Puducherry, Cuddalore and Nagapattinam districts hearing the woes of people and consoling them, announces Rs.50 lakh as relief from the Party; April 9 DMK demonstrations all over the state condemning new tax burden, hike in bus fares, milk prices and power tariff; July 4: 2,32,797 cadre court arrest throughout TN in ‘Fill the Jail’ stir condemning repressive measures of the ADMK regime; August 12 TESO conclave and conference on the protection of Eelam Tamils’ right to life and livelihood; October 5 Black attired DMK volunteers on door-to-door campaign against failures and misdeeds of ADMK regime following denial of permission for huge human chains in Chennai and all district headquarters. November Thalapathi M.K.Stalin and T.R.Baalu present petition of demands of Kalaignar based on resolutions adopted at the TESO conference to UN Deputy Secretary General Jan Kenneth Eliasson at the UN office in New York on November 1 and to UNHRC High Commissioner Navaneetham Pillay on Nov 6 in Geneva; December 18 Lakhs of DMK cadre participate in protest demonstrations at 500 centres in the state from cities to hamlets condemning the regime for failure to resolve power crisis
2013 Feb 8 TESO demonstration in Chennai with black dress protesting the visit of Rajapaksa; Feb 18 and 19 TESO demonstrations in Rameswaram and Nagapattinam against attacks on fishermen by Lankan navy; March 5 Thousands including M.K.Stalin arrested in their attempt to picket Sri Lankan Deputy High Commissioner’s office in Chennai; March 12 TESO general strike all over the State over 50,000 arrested; April 24 conducted series of protest public meetings condemning trampling of democracy in TN Assembly; April 27 DMK moves Supreme Court for retrieval of Katchatheevu; May 15 ‘Uprising day’ public meetings urging implementation of Sethusamudram project; July 8: About 3,62,500 men and women cadre participate in protest demonstrations all over Tamil Nadu in support of Sethusamudram project; TESO massive Tamils demonstrations against Lankan regime all over the State and in front of Parliament House in New Delhi; August 16 meeting of DMK district secretaries decide to launch stirs on local issues of people in all districts.
Such being the record of the DMK unlike any other opposition party in Tamil Nadu, it is better for Pandian to mind his words while even obliquely referring to it or its leaders in his super enthusiasm to please his benefactor Jayalalitha. r
Of course, this condition put forth by the great Chinese helmsman, second to Mao Tse Dung, for a good communist can never be applicable to the intractable chatterbox D. Pandian, paradoxically the Tamil Nadu State Secretary of the Communist Party of India (CPI).
In an exclusive interview to ‘The Hindu’ (Tamil) on October 13, to the question about the reported strategy to push Jayalalitha towards the post of Prime Minister with the support of the BJP, Pandian has ‘enthusiastically’ said, “You can mark it as happy. I will be happy if Jayalalitha becomes Prime Minister by hook or by crook, I’ll be happy”. Asked about her Prime Minister dream, he has said, “If Jayalalitha becomes Prime Minister on behalf of the third front, is it not good news for Tamil Nadu? Let it happen”.
What Pandian has not made clear is whether this is his personal desire or the stand of his party, the CPI. It is quite unlikely of their central leadership approving this bizarre idea of their TN state secretary. It is for their National Secretary D.Raja to explain. If he also takes up a wishy-washy stand adducing something like ‘personal opinion’, then, borrowing the words of Rajnikanth, ‘even god cannot save’ whatever is left of their party.
Asked, “Have you become an extremely loyal man of the ruling party? They say ‘Pandian has mortgaged party to ADMK for the sake of MP seat?” Pandian has replied, “Communist Party is a world party. ADMK is a regional party. Can a world party be mortgaged to a regional party? Those who say so are damn fools”. It is altogether different that his party faced the danger of losing ‘national party’ status from the Election Commission and could sustain by the grace of other Left parties like the CPM. What transpires from this interview and from his latest utterances is that he is more than an ordinary ADMK minion totally loyal to its supremo.
How does he estimate the two and a half year regime of ADMK? He says, “In the whole of India, this is the rule that implements many people’s welfare schemes. It was TN which first gave free ration rice in ration shops, gives four gram gold and Rs.50,000 for marriage assistance of poor women. In which place do they give idli for one rupee and sambar rice for Rs.5? Outside water is sold for Rs.20 but TN government gives for Rs.10. thus many good works are done. We cannot but appreciate”.
The daily’s correspondent perhaps could not digest a ‘communist leader’ hailing selling of water by the government and points out that providing protected drinking water is the duty of a welfare state and asks as a communist how can he appreciate this. Pandian has said, “In a government not ruled by communists only this can be called as achievement”. If this is the yardstick for him to measure a government, then all state governments and in the country and even the Centre should be appreciated by him. But he and his party use the scale of communists for that. Is it not double standard? If you try to defend the indefensible, this is how you will start prattling.
Even a political novice will ask to how many people do they provide food at these cheap prices and will say that this is a humbug to cheat people. CPM politburo member Brinda Karat has condemned the government selling drinking water. Providing protected drinking water is not a charity by the government because the citizens are paying water tax to local bodies and one percent of the bus fares all over the State go to the government for maintenance of bus stands and providing drinking water and toilet facilities in all bus stands. If the government sells water to passengers, it is a failure to be condemned.
The state secretary may be all in praise for Jayalalitha, but even an ordinary member of the CPI will list the reasons for this to be called an anti-people anti-democratic.
Pandian has said politics in Tamil Nadu has come to standstill and the principal Opposition party (he means the DMK which was in power earlier) is not agitating and only his party was resorting to stirs. He also blames people for not taking interest in agitations and more preoccupied with entertainment.
People outside the State, who could observe state of affairs in Tamil Nadu only through media, might possibly think that politics here had come to standstill and there are no stirs by political parties on issues of people, because that is the impression given by the dailies, periodicals and TV channels, singing paeans for the ruling party and imposing blackout on the statements and actions of the DMK.
But people of the State, by their day-to-day experience, are raging against the ADMK regime and, in spite of the motivated designs of the media, have started realising that it is only the DMK which is fighting against this anti-people and anti-democratic regime. In fact, if there is one leader in the Opposition who takes this government to task almost daily, he is Kalaignar. If there is one party which takes up every problem of people, at the State and local levels, and fights for them, it is the DMK.
Issues on which the DMK launched agitations since Jayalalitha assumed office in May 2011:
2011: June-July Students protests all over the State against ADMK regime move to scrap Samacheer Kalvi; July 29 DMK call for boycott of educational institutions in TN protesting against move to scrap Samachher Kalvi; July 30 Arrest of M.K.Stalin in Tiruvarur leads to spontaneous protests all over the state; August 1 over 2.5 lakh DMK workers arrested all over TN protesting against foisting of false cases on DMK functionaries and cadre; August 25 public meetings in all districts on ‘Ordeal of democracy in TN Assembly’; Nov 15 DMK Youth wing demonstrations all over the State protesting against ADMK government’s move to sack 13,000 Makkal Nala Paniyalargal, over 1.5 lakh participate; December 12 Thousands of DMK cadre observe a day’s fast all over the State on Mullaiperiyar dam issue.
2012: January 5 Kalaignar treks through 550 km of cyclone Thane-ravaged areas of Puducherry, Cuddalore and Nagapattinam districts hearing the woes of people and consoling them, announces Rs.50 lakh as relief from the Party; April 9 DMK demonstrations all over the state condemning new tax burden, hike in bus fares, milk prices and power tariff; July 4: 2,32,797 cadre court arrest throughout TN in ‘Fill the Jail’ stir condemning repressive measures of the ADMK regime; August 12 TESO conclave and conference on the protection of Eelam Tamils’ right to life and livelihood; October 5 Black attired DMK volunteers on door-to-door campaign against failures and misdeeds of ADMK regime following denial of permission for huge human chains in Chennai and all district headquarters. November Thalapathi M.K.Stalin and T.R.Baalu present petition of demands of Kalaignar based on resolutions adopted at the TESO conference to UN Deputy Secretary General Jan Kenneth Eliasson at the UN office in New York on November 1 and to UNHRC High Commissioner Navaneetham Pillay on Nov 6 in Geneva; December 18 Lakhs of DMK cadre participate in protest demonstrations at 500 centres in the state from cities to hamlets condemning the regime for failure to resolve power crisis
2013 Feb 8 TESO demonstration in Chennai with black dress protesting the visit of Rajapaksa; Feb 18 and 19 TESO demonstrations in Rameswaram and Nagapattinam against attacks on fishermen by Lankan navy; March 5 Thousands including M.K.Stalin arrested in their attempt to picket Sri Lankan Deputy High Commissioner’s office in Chennai; March 12 TESO general strike all over the State over 50,000 arrested; April 24 conducted series of protest public meetings condemning trampling of democracy in TN Assembly; April 27 DMK moves Supreme Court for retrieval of Katchatheevu; May 15 ‘Uprising day’ public meetings urging implementation of Sethusamudram project; July 8: About 3,62,500 men and women cadre participate in protest demonstrations all over Tamil Nadu in support of Sethusamudram project; TESO massive Tamils demonstrations against Lankan regime all over the State and in front of Parliament House in New Delhi; August 16 meeting of DMK district secretaries decide to launch stirs on local issues of people in all districts.
Such being the record of the DMK unlike any other opposition party in Tamil Nadu, it is better for Pandian to mind his words while even obliquely referring to it or its leaders in his super enthusiasm to please his benefactor Jayalalitha. r
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