As in many other aspects, lending support to and defending someone is also in two ways, directly and indirectly. As far as ADMK functionaries and cadre are concerned, the former have some monetary axe to grind in pretentiously defending and supporting their leader Jayalalitha, because only as long as they are in the good books of her they could reap the ‘benefits’ of office or position. But the latter are too naïve. They are the direct supporters of Jayalalitha.
There is another sub-section of faceless supporters of Jayalalitha, who are very active in social media, and defend her indefensible actions due to their inexplicable subjective abhorrence for the DMK, more particularly for Kalaignar. They are another sub-section of direct supporters.
There are another section of Jayalalitha supporters, who are lending her the most needed indirect support. They are more dangerous to the society and people of Tamil Nadu than the direct supporters of her. They are operating in political parties/outfits and largely in the media. The former, the likes of Pazha Nedumaran, D. Pandian, Vaiko, some self-proclaimed neo-‘Tamil nationalists’ et al. are rabid Kalaignar baiters who wait in the wings to jump on even remote chances to take on Kalaignar or the DMK. To a large extent they have made it their profession for existence or means of livelihood. They have sections of dailies, periodicals and television channels which are waiting to readily publish/air prominently whatever they regurgitate ad nauseam. They never even remotely speak or write a word against Jayalalitha under any circumstances.
The other section of indirect supporters of Jayalalitha in the media are more harmful than the above mentioned section, as they, by their establishment purportedly for emanating news and opinions without any bias or partisanship, could effectively mislead the public opinion with their partisan coverage of news and views. For instance, in the last three years, the newspapers, periodicals and television channels give widest coverage to the statements (which are invariably attacks against the DMK and Kalaignar) and announcements of Chief Minister Jayalalitha. But the counters issued by the DMK and Kalaignar are rarely published/telecast and if at all they do so, they are cursory, remote and insignificant. As they do in the case of the announcements of other governments including those of the previous DMK government, the media never care to do follow up and find out whether the announcements of Jayalalitha become realities. As a result, the reader-viewer people are brain-washed to believe that whatever Jayalalitha says are correct in the absence of counters from the concerned and all her announcements are implemented. If Thanthai Periyar, well known for blunt speaking of truth, were alive he would have called these elements, who know truth very well but still emanate lies and concoctions, as scoundrels!
But the same sections magnify even remote setbacks for the DMK and prophesy doomsday for the party. While they carry out ‘investigations’ after ‘investigations’ vying with the CBI and other investigation authorities and pronounce ‘verdicts’ ahead of courts in cases connected with DMK functionaries making mountains out of molehills castigating the whole party organisation as ‘corrupt’, they voluntarily close their eyes to the ongoing manoeuvres of the ‘queen of corruption’ Jayalalitha in courts in her bid to at least postpone convictions. They do not question the honesty of her and her associates but inhumanly subject to scrutiny the illness of an old lady connected with the DMK. Under what journalistic ethics can they in Tamil Nadu defend their conduct?
When the media, without any sense of shame and hesitation, projected Jayalalitha as one of the contenders for the post of Prime Minister of the nation and the so-called ‘well-informed and enlightened’ columnists and commentators vomited reems of newsprint and hours of telecast on the fineness of her prime ministerial material, did they ever give thought to what is basically required for administrator, honesty? Of course, they as well as any of others would not be and should not be interested in honesty in her personal life. But being in public life, that too as one who is presiding over the regime in the State and with insatiable urge for leading the nation, should not her honesty be subjected to scrutiny?
In her political career, can any of her defenders vouch for the honesty of her ascendancy in her party, the ADMK? Even her ‘mentor’ MGR, who initiated her into political career, was completely disenchanted with her intrigues and directed his party cadre to dissociate from her. After his demise how she captured the leadership of the party, whose assistance she took to do it and how she betrayed them later etc., are well known to these journalists and columnists.
Jayalalitha and her supporters always claim that the cases against her were foisted by the DMK rule were politically vindictive and without any basis. If that were so, she could have straightaway face them in the courts and prove her innocence in a straight forward manner like those in the DMK without dragging the case for years together by seeking hundreds of adjournments on flimsy reasons and moving on appeals after appeals to higher courts!
Did any of them dare to question her honesty when she disowned her signature in the documents relating to the purchase of TANSI properties in the court, under sworn affidavit, and later agreeing to return the property illegally acquired, which in effect was denouncing her own earlier statement. Should not these enlightened journalists and columnists have questioned her capacity to preside over a regime and expected to affix her signature on various papers relating to governance and administration, with such a personal background?
Now with the disproportionate assets case against Jayalalitha & co., reaching the final stage, the panic reaction of her in trying to drag the trial will remain as a dark chapter in the history of Indian judiciary. But the dailies and television channels in Tamil Nadu have voluntarily imposed blackout on the developments in the Bangalore special court.
Can any supporter (direct and indirect) of Jayalalitha vouch for her honesty in facing these cases? It is a challenge!
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