14 Responses to “Sri Lanka in the shadow of two scheming giants”

1. AnuD Says:
   April 15th, 2012 at 11:59 am

   [An affirmative action plan has been introduced to give easy access to jobs in the public service to Tamils only, violating the principle of equality enshrined in the constitution. ] This is govt backed Reverse Discrmination. Why did not he govt implement the same policy in South. Because Sinhala people are silent. They think they are the majority.

   [The government policy of hiring Satchi & Satchi of Bellinger is not the answer. ] These foreign consulting firms give hugh commissions to who find them business.

   [Was this international intervention the only means of dealing with peace, reconciliation and human rights violations in Sri Lanka? Also in known human experience is it possible to resolve issues leading to peace and reconciliation within three months of the publication of the recommendations? ]

   For me, this is where two ideologies, middle eastern – judeo-christian thinking has won over the asian accommodating always showing compassion to the other kind of ideology. Sinhala people are continuously losing in that. Because, governing politicians are not brave or strong. They are just there for politics. So, they satisfy those cry out loud and who seem to be stronger. If our politicians were there, Israel would have never been established. IF they were there Cuba would not be in the situation that they are in now and there are many examples now.

   No one is discussing how much the jailing of Fonseka was a factor in UNHCR resolution. Probably, that is the deleted or edited part.

2. Naram Says:
   April 15th, 2012 at 1:26 pm

   HLDM, This is an excellent presentaton. One should not forget the historical perspective that Western powers are well aware. One cannot forget that Sinhala nation is forged in blood. Many incursions to Senkadagala in the last 2 centuries that left trails of blood and massacre, Frederick North’s failed attempts in 1803 leaving many burnt down cities and villages, more massacres in Matale and Wellassa expropriations 1818 & 1848, ethnic cleansings. Incongruity is that now the same powers demand invastgations into human rights violations invertently made by Sri Lanka in the course of humanitarian operation carried out. This was an activity amidst LTTE aircraft bombing Colombo, massive stocks of ammunition still being trasported by the likes of Father Nagulan and bombs seteven in Mosques in Akuressa. The folks who voted for theresolution are hiding their heads in sand.

   .

3. Lorenzo Says:
   April 15th, 2012 at 1:54 pm

   May be the best analysis on the matter.

   Well said, HLDM

   DESTROYING Tamil nationalism and humiliating it is the solution.

4. Voice123 Says:
   April 15th, 2012 at 4:03 pm

   Good points by HDLM. As part of this new propoganda war we need to start prosecuting LTTE war criminals in the West one by one, primarily people like Adele Balasingham. They should not be allowed to live their lives in peace and quiet after all the murders and massacres they did on our people. These could be the very first salvos of us fighting back. Why is nobody taking serious action about this? From personal observation, many Tamils will also join us in this endeavour because she has the blood of innocent Tamils on her hands also. What happened to the class action against the TNA by the way? Are we waiting for the government to do something as usual? If Sri Lankans privately organise against these treacherous LTTE war criminals in the West, a lot could be achieved. I, for one, would sacrifice and give hundreds or even thousands of dollars towards this objective if a serious and professional attempt was made.

5. Lorenzo Says:
   April 15th, 2012 at 4:40 pm

   India-China “balance” in SL need not be an equal one.

   May be 70%-30% in favour of China would be ideal.

   Or follow the ethnic percentages.
   Chingala (China) – 75% (Development work is MAINLY in Chingala areas)
   Thamil (India) – 15% (Development ONLY in Thamil areas).
   Islam (Pakistan) – 10% (Development MAINLY in Islam areas).

   China – 75%
   Pakistan – 10%
   Total – 85% (They are friends).

   India – 15%.

6. douglas Says:
   April 15th, 2012 at 5:39 pm

   The main topic that is under discussion, by these Big Powers is our own LLRC Report. As our Presieent siad, what right have they in “owning” this report? This expression must be carried with force and every Government Administration limb including the Partiament must be geared to carry that “slogan” from now ownwards. In short it should not be allowed to be “abducted”by these “bullies”.

   Of coourse we made a blunder at the start by asking these Big Powers to await the publication of the LLRC Report. But that does not necessarliy mean they have the final say or the commanding authority to “order” us to implement its recommendations. It is our country and its Legislature which have the authority over considering the recommendations and it’s implementation. Do we communicate that in clear language to the outside world?

   As stated by the author of this presentation, through the UNHRC, USA and India with the backing of other Big Powers have surreptitiously “abducted” the LLRC and are in the process of twisting the arms of S/L Government to destabilize the whole country. Their main mechanism will be to forster and develop a monster type “communal”or better called “Tribal” political structure in the North and East and divide the country to fullfil the aspirations of the TNA and give a dulicate key to South India.

   We hope Sr Lanka government will smell a rat in these manoeuvres.

7. Leela Says:
   April 15th, 2012 at 6:09 pm

   HLDM, you have done it brilliantly. And I hope MR is convinced of its rationality and GLP would take it thoughtfully. And particularly what is quoted below which I think is the most important part of the speech.

   “The government has to place the propaganda warfare on the same footing as the war waged on the ground. This campaign needs new generals and not the pundits and the spokespersons who are neither competent nor trained to fight the propaganda war.”
   Leela

8. Vis8 Says:
   April 15th, 2012 at 6:41 pm

   The west suddenly woke up to Sri Lanka after they discovered ‘campaign donations’ and “votes” are freely-availabe through the ltte-diaspora. Essentially, they are carrying out the intentions of the ltte, just for their own gain. This type of action will never stop as long as there is ‘politics’. All it matters is to get votes to get back in power.

   Sri Lanka will continue to be harassed and eventually a forced-entry of foreign forces is possible. Thanks HLD for this article. We need to stand up on our own, now. The question is, how?

9. Vis8 Says:
   April 15th, 2012 at 7:00 pm

   Time, HLD, for you to step in and lead the propaganda war.

10. AnuD Says:
    April 15th, 2012 at 8:08 pm

    [Of coourse we made a blunder at the start by asking these Big Powers to await the publication of the LLRC Report ]

    Even after 35 years of experience with India and IC was not enough and tried to make them happy.

11. Nalliah Thayabharan Says:
    April 15th, 2012 at 8:32 pm

    Rajiv Gandhi began to a show keen interest in evolving an acceptable political package to bring an end to the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka to deflect attention from domestic issues. Rajiv Gandhi had been at the center of a heated political controversy since March, 1987. It all started with Assembly elections in Kerala, West Bengal and Jammu & Kashmir. In Kerala on March 23, 1987, the Congress-led coalition government was driven out of power by the leftist front, meaning that the opposition regional parties had now taken control of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala. At the same time, Congress, under the leadership of Rajiv Gandhi, miserably failed to wrest power back from the communists in West Bengal, while Congress did manage to retain its hold in Jammu and Kashmir as junior partners.

    At this time, Finance Minister V.P.Singh was transferred to the Ministry of Defense by Rajiv Gandhi.

    In early March, the intelligence branch of the federal government raided the offices of the Indian Express newspaper. During the raid, the government stumbled on information that the Ministry of Finance had employed the services of a US consulting firm, the Fairfax Group, to investigate illegal offshore transactions of such distinguished business luminaries as the Bachchan brothers and textile magnate Dirrubhai Ambani.

    V.P.Singh admitted that the investigation had been undertaken under his authority, which prompted the Congress leaders and a section of the media to accuse him of selling national interests to foreign operatives closely linked with CIA of America. Never mind that the investigation was aimed at alleged economic crimes, and had nothing to do with security issues. Rajiv Gandhi tried to play down the seriousness of the issue by making it a subject of a closed-door examination.

    But the public impression lingered that, something fishy was going on. This impression was reinforced by V P Singh in his role as minister of defense. It was alleged that kickbacks, as much as 7 percent, had been solicited by Indian middlemen, on a US$340 million submarine order, placed with a West German shipyard during Indira Gandhi’s rule. Such commissions were banned under Indian law, and there was speculation that the alleged payments had been a kickback to the Congress ruling party.

    V.P.Singh ordered a fresh departmental probe into the scandal, when he took over the Defense portfolio. He did not notify either Rajiv Gandhi or the cabinet, which is customary procedure on launching such a probe. He only announced the investigation on the floor of parliament – the Lok Sabah – on April 9, 1987.

    Congress party leaders were quick to accuse the defense minister of a cheap publicity stunt, bent on grabbing media publicity without regard to cabinet or party procedures. On April 12, V.P.Singh resigned as defense minister over charges that, he had intended to malign and embarrass Rajiv Gandhi. V.P.Singh went as far as to proclaim his loyalty to Gandhi and to the party, when he announced his resignation.

    No sooner had the kickback scandal arisen than, Swedish radio broadcasters reported that Stockholm’s premier arms maker, BOFORS, had paid a $16 million commission into Swiss bank accounts of Indian middlemen to secure a $1.3 billion order for 400 howitzers.

    The allegation involving BOFORS targeted for investigation both Ajitab Bachchan and his brother Amitab Bachchan, a Congress member of parliament from the Alahabad constituency, in Uttar Pradesh. Rajiv Gandhi and Amitab Bachchan were childhood friends. The arms deal was consummated while Rajiv Gandhi had been Minister of Defense. He left the post to replace Singh as Minister of Finance.

    The governments of India and Sweden, and also BOFORS, rushed to deny the allegations, claiming that the howitzer deal had been concluded from direct negotiations, between Rajiv Gandhi and the late premier of Sweden, Olaf Palme, during the latter’s state visit to India in 1985.

    Rajiv Gandhi’s political vulnerability became increasingly apparent and rumors were rife of an impending “constitutional coup” to be staged by Giani Zail Singh, the president of India. Zail Singh, an Indira Gandhi loyalist, was about to complete his five-year term as president. He felt that a second term would not be forthcoming and he felt snubbed by Rajiv Gandhi, who neglected him on issues of government.

    Beginning in April 1987, newspapers reported that Giani Zail Singh was quietly seeking advise on his constitutional power to remove the prime minister. The president was said to be waiting for possible evidence that, Rajiv Gandhi himself had been involved in the graft scandal.

    On May 1, Rajiv Gandhi lashed out at unidentified opponents, whom, he said, wanted to stage a coup against the democratically elected government. The prime minister added that even the highest elected officials could be held answerable to parliament. Following the outburst of a veiled threat on the president, Giani Zail Singh’s public repudiation of the idea of removing Rajiv Gandhi was reported in the national press on May 5, 1987. The opposition were reluctant to entertain the idea of having a democratically elected prime minister dismissed. In one statement, leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said that such an action by the president was “too dangerous a proposition for the future democracy and the country”.

    While Rajiv Gandhi struggled with corruption scandals and open hostility to his country’s president, the ruling Congress party was handed an overwhelming defeat in the state assembly election held on June 18, 1987 in Haryana. The defeat was the party’s sixth loss in the past seven votes that, it had contested under the leadership of Rajiv Gandhi.

    On July 13, 1987 Ramaswami Venkataraman was elected as the eighth president of India. Venkataraman, a senior Congress party leader from Tamil Nadu, South India, had served for four years under Indira Gandhi, both as Minister of Finance and later as Minister of Defense and had become vice president of India in 1984.

    Venkataraman was Rajiv Gandhi’s nominee for the mostly ceremonial post of president, and his chief opponent was V R Krishna Iyer, a retired Supreme Court Judge, who was supported by a collection of opposition parties.

    Balloting for the presidency was confined to members of the national parliament and state assemblies. Venkataraman brought a breath of fresh air to Rajiv Gandhi and to the Congress party, by garnering about 71 percent of the votes.

    Emboldened by this result, Rajiv Gandhi began to purge leading dissidents in the Congress party. On July 15,1987 he expelled party leaders Arin Mohammad Khan, V C Shukla and Arun Nehru. Again, on July 19, 1987 he expelled V.P.Singh. Infighting within Congress was not the single issue that confronted Rajiv Gandhi. The Punjab problem, Sikhs uprising for the formation of a separate state, coupled with problems in Nagaland and Mizoram became major issues.

    So, for distraction, Rajiv Gandhi latched on to Sri Lanka to divert attention from his mounting domestic problems, with the airdrop of supplies on June 4, into Jaffna, being a turning point in the Indo-Sri Lankan relationship.

12. Nalliah Thayabharan Says:
    April 15th, 2012 at 8:38 pm

    Rajiv Gandhi’s sad demise delayed the Swiss and Russian exposé on Antonia Maino (aka Sonia Gandhi). But Indian media’s interest in it actually coincided with Antonia Maino assuming leadership of the Congress. A G Noorani, a well-known columnist, had reported on both Schweizer Illustrierte and Albats’ exposés in Statesman (December 31, 1988). Subramanian Swamy had put out the photocopies of the pages of Schweizer Illustrierte and Albats’ book in his website along with the mail of the Swiss magazine dated February 23, 2002 confirming that in its article of November 1991 it had named Rajiv Gandhi with a total of Swiss Franc 2.5 billion ($2.2 billion) in secret account; it had also offered to supply a original copy of the magazine to Subramanian Swamy. (See: http://www.janataparty.org/annexures/ann10p43.html)
    These facts were again recalled in The New Indian Express (April 29, 2009) written in response to Antonia Maino’s speech at Mangalore (April 27, 2009) declaring that, “the Congress was taking steps to address the issue of untaxed Indian money in Swiss banks”. The article had questioned her about her family’s corrupt wealth in Swiss banks in the context of her vow to bring back the monies stashed away abroad.
    Rajinder Puri, a reputed journalist, has also earlier written on the KGB disclosures in his column on August 15, 2006. In India Today (December 27, 2010) the redoubtable Ram Jethmalani has referred to the Swiss exposé, asking where is that money now? So the Indian media too has repeatedly published the details of the secret billions of the Gandhi family investigated by the Swiss and Russian journalists. Amal Datta (CPI(M)) had raised the $2.2 billion issue in Parliament on December 7, 1991, but Speaker Shivraj Patil expunged the Gandhi name from the proceedings!
    Edvige Antonia Albina Maino was born December 09, 1946 to Stefano and Paola Maino in contrada Màini (“Maini street”) in Lusiana, a little village 30 km from Vicenza in the region of Veneto, Italy. She spent her adolescence in Orbassano, a town near Turin, attending a Catholic school. Her father, a building contractor, died in 1983. Her mother and two sisters still live around Orbassano. In 1964, she went to study English at the Bell Educational Trust’s language school in the city of Cambridge. She met Rajiv Gandhi, who was enrolled in Trinity College at the University of Cambridge in 1965 at a Greek restaurant while working there, as a waitress to make ends meet. In all three years of Rajiv Gandhi’s tenure at Trinity College had not passed a single examination. Sonia and Rajiv Gandhi married in 1968.
    Antonia Maino was given the name ‘Sonia’ by her late mother-in-law, Indira Gandhi. But there is no notification in the gazette regarding this change in name. This change of name runs in Nehru family is to fool the Indian public for their votes. Indira Gandhi’s real name was Indira Priyadarshini. In 1934–35, after finishing school, Indira joined Shantiniketan,a school set up by Rabindranath Tagore. Subsequently, she went to England and sat for the University of Oxford entrance examination, but she failed, and spent a few months at Badminton School in Bristol, before passing the exam in 1937 and enrolling at Somerville College, Oxford where she never finished her degree. Khushwant Singh, who has personally known Indira Gandhi, has said that she felt uncomfortable around educated people because she had no real education. During her stay in the UK, she frequently met Feroze Gandhi, whom she knew from Allahabad, and who was studying at the London School of Economics. Feroze Khan was quite sympathetic to Indira and Indira married Feroze Khan in a London mosque as per Islamic rites Feroz Khan after converting herself to Islam. Indira’s muslim name was Maimuna Begum and later both had changed their name to fool the public of India by an affidavit in a court to Indira Gandhi and Feroz Gandhi.
    The second son of Indira known as Sanjay Gandhi was not the son of Feroze Khan. Sanjay’s real father was Mohammad Y. Baby Sanjay had been circumcised following Islamic custom, although the reason stated was phimosis. Sanjay was notorious in getting unwed young women pregnant. Menaka too was rendered pregnant by Sanjay. It was then that her father, Colonel Anand, threatened Sanjay with dire consequences if he did not marry her daughter. And that did the trick. Sanjay married Menaka. It was widely reported in Delhi at the time that Mohammad Y was unhappy at the marriage of Sanjay with Menaka; apparently he had wanted to get him married with a Muslim girl of his choice.
    Mohammad Y who cried the most when Sanjay died in the plane accident. Sanjay used to blackmail Indira and due to this she used to turn a blind eye when Sanjay started to run the country as though it were his personal fiefdom. When the news of Sanjay’s death reached Indira, the first thing she wanted to know was about the bunch of keys which Sanjay had with him.
    Rajiv Gandhi changed his so called Parsi religion to become a Catholic to marry Edvige Antonia Albina Maino. Rajiv became Roberto. His daughter’s name is Bianca and son’s name is Raul. Quite cleverly the same names are presented to the people of India as Priyanka and Rahul. What is amazing is the extent of Indians’ ignorance in such matters. The press conference that Rajiv Gandhi gave in London after taking over as prime minister of India was very informative. In this press conference, Rajiv boasted that he was NOT a Hindu but a Parsi. Mind you, speaking of the Parsi religion, he had no Parsi ancestor at all. His grandmother (father’s mother) had turned Muslim after having abandoned the Parsi religion to marry Nawab Khan.
    After Rajiv’s birth Indira and Feroze lived separately, but they were not divorced. Feroze used to interfere in Nehru’s political activities. Nehru got fed up and left instructions not to allow him into the Prime Minister’s residence Trimurthi Bhavan. The death of Feroze in 1960 before he could consolidate his own political forces came as a relief to Nehru and Indira. Feroze had even planned to remarry. The second son of Indira known as Sanjay Gandhi was not the son of Feroze Khan. Sanjay’s real father was Mohammad Y who served as India’s ambassador to Turkey, Indonesia, Iraq and Spain. Mohammad Y represented India at the Non-Aligned Summits at Lusaka, Algiers, Colombo, New Delhi, and Harare. Baby Sanjay had been circumcised following Islamic custom, although the reason stated was phimosis. Incidentally, Sanjay’s marriage with the Sikh girl Menaka took place quite surprisingly through a civil ceremony(on 23 September 1974)in Mohammad Y’ house in New Delhi. And the marriage with Menaka who was a model (she had modeled for Bombay Dyeing wearing just a towel) was not so ordinary either. Sanjay never attended college, but took up an apprenticeship with Rolls-Royce in Crewe, England. Sanjay Gandhi’s name was actually Sanjeev Gandhi. He was arrested for a car theft in England. Since his passport had been seized, the then Indian Ambassador to England Krishna Menon changed his name to ‘Sanjay’and procured a new passport for him. On February 3,1956 Krishna Menon was inducted into the Nehru cabinet as minister without portfolio. Mohammad Y who cried the most when Sanjay died in the plane accident.

    At the end of Rajiv Gandhi’s five years in office, the Bofors Scandal broke out. Rajiv Gandhi was paid by Bofors through Ottavio Q. Ottavio Q was merely a conduit for siphoning money. He was not a regular arms dealer. His company Snamprogetti dealt in fertiliser and petrochemicals. He was nobody in India without the backing of Rajiv Gandhi.
    Interpol revealed two bank accounts, 5A5151516M and 5A5151516L, held by Ottavio Q and his wife Maria with the BSI AG bank, London, containing Euros 3 million and $1 million, a “curiously large savings for a salaried executive”. Ottavio’s son, Massimo Q, grew up with Sonia’s children Raul(Rahul) and Bianca(Priyanka).

    Around 1974, Ottavio was introduced to Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi by an Italian named Mr. Molinari. Then Mrs. and Mr. Q started visiting Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi. Children of both sides were frequent visitors to each other. At that time Rajiv Gandhi was a pilot in Indian Airlines. Q became very close to Rajiv Gandhi and his wife. Their children grew up together, and based on this friendship, Q had become so influential at the office of the Prime Minister “that bureaucrats used to stand up when Q visited them. The award of Jagdishpur Fertilizer Plant to Q, changing earlier decision for SPIC, is a clear case. He won about 60 major projects projects including:
    In 1981 – the five Alibag (Thal Vaishet) plants from RCF, four Kribhco plants in Hazira, as well as the ONGC gas pipeline in Hazira.
    In 1983 – National Fertilisers Limited’s (NFL’s) plant in Una[disambiguation needed ] and two plants in Guna.
    In 1984- IFFCO’s three plants in Aonla.
    In 1987- Nagarjuna Fertilizers and Chemicals Limited’s two plants in Kakinada.
    When Indira was found in the bed with her German teacher at Shantiniketan she was chased out of the Shantiniketan by Rabindranath Tagore.

    Before Indira’s marriage, the then Governor of Maharashtra Dr Shriprakash had warned Nehru in a meeting and through a letter, that Indira was having an illicit relationship with Feroze Khan.

    After Rajiv’s birth Indira and Feroze lived separately, but they were not divorced. Feroze used to interfere in Nehru’s political activities. Nehru got fed up and left instructions not to allow him into the Prime Minister’s residence Trimurthi Bhavan.

    The death of Feroze in 1960 before he could consolidate his own political forces came as a relief to Nehru and Indira. Feroze had even planned to remarry. The second son of Indira known as Sanjay Gandhi was not the son of Feroze Khan. Sanjay’s real father was Mohammad Y who served as India’s ambassador to Turkey, Indonesia, Iraq and Spain. Mohammad Y represented India at the Non-Aligned Summits at Lusaka, Algiers, Colombo, New Delhi, and Harare.

    Baby Sanjay had been circumcised following Islamic custom, although the reason stated was phimosis. Incidentally, Sanjay’s marriage with the Sikh girl Menaka took place quite surprisingly through a civil ceremony(on 23 September 1974)in Mohammad Y’ house in New Delhi. And the marriage with Menaka who was a model (she had modeled for Bombay Dyeing wearing just a towel) was not so ordinary either.

    Sanjay never attended college, but took up an apprenticeship with Rolls-Royce in Crewe, England. Sanjay Gandhi’s name was actually Sanjeev Gandhi. He was arrested for a car theft in England. Since his passport had been seized, the then Indian Ambassador to England Krishna Menon changed his name to ‘Sanjay’and procured a new passport for him. On February 3,1956 Krishna Menon was inducted into the Nehru cabinet as minister without portfolio. Mohammad Y who cried the most when Sanjay died in the plane accident.

    Indira didn’t have any knowledge about constitution and constitutional procedures.Indira furthered creation of democratic dictatorship, first kicked off by her father Nehru. Indira never trusted anyone but her family only and so made Sanjay Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi heroes without any deed during her lifetime. Her leadership plunged India into depths of darkness. India needs enlightened leaders. But it has been getting stupid leaders because the population at large is not “enlightened.”

    For India to get decent leadership, Indians have to change. Indians have to demonstrate that they can take the long view, that they are not willing to vote criminals into office.

    Indians have granted “their obedience by their own consent” to dictators for a long while. The most recent in living memory is Indira Gandhi. Before that it was to their British overlords. Before that to the Islamic invaders.

    Failure of integrity is not uncommon among ministers and that some ministers, who have held office during the last seventy years have enriched themselves illegitimately, obtained good jobs for their sons and relations through nepotism and have reaped other advantages inconsistent with any notion of purity in public life

    Rahul Gandhi & his Columbian girlfriend Veronique , Daughter of a Columbian Drug Mafia were arrested on Sep 21, 2001 at Boston Airport by FBI for carrying $ 200,000 in Cash with them.
    Rahul Gandhi was then freed later on at the intervention of the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
    Rahul Gandhi was dropped out in 3 Months from Harvard. But Rahul Gandhi lied to Indians that he has Masters in Economics from Harvard.

    Sonia shares a common Educational Background (Grade 8) with her 2G Partner in Crime, Dakshinamurthy Muthuvel who lated changed his name as Karunanidhi as well as with Velupillai Prabaharan who ordered to kill her husband.

    Rahul Gandhi’s Columbian girlfriend Veronique , daughter of a Columbian mafia drug lord is already living in Thuglaq Road in Delhi. If ever, because of India’s misfortune, Rahul Gandhi comes to power, India will have another “Sonia”.

    Democracy is a government of the fools, for the fools, by the fools. – George Bernard Shaw.

    Muthuvel Dakshinamurthy (a.k.a ‘Kalaignar’ Karunanidhi) began his wily, scheming, corrupt, lustful, cinematic, persistent, sanguine, never-say-die political career in 1937 at the age of 13. He energetically fought the Congress Party when the rest of the country focused on the little matter of Independence.

    The imposition of Hindi in the then Madras Presidency was the first political issue he fought against. Fighting against untouchability and suppression of women in Hindu (but not other) societies were some of the causes he championed. It is another matter that he abandoned those causes once he rose to prominence and focused exclusively on power and currency.

    By 1947, Muthuvel Dakshinamurthy and his mentor Conjeevaram Natarajan Annadurai(CN Annadurai) had developed political ambitions. The Independence that others had fought for and won had opened up new vistas of opportunity that the duo weren’t going to miss. But there was one problem. The leader of their sub-nationalist movement Dravidar Kazhagam, ‘Periyar’ Erode Venkata Ramasami Naicker had called for August 15 to be observed as a Black Day. Ostensibly on a patriotic note, Anna and his thambi Muthuvel Dakshinamurthy disagreed with Periyar and parted ways.

    In 1949, they started the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)—at least, the first generation version of the party. It would go on to evolve into its 2G and 3G versions that we all know only too well about.

    An early indication of what kind of a politician Muthuvel Dakshinamurthy (Karunanidhi) will develop into came after a by-election that the DMK won against the ruling Congress in the 1950s. Party leaders who had contributed the most to the victory had assembled at the celebrations hoping Anna would praise their hard work.

    To their horror, however, Anna presented a gold ring to Karunanidhi, who had played only a peripheral role, and lavishly praised him. Stunned, the leaders asked Anna in private to explain. He told them Karunanidhi had paid for the ring himself and had given it to him the previous night, requesting that the ring be presented to him at the ceremony. “You pay for the jewels and I will present them to you too,” Anna added.

    You can read the late poet Kannadasan’s twin-volume autobiography in which Karunanidhi’s younger days are detailed.

    Karunanidhi was not DMK’s first choice to be the successor for Anna. There were other illustrious, honest leaders who coveted the opportunity. But when Anna died in 1969, Karunanidhi pleaded with the party’s rising star and a heartthrob of Tamil film fans, Maruthur Gopalan Ramachandran (MGR), to support his candidature. Riding on MGR’s backing, Karunanidhi defeated the other contenders and became the chief minister in 1969.

    But as soon as he was sworn in, Karunanidhi began sidelining MGR in the party. He was jealous of MGR’s popularity both within the party and across the state. So he denied MGR a Cabinet berth on the grounds that a busy actor would not be able to do justice to his ministerial duties. When MGR became a bitter critic of the chief minister, Karunanidhi suspended him from the party.

    It is another matter that MGR formed his own party and grabbed power, never to lose to Karunanidhi till his death in 1987.

    In 1976, Indira Gandhi dismissed the DMK government on corruption charges though the real reason might have been her Emergency-era paranoia against non-Congress chief ministers. She set up a panel called Sarkaria Commission to inquire into the charges. The panel defined Karunanidhi and his men as being ‘scientifically corrupt.’ It meant their corruption was systematic and left no trail.

    .In 1976, Indira Gandhi dismissed the DMK government on corruption charges though the real reason might have been her Emergency-era paranoia against non-Congress chief ministers. She set up a panel called Sarkaria Commission to inquire into the charges. The panel defined Karunanidhi and his men as being ‘scientifically corrupt.’ It meant their corruption was systematic and left no trail.

    During the election campaign, he would tell the voters they are the only ‘Gods’ he worshipped. But once they fix him, he would call them ‘beggars’, ‘numb creatures’ and ‘ingrates’.

    In 1984, he was going to lose so desperately in the Assembly elections, that he used an old picture showing him in a happy chat with his (now) archenemy MGR to ask for votes. His argument was that MGR was bedridden in a hospital in the US and could not possibly govern the state. Despite that, the voters gave an overwhelming verdict in favour of the semi-conscious patient and routed Karunanidhi’s ilk.

    He became the chief minister only after MGR died and the AIADMK had split. But then, Jayalalithaa was the new rising star and he couldn’t believe his own eyes. For a man who had engaged in political sparring with C Rajagopalachari, K Kamaraj, Bhaktavatsalam and MGR, a former actress 25 years his junior was a climb-down.

    Given the feudal background of the DMK, Karunanidhi resorted to the only trick India’s male politicians have in their arsenal against powerful female rivals. He attacked Jayalalithaa personally and oversaw a clutch of sidekicks saying horrendous things. But she couldn’t be scared into submission. Jayalalithaa went on to become Tamil Nadu’s single-largest politician, and more popular than Karunanidhi even when out of power.

    The one thing to recommend Karunanidhi for is his tenacity and an attitude that never gives up. Tamil voters have rejected his candidature for chief-ministership six times in the past 35 years. Not once did he lose hope. Never did he contemplate retirement. Swan songs written for Karunanidhi could fill a fat volume but he belied all of them.

    Even now, he must already be thinking of the next step in his political journey. His unfinished agenda includes divvying up the wealth among his sons and daughters, firewall the party from a split after his death and make sure the investigation into the 2G scandal fizzles out. A million-war veteran, he is not going to let these minor ripples force him out of the water.

    The man is 86-years old and bound to a wheelchair. His son, MK Stalin virtually ran the show in the state. None of the party leaders look up to Karunanidhi anymore, either for ideological leadership or ‘practical’ decisions. They are busy falling into the Stalin camp or the rival MK Azhagiri camp headed by his other son.

    Karunanidhi has lost control over his family and party a long ago. Even in 2009, when the DMK was negotiating with the Congress for Cabinet berths in the Centre, he was not informed of the details.

    His fighting spirit hasn’t faded a bit, but his illness prevents him from taking action. He also doesn’t seem to understand the modern aspirations of the newest generations. His political plans don’t cater to their needs such as higher education, job creation, infrastructure or economic reforms. His old-style politics—marked by oratorical flourish and an economic policy revolving exclusively around freebies—cannot capture their imagination.

    When the next elections are held in Tamil Nadu, he would be 91. The voters need a younger, more progressive, less divisive leader to take them into the new millennium. The 1937 anti-Hindi campaigner doesn’t fit the description.

13. Dham Says:
    April 16th, 2012 at 8:56 pm

    I like Lorenzo’s percentages.
    China – 75%
    Pakistan – 10%
    Total – 85% (They are friends).

    India – 15%.

    Looks like University Entrance percentages in Malaysia (inrevers order).
    But almost 60% of our motor vehicles are Indian.
    There was a time that Indian products dominated but thanks to some excellent Sri Lankan alternatives they are out of market.
    Government must openly discuss this percentage and start some closer relationship with the 75% stake holder.

14. NAK Says:
    April 17th, 2012 at 1:16 am

    Very good explanation. Would have been better if Sarath Fonseka’s involvement was also included. It is time We Sri Lankans stop being defensive. Attack seems to be the only form of defence. As voice 123 says this must not be left to the government alone and since the offensive is coming from abroad it is the Sri Lankans living overseas should get organized and target the perpetrators and take them down one by one. This will not be as easy as said because powers of the respective coutries will be behind those people. Nevertheless this must be attempted and taking down one or two leaders might send the rest of the rats packing.

    Thanks MR.Thayabaran,very informative. Sad state of affairs but hillarious at the same time looking at the things these people do and say.

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