India Jails Jayalalitha – Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu & Lessons for Sri Lanka
Posted on September 30th, 2014

Shenali D Waduge

The sentence was short and sweet. The Judge John Michael D’Cunha 1,300-page judgment was as follows:

  • Jayalalithaa is convicted under Section 13 (1) (E) of Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. Immediate imprisonment in a Bangalore prison – Jayalalitha ceases to be both MLA and Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu
  • 4 years in jail in Parappana Agrahara jail
  • Cannot contest elections for 10 years
  • No hospital jail term – no private medical treatment
  • Rs.1000million fine
  • confiscation of all seized properties
  • guilty of amassing illegal wealth – including 28 kg gold, property, 750 pairs of shoes and 12,000 saris from 1991 to 1996.
  • Jayalalitha is now Prisoner Number 7402
  • Her breakfast consisted of breakfast of raagi, rice and sambhar
  • Her only special treatment differentiating her from other prisoners is a cot and a chair
  • Inspite of chest, knee and stomach pain and inadequate medical attention – Jayalalitha remains in prison
  • Jayalalitha becomes the 1st Indian Chief Minister to lose post for corruption
  • She was not the only one to be sentenced. Jayalalithaa’s close aides Sasikala Natarajan, Ilavarasi and foster son Sudhakaran are also imprisoned and have to pay Rs.10 crore each. They were charged under Sections 109 (abetment) and 120(B) (criminal conspiracy) of IPC

The background to the case follows a complaint filed on 14 June 1996 by Dr. Subramaniam Swamy against Jayalalitha. The chargesheet was filed the following year. In February 2003, DMK leader K Anbazhagan asks Supreme Court to transfer trial out of Chennai thus the transfer to Bangalore. The trial began in 2010. AIADMK won elections in 2011 and Jayalalitha became chief minister.

And Jayalalitha’s crimes: Among a long list of others, the case in question was associated with Rs.66.65 crore disproportionate assets. While it is not the first time anyone has been convicted while being a Chief Minister, it is the 3rd time Jayalalitha has been convicted of corruption and the 2nd time she has done to step down as Chief Minister (previous times in February 2000 and October 2000 but she was not in power).

Justice has been served after 18 years. Tamil Nadu must learn that no amount of stoning shops, setting fire to effigies and disrupting normalacy can change judicial verdicts.

Jayalalitha’s chances of bail also look slim as the sentence is above 3 years (4yrs) which makes her have to move the high court as a criminal appeal to seek bail.

JUSTICE IN SRI LANKA

In Sri Lanka we welcome the verdict with admiration. Not only has Justice been said to be done it has been seen. Jayalalitha has been the prick as have all Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu in fostering better relations with India. Nevertheless, hostilities of Tamil Nadu apart the experience Sri Lanka has had with India’s Central Government is nothing to boast about either. The last fiasco was in the cartoon of the Chief Minister which went to unnecessary heights with Indian External Affairs even summoning Sri Lanka’s envoy in Delhi and showing total lack of diplomatic quorum even after an immediate apology was extended prior to even holding an investigation. It simply depicted that the foreign policy mannerism of India had not changed a bit.

In Sri Lanka there is a saying ditta dhamma vedaniya karma” (the law of cause and effect) what goes round comes round and Jayalalitha got what she truly deserved.

However, while we look to India’s verdict in admiration we sadly look upon our own. At every level there is corruption. From politician, to the Secretary, to the Heads of Government right down to the peon. There are only a handful of honest people. Files do not move unless palms are greased. To make matters worse we have a provincial and municipal system full of corrupt officials where absolutely nothing gets done without payment and not only that a good look at the list of provincial councilors and their antics will showcase that they are all involved in rape, thuggery, theft, murder and the scale of their crimes look to be never ending.

We also have people who have been portrayed as paragons of virtue not for any good deeds but because of the money thrown across media to provide the publicity. We are talking about the infamous Kotelawala couple. The comparison with Jayalalitha shows how even the Kotelawala’s were using other people’s money to hype up their popularity. There was a time when rumor went around that Kotelawala would contest Presidential elections. Bargaining away other people’s money was a hallmark of both Jayalalitha and the Kotelawala’s.

16 people committed themselves after hearing Jayalalitha’s jail sentence obviously people who had been living off her and now lost. However, in Sri Lanka, the people who fell prey to depositing money with the dream of getting an amazing interest eventually left close to 50 people having committed suicide while the Kotelawala and clan walked away with not only their money but remain at large with the unlikelihood of ever been punished for their crime. It is unfortunate that there are people who still do not wish to question the morality and ethics of a couple pretending to be great people in Sri Lanka without any concern for the innocent people who lost out on their life earnings which probably has been nicely passed out of Sri Lanka.

It is unfortunate that whenever any bigwig gets arrested in Sri Lanka, it is always straight to a private hospital, or a prison hospital done up like a private hospital and there is no difference whatsoever even for the VIP criminal.

Jayalalitha on the other hand had to have a frugal meal in jail where the only differentiating factor between herself and the other criminals was a cot and chair allowed inside her prison. While Sri Lanka’s VIP prisoners often end up complaining of chest pains and are immediately transferred to private hospitals, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu was taken to a state-run hospital. In short she has not received any special treatment as she has been found guilty before the law.

The same cannot be said for Sri Lanka’s culprits who end up feeling as if they have committed a major achievement by being sent to prison and voters shamelessly end up garlanding them after they come out. Can we expect justice when even the voters stoop so low and yet demand justice? We do not want selective justice. If anyone has done wrong they should be punished. There has to be checks and balances and people need to start moving away from the selfish self-centred living patterns they currently adopt.

While the judgement on Jayalalitha is sweet retribution for the high handed manner she has been behaving and treating Sri Lanka, we are hopeful that the justice system in Sri Lanka also wakes up to realize that anyone in any role cannot demand respect, they must earn it and to earn it they must be uncorrupt and function with integrity. It is when others see and follow good ethics that the world can become a better place. As things stand there are only a handful of good people not bound by or dictated by money and while they are epitomes of good virtue the power is unfortunately in the hands of the corrupt in a system that is run by them leaving no room for the good to enter.

India has led the way with Jayalalitha’s jailing, it is good for Sri Lanka to start by action against the Kotelawala’s and a host of others believing that they can evade justice for their crimes. Keeping crooks around brings more headaches than any good and the politicians in both government and opposition are beginning to find out as the true nature of the people that surround them are unfolding to bring public disgust.

 

 

 

14 Responses to “India Jails Jayalalitha – Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu & Lessons for Sri Lanka”

  1. NeelaMahaYoda Says:

    Mahinda Rajapakse should take a note of this.
    “At every level there is corruption. From politician, to the Secretary, to the Heads of Government right down to the peon. There are only a handful of honest people. Files do not move unless palms are greased. To make matters worse we have a provincial and municipal system full of corrupt officials where absolutely nothing gets done without payment and not only that a good look at the list of provincial councilors and their antics will showcase that they are all involved in rape, thuggery, theft, murder and the scale of their crimes look to be never ending.”.
    I sincerely hope that he will not end up in having rotti for breakfast at Welikada. It is still not too late to clear his house. Instead he is now surrounded by political thugs. See the news about resignation of Dr Chris Nonis, one of the brilliant diplomat we ever had.

  2. Lorenzo Says:

    TWO good lessons for MR.

    1. PUNISH crooks and other criminals NOW or wait for them to punish you.

    2. JAIL all top Tamil nationalists before they do more harm to SL.

    Don’t forget FAT JAYA was jailed for these 2 crimes. Not just one.

    IF ONLY number 1 was her crime, MOST Endian CMs should be in jail. She did 2 crimes.

  3. Nanda Says:

    Lot of my friends believe MR is not corrupt.
    My argument is this.
    I too said MR is not corrupt back in 2009.

    He already had 5 years since then to get corruption to a manageable level, not to say eradicate ( our wish)
    If “at every level there is corruption. From politician, to the Secretary, to the Heads of Government right down to the peon” how could on this earth MR is not corrupt ?

    This can only happen because HE IS CORRUPT TO THE BONE MARROW. He can’t change the sub ordinates.

  4. Christie Says:

    One has to be fair. JJ made a lot of money in acting and I am sure she got a lot of money from MGR. It is Indian politics and corruption at its best. If the BJP had to rely on JJ she will still be at large. She has appealed. Our mates always try to follow India and superimpose it on us. How many of us have bribed politicians?

  5. Christie Says:

    I don’t know which Kotalawelas the writer is referring to. If it is the Ceylinco Goledn Key affair then it is unfair to compare political corruption with alleged business corruption. Indian interests and their hacks and terrorists in Sri Lanka have always destroyed any local business people making any money. They don’t see the money the Indians have made and are still making out of the locals and repatriating most of the profits to India and overseas.

  6. Mr. Bernard Wijeyasingha Says:

    Outside the legal implications clearly stated in the article the geopolitical implications of removing Jayalalithaa even for a short period of time is important to note. The damage it has done to her party is equally worthy to note.

    Chennai still remains a powerful government and has felt geopolitical blow after blow. From the failed attempts to win the Elam war, the failed attempts of human rights motions against Sri Lanka, the marginalization of Chennai with the rise of the BJP to the final act of sentencing the chief of all Tamil villains Jayalalithaa who is second only to Prabhakaran in the determination to divide Sri Lanka.

    Hopefully the collective rage and betrayal felt by those in power in Chennai will be channeled as usual to demand for Secession from India. Now it would be Sri Lanka’s turn to see that Tamil Nadu achieve this goal and by doing so lessen India’s strangle hold on Sri Lanka.

  7. Susantha Wijesinghe Says:

    CHRISTIE !! LALITH AND SICILLE KOTALAWELA.

  8. Christie Says:

    Hi Susantha, we always see the faults OF OUR OWN PEOPLE. Not of the Indian colonial parasites who are running our economy. Please go for a walk along the Main Street in Colombo and other streets. These parasites did not bring a cent when they came here but have been able to make their fortunes under the British-Indian Empire, now the Indian Empire. Ever heard of the 1840 Traders Registration Ordinance that destroyed the Sinhala business and then the 1956 nationalization bills that again destroyed the emerging Sinhala businesses.

  9. Christie Says:

    Modi and his RSS politics may be emerging now. For example a Patel statue is going to be the biggest in the world. If you visit Tamils sites mainly the Indian colonial parasite ones you can see Tamils dissatisfaction with BJP, RSS and the Northerners in India.

  10. Lorenzo Says:

    Kithsiri,

    Tamils were NEVER happy with the BJP or RSS.

    That gives SL a GREAT opportunity.

    JJ was not jailed for corruption ALONE. If the real reason was corruption, then ALL CMs should be in jail. JJ was jailed for being TOO AMBITIOUS and becoming a pain in the backside of BJP leaders.

    Tamil parasites and Jihad parasites are WORSE than Endian colonial parasites.

  11. Ananda-USA Says:

    Lorenzo is Absolutely Correct on why Jayalolitha sits in prison now.

    CORRUPTION, using the case initiated by Subramaniam Swamy long ago when BJP was struggling in the wilderness to capture power, was only a convenient excuse and a tool to bring Tamil Nadu into line by decapitating the AIADMK drunk with electoral success within the state.

    The real reasons for jailing Fat Lolita are:

    1. Jayalolita was becoming a POLITICAL THREAT to BJP’s control of South India, and specifically Tamil Nadu where she won by a landslide, around whom opposition to the BJP control of the Union govt of India could crystallize.

    Also, Jayalolita thought she could fight tooth and nail against the BJP in the national elections in TN, defeat them and block them from winning there, and then offer to lollaborate as a regional power broker after the BJP won by a landslide elsewhere in India. The BJP thinks otherwise: better to get rid of this emerging center of opposition now, while they still have an overwhelming parliamentary majority, rather than later when their power would have gradually eroded … as it usually does.

    2. Jayalalitha flexing her regional power with regard to Sri Lanka is undermining BJP’s new Foreign Policy which is to defuse conflicts with neighboring countries, including Pakistan, and jealously guard the Union Govt’s authority to determine Foreign Policy in the National Interest of India. Recall that in the last few decades various regional power blocks have undermined the National Interest: West Bengal state govt scuttling the agreement with Bangladesh to repatriate illegal Bangladeshi immigrants, Water sharing agreements between various states, and Tamil Nadu’s continual agitation against Sri Lanka under the threat of seceding, and infringing on the Union Govt’s role entering into agreements with foreign diplomats such as Hillary Clinton, come to mind.

    Modi’s BJP Govt wants to reign-in the interference in National Policy by these regional powers, make peace with its neighbors, unify India’s disparate communities, and FOCUS on ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT to UPLIFTING its people, before they fall too far behind the other developing nations in the world.

    The BJP Govt is determined to bring all of the wild bulls wreaking havoc within India’s China-shop UNDER CONTROL and ENFORCE DISCIPLINE NOW so they can make progress with the urgent NATIONAL PRIORITY of Nation Building. We are going to see the transformation of India from an Unguided Laissez-Faire democracy into a Centrally Guided-Democracy.

    This, by the way, is the path that Sri Lanka has been pursuing since the Tamil Tigers were crushed in 2009.

  12. Lorenzo Says:

    Thanks Ananda.

    I admit AGAIN that I was WRONG on Modi. I thought he coming from RACIST RSS will cause widespread violence AGAINST SL. You need a racist to handle ULTRA RACIST TAMILS.

    “Jayalalitha flexing her regional power with regard to Sri Lanka is undermining BJP’s new Foreign Policy which is to defuse conflicts with neighboring countries, including Pakistan, and jealously guard the Union Govt’s authority to determine Foreign Policy in the National Interest of India.’

    This is a HUGE VICTORY for Modi. And a huge defeat for Clinton.

    But there is another side to the JAYA affair. GR’s role.

    Just imagine SL went to deep slumber when TN fishermen illegally fish in SL waters. Like Run-nil from 2002 to 2004. Then there WILL NOT be any conflict. Endian foreign policy will NOT be affected by FAT JAYA fishing in SL.

    Any other defence secretary would have done so. NOT GR. He created a CONFLICT with TN fishermen that created friction with Endia threatening to align with China if needed. AND HE STOOD HIS GROUND.

    When Subramanium Swamy was in SL for the DEFENCE summit, GR told him in no uncertain terms, you either leash your bitchh or I will. NOT even 2 months passed FAT JAYA in jail!

    “History is not written, it is CREATED” – Ben Gurion.

  13. Lorenzo Says:

    Thanks Ananda.

    I admit AGAIN that I was WRONG on Modi. I thought he coming from RACIST RSS will cause widespread violence AGAINST SL. You need a racist to handle ULTRA RACIST TAMILS.

    “Jayalalitha flexing her regional power with regard to Sri Lanka is undermining BJP’s new Foreign Policy which is to defuse conflicts with neighboring countries, including Pakistan, and jealously guard the Union Govt’s authority to determine Foreign Policy in the National Interest of India.’

    This is a HUGE VICTORY for Modi. And a huge defeat for Clinton.

    But there is another side to the JAYA affair. GR’s role.

    Just imagine SL went to deep slumber when TN fishermen illegally fish in SL waters. Like Run-nil from 2002 to 2004. Then there WILL NOT be any conflict. Endian foreign policy will NOT be affected by FAT JAYA fishing in SL.

    Any other defence secretary would have done so. NOT GR. He created a CONFLICT with TN fishermen that created friction with Endia threatening to align with China if needed. AND HE STOOD HIS GROUND.

    When Subramanium Swamy was in SL for the DEFENCE summit, GR told him in no uncertain terms, you either leash your female dog or I will. NOT even 2 months passed FAT JAYA in jail!

    “History is not written, it is CREATED” – Ben Gurion.

  14. Ananda-USA Says:

    I have commented above on BJP’s role in placing Jayalolita in this predicament.

    Here is some tangential information that seems to support my comments….

    J Jayalalithaa Verdict: How the case unfolded

    By Sudha G Tilak
    EconomicTimes.IndiaTimes.com
    September 29, 2014

    “The near future may also see a change from the primacy of regional parties to the rise of national players such as the BJP that will try to wheedle in to fill the vacuum likely to be created in TN. Used to the cultural comforts of having Dravidian parties in the fray, the electorate may take time to align with national parties.

    The lack of strong and prominent politicians in both the BJP and the Congress in TN for decades needs to be rectified now. Alliances made with minor regional players should be a way forward for their presence to grow. Whether the DMK still has the muscle to resist this foray remains to be seen, especially in the run up to the 2016 assembly elections.”

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

 

 


Copyright © 2024 LankaWeb.com. All Rights Reserved. Powered by Wordpress