Tamil Nadu

Days ahead are days within

'Days ahead are days within' -- These words would go well with all worldly happenings but it takes a different place or a viewpoint when it comes to be politics and election. It has been a very tough task for the experts and many other political giants to come to consensus. Being poles apart themselves, the DMK and the ADMK -- the well-known forces of Tamil Nadu politics -- clash with each other. Silver screen hero Vijayakanth shines alone, alone all alone, and thus has also harboured the attention of a few people. This happens to be the hot talk of Tamil Nadu politics but who will come out victorious, is the heart of the matter. I always travel from place to place and move along with people, watching them, observing them, and also recording them in my mind or in the golden yellow pages of my diary.  Here people put up boards instructing 'no politics' in the hotels but not on buses.

Citizens' Election Report

Few days ago, I travelled in a moffusil bus where I, along with other passengers (auditors), heard a few men talking about 'who is going to come?'  A huge group was supporting the DMK and to my surprise I found one man having my wavelength (supporting Vijayakanth). There was no talk about amma throughout their conversation. It has been discussed by the group that Karunanidhi will do much good and bring in a drastic change in Tamil Nadu.  Every house would get rice @ Rs 2 and the happenings of the world through free colour TV. 

I got down from the bus when my stop arrived. The last thing they discussed was Vijayakanth could never jump from tree to tree and get the coconut, which is their job, and his reel job in movies. This shows that there is enough chance for the DMK to come to power. Vijayakanth should hatch eggs (plans) that would produce a good produce.

K Madhavarajan
Lecturer

Draining state coffers

Recently, I had an opportunity to hear an election speech of our beloved Finance Minister P Chidambaram. He has vouched for the Rs 2 rice scheme and the free TV scheme as feasible. It is really surprising that the FM of the country is approving such schemes that are nothing but subsidies. This means that to garner votes you can stoop to any level. The FM, instead of castigating these cheap populist moves, has played to the gallery. Where is the money going to come from? Is the FM going to allot anything extra for TN alone, for these schemes?

Rediff's Election Blog

Now every party is wooing the so-called Below Poverty Line families with freebies and thereby outdoing one another in emptying the coffers. Every party is doling out freebies without even thinking twice. On the one hand, everywhere else there is pressure to withdraw free power, here in TN, the free power promise is being extended to different sectors. Whose money is being drained this way? Definitely not from any party. It is only the rest of the 90 pc of the public who pays and gets back nothing by way of developmental work and basic amenities like drinking water.

People of TN should be prepared for fresh doses of innovative taxes (due thanks to FM) and price hike. Lalu can take many leaves out of the books of TN political leaders. People should tell that what they want is free drinking water, good roads, better drains and ample job opportunities -- not free TVs. These schemes announced by all these leaders have really diverted the attention of people from the real issues like scarcity of water, Bad roads, etc.

Karunanidhi has completed 4 terms as chief minister of the state. If one looks, back all along MK has done nothing but politics of appeasement be it community or minority or government workers. Never has he stood firm against anything. Similarly, Jayalalithaa has done against the striking government employees. JJ had public support for her action, that time. The same JJ won't have the guts to do this way once again, because of the political compulsions forced on her.

Neighboring states like Karnataka and AP are out to woo the big companies to locate their offices in their states. TN leaders are wooing only the film stars. The population of Karnataka, and AP and TN is almost same, but the number of government employees in TN is almost double, and if the DMK comes to power, there will be a lot of unnecessary additions -- once again a case of appeasement.

One should appreciate the people of TN for having putting up with all this nonsense and the shortsightedness of the political leaders.

Bhaskar
Service Industry

TN in shambles?

Jayalalithaa is talking about her achievements in Tamil Nadu in the past 5 years. But I wonder whether development means her health and wealth development because the state has become worse in all the aspects. You come to see my village, Keezha Manakudy -- one of the worst hit tsunami affected village - now looks worse than even during tsunami time. No proper shelter and people are living in utter poverty without any basic provisions. Once you show the face of this village, we may even think whether we are worse than Somalia. I look to your kind cooperation in exposing this fact before the election so that some election based politicians will do something for our village.

Suresh
Call Center Executive

Fooling people with freebies

It's a pity that we choose either DMK or ADMK or probably this time DMDK not by wish but because we are not left with much choice.

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I simply cannot understand why these politicians are luring the people announcing such freebies. These politicians make us indirect beggars by giving colour TVs and free 10/15 kg rice.

Initially, when the first freebie of this election season - colour TV - was announced, I could not control laughing. Thought people are no more fools to believe all this, but when a series of other freebies followed, I could not help but doubt whether people are really fools or else how can these politicians make such promises? Are they not indirectly bribing the people by giving such freebies? You chose us and we give you this. Now I have to go and see the dictionary to understand the nuances of the word bribe.

Earlier, at least politicians were talking of principles of their party. Now they are nowhere to be seen. Nobody knows what are the principles of DMK, ADMK or for that matter any political party. Parties in the same alliance are not bonded together because of their principles but because of the number of seats they are offered. MDMK openly says that since they did not get enough seats in DMK, they shifted to ADMK. Don't know if those people have any shame, but as a Tamizhan (Tamilian), I am ashamed of saying this to my other state friends.

When ADMK could give free 10 kg rice now, what were they doing earlier? Were all the people prosperous before and did they suddenly become poor now? What we people want is not something for free, but a good government with good roads, electricity in all the villages, good primary education and most of all good sanitation in all the rural areas.

Make people self reliant by giving good education system, by spending people's money wisely in creating more employment opportunities, better infrastructure, maintaining law and order, speedy justice in courts. Nowadays, people expect government to at least do their basic duties responsibly and they will be more than happy with that.

A Longing Tamizhan
Professional

Kerala

IUML in trouble

My constituency is Tirur in Malappuram District. Tirur is a historical place and is supporting the Muslim League for last 50 years. Muslim league is a part of UDF, the right front. Till last election there was no competetion since it was a sure seat for Indian Union Muslim League. But this year one can witness a tight competetion. First time in its history, the party is struggling to retain the seat. The league candidate E T Muhammed Basheer is the present educational minister also. CPI(M) candidate P P AbdullaKutty has also good reputation. BJP and BSP also has candidates. Two Independent candidates are also trying their luck.

Jinesh Ahamed
Freelancer

Also See:
Complete Coverage: Assembly Elections 2006