Descent of democracy

M.G.Devasahayam

The brand-new Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami of the AIADMK said this after “winning” the confidence vote in the State Assembly on February 18 through sheer skullduggery: "We will continue to run Amma's government in Tamil Nadu. It is my pleasure to share with you that we have won the floor test. All the people in Tamil Nadu are very happy with what has happened." For effect, he added: “The vow taken by our general secretary VK Sasikala has been fulfilled.” A gallup poll taken by a leading TV channel soon thereafter showed a pathetic 7% public approval for Palaniswami as CM with 86% disapproval and 7% “no opinion”. 

Many are lamenting that democracy was “murdered” in the Assembly. For me this murder happened on the day the election to this Assembly was held on May 15, 2016. Venal corruption in the form of cash, goodies, coupons, liquor and biriyani had preceded the polling date and votes were purchased at rates ranging from Rs 500 to Rs 2,000. What is equally bad, just ten days before the poll this party released its election manifesto with a large number of fancy consumer items as freebies in gross violation of the Election Commission’s Model Code of Conduct, thus severely vitiating the integrity of the election process. Civil society repeatedly appealed to the EC to postpone the election till these blatant acts of corruption destroying the level-playing field were rectified.  

All that the EC did was to defer the election in two constituencies and mildly “censure” the AIADMK for severely violating the code that too three months after the election was over. Even then if the EC had acted as per the extant rules, recognition of the AIADMK could have been suspended or withdrawn, thereby giving a shot-in-the-arm for democracy. But that was not to be! What else can one expect from the MLAs elected through a process deprived of any semblance of integrity? A large part of the blame should rest with the EC and the Central Government that has not brought any worthwhile electoral reform to counter this deepening rot. 

But one thing is clear, this election is jinxed for the AIADMK, its “supremo” J. Jayalalithaa (Amma) and the government she headed for a few months before falling seriously ill on September 22. The party and the state government went into suspended animation. Events that followed were bizarre with lots of deception and disinformation ending with the demise of the lady on December 5. As the state was in “mourning” O. Panneerselvam was hurriedly sworn in as Chief Minister at midnight. The funeral and burial of Amma’s mortal remains and the crowd that gathered was a nerve-racking event. The mystery over her death and grave doubts thereof continue to linger.

Within a week, Chennai and its neighbourhood were shaken to the roots by the worst cyclonic storm (Vardha) that either uprooted 50% of the trees or ripped off their canopy. For nearly a week most parts of the metropolis were shut down. There was a brief lull before the streams of pro-Jallikattu protests turned into a torrent of youth upheaval engulfing the entire state, leading to an unpleasant confrontation with the police on February 23. In his first litmus test as CM Panneerselvam managed to clumsily ride out the storm.

As Panneerselvam was finding his feet, he was thrown off by Sasikala, JJ’s live-in companion and “non-biological” sister. This Chinnamma (younger mother) who had “succeeded” Amma as general secretary of the AIADMK suddenly (on 5th February) staked her claim to be Chief Minister, touting a despotic argument that the party and government power should be with one person! Panneerselvam meekly caved in and sent his resignation to the Governor who accepted it, asking him to continue till alternative arrangements were made. 

Nevertheless, the Governor did not accept the claim of Sasikala because she was not an MLA and was facing a Supreme Court judgment in JJ’s “disproportionate wealth” case in which she was a co-accused. Having lost her initial thrust, Sasikala riled and then herded her flock of MLAs, heavily guarded and “secured” to a nearby seaside resort and joined them later. Probably sensing an adverse verdict against Sasikala, Panneerselvam staged a volte face and withdrew his resignation a couple of days before the judgment. 

The judgment that came on February 14 confirmed the conviction, imprisonment for four years and a fine of Rs100 crore for JJ and Rs 10 crore each for the co-accused Sasikala, Sudhakaran and Eavarasi. The Supreme Court also ordered the immediate surrender of Sasikala at the nominated court in Bangalore. Adding six years to the jail period of four Sasikala will be disqualified for ten years from contesting an election. It was evident that she has lost the plot and in vengeance got her loyalist Palaniswamy elected as a chief ministerial candidate before surrendering in a Bangalore court and being lodged in Central Jail. She also nominated her nephew TTV Dinakaran to the non-existing post of deputy general secretary of the AIADMK, thereby taking a total grip of the party.

The Governor duly appointed Palaniswamy as CM and asked him to seek a confidence vote within fifteen days, but grievously erred in not issuing suitable directions to ensure a free and fair voting by MLAs who had been held captive for a week. This enabled the partisan Speaker to do what he did in the Assembly and declare Palaniswamy as having “won” the vote of confidence within just two days! But by allowing the confidence motion twice-original and after adjournments due to pandemonium the Speaker might have committed a fatal error that could unseat the new CM.

Be that as it may, from the Assembly the AIADMK MLAs trooped to Amma’s grave at the Marina that has become a place of pilgrimage, devotion, meditation and inspiration for the party faithful and took a pledge to carry on her “golden era”. It appears that Tamil Nadu is still under the kleptocratic grip of “government of the thieves, by the thieves, for the thieves”. 

Though Palaniswamy said he would be running Amma's government in Tamil Nadu, actually it would be that of Chinnamma, a lethal combination of two convicts, one from the grave and the other from jail! Can democracy descend to deeper depths of depravity? The EC maintains an eerie silence; the Supreme Court may not intervene and the Prime Minister will continue to make noises without addressing real issues. This is democracy in practice in the world’s “largest democracy”!

In the event, all we can ask at this point of time is “quo vadis’ Tamil Nadu? But all is not lost. The recent youth upsurge under the Jallikattu banner gives hope of light at the end of the tunnel. Intense churning is on and results could manifest, sooner than later.

The writer is a former IAS officer