Many leaders have emerged in the political field of Tamil Nadu. Some of them remain in people’s minds even today. Jayalalitha was a little different among those leaders…she was loved by the masses and yet acted with courage that even her fellow leaders marveled at. Yes…Jayalalitha has been a pioneer in one way or another, from the leaders of the alternative parties to the Chief Ministers of other states. Now let us see some important moments in the formation of Jayalalithaa as a political personality.
Jayalalithaa’s native place is Srirangam in Trichy district of Tamil Nadu. But he was born in Mysore, Karnataka. Jayalalitha was born on February 24, 1948 in Mysore to Jayaram and Veda, and her parents gave her the first name Komalavalli. Later Jayalalitha was called by the name Ammu. Jayalalitha, who lost her father at the age of one and a half and grew up in the embrace of her mother, had a passion for dance and music.
It was when Jayalalithaa was preparing for her college education that she started getting involved in cinema.
Jayalalithaa, who has acted in 140 films from 1961 to 1980 in Tamil, Kannada and Telugu, has acted in only 28 films with her political guru and AIADMK founder MGR. It was also said that this closeness naturally brought him to the AIADMK.
Inducted into the party by AIADMK founder MGR in 1982, Jayalalithaa was appointed as the policy secretary of the party the following year. In 1982, Jayalalitha addressed her first political public meeting in Cuddalore on the topic of ‘Women’s Pride’. As a film actress, Jayalalitha was subjected to severe indifference by opposition parties, media and personal attacks.
It is anecdotal that the same newspapers that ignored him later wrote him as India’s greatest Prime Minister.
In 1984, MGR appointed Jayalalithaa as a member of the Rajya Sabha before her health deteriorated, surprising even the senior leaders of the party. Many senior party leaders disapproved of Jayalalithaa’s campaign in the Assembly elections that same year when MGR was hospitalized. Jayalalitha was also not given permission to meet MGR who returned to Chennai after kidney transplant.
Efforts to oust Jayalalithaa from the AIADMK after a short period of time were unsuccessful. Jayalalitha, who was denied permission to meet MGR, was made by MGR to address a huge public meeting in Rayapuram. Jayalalithaa’s speech was intended to make everyone aware of the influence that Chief Minister MGR had.
After MGR’s death in December 1987, the AIADMK split into two, led by Jayalalithaa and MGR’s wife, VN Janaki. As mentioned earlier, when Jayalalithaa was appointed as a Member of Parliament, all those who protested were on VN Janaki’s side, so VN Janaki took charge as the new Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. She also became the first woman Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.
With 97 members in favor of the 234-member assembly, the central government ordered the dissolution of the Janaki-led state government due to alleged irregularities in the trust vote. In the 1989 assembly elections, Jayalalitha’s team contested on the rooster symbol and Janaki’s team on the double dove symbol as the double leaf symbol was banned.
While the DMK won most of the seats in the election, Jayalalitha’s team won 27 seats and Janaki’s team won 2 seats. While Janaki who contested from Antipatti lost, Jayalalithaa who contested from Bodi Nayakanur constituency won.
As Janaki withdrew from politics due to the electoral defeat, Jayalalithaa, who united the AIADMK, recovered the double leaf symbol and took office as the leader of the opposition in Tamil Nadu.
In the same year, Jayalalithaa, who accused the then Chief Minister Karunanidhi of being assaulted during a confrontation while reading the financial report, vowed that if she returns to this House, she will only return as the Chief Minister. Two years after the dissolution of the DMK regime, Jayalalithaa fulfilled that promise by forming an alliance with the Congress party in the 1991 assembly elections.
Jayalalitha’s great effort put the same AIADMK on the throne as the ruling party amid criticism that there would be no AIADMK after MGR’s death. In the 1991 assembly elections, Jayalalithaa contested from Barkur constituency in Dharmapuri district and Gangeyam constituency in Erode district and registered victory in both constituencies.
Jayalalitha became the Chief Minister for the first time as AIADMK won most of the constituencies. His political journey that started that day continued till his last days.
That was the period when VP Singh was the Prime Minister in 1992. In the case related to the implementation of the recommendations of the Mandal Committee, the judges had ruled that more than 50 percent of the reservation was invalid. Various protest voices started rising against the decision which was intended to affect the 69 percent reservation which had already been in effect for 12 years in Tamil Nadu.
Jayalalithaa filed a review petition in the Supreme Court considering that if the existing 69 percent total seat reservation in Tamil Nadu is reduced to 50 percent as per the Supreme Court order, it will cause severe turmoil in our state.
In 1993, Jayalalitha convened a special meeting of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly and passed a resolution, determined that the government would continue to try until the Supreme Court accepted the state of Tamil Nadu’s reservation policy and its policy. After that Jayalalithaa who brought a separate bill and got the President’s approval was also awarded the title of Hero for Social Justice.
Getting Cauvery water from Karnataka to meet the agricultural and drinking needs of the farmers in various delta districts like Thanjavur, Thiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai is still a challenge. As a result of the continuous legal battles waged by Jayalalithaa for more than a quarter of a century, the Supreme Court gave its verdict to set up the Cauvery Tribunal. However, the Karnataka government refused to provide the required water to Tamil Nadu and kept holding it in conflict.
In 1993, Jayalalithaa also started a fast at the Chennai Marina beach announcing that she would go on a fast until the Cauvery Arbitration Tribunal’s interim decision was implemented and the water was opened to Tamil Nadu.
Jayalalitha’s fasting for the welfare of the state and the people turned the entire national politics towards Tamil Nadu. Not only the AIADMK members, Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan also rallied in support of Jayalalithaa. Jayalalithaa’s fast ended as per the Central Government’s promise that the Cauvery water to be provided to Tamil Nadu would be properly provided.
In Tamil Nadu’s political history, not only victories but also defeats kept chasing Jayalalitha. The Jayalalithaa-led regime of 1991-96 faced massive corruption allegations. The AIADMK, which was ousted from power in the 1996 elections due to the opposition coming together, had won only four constituencies. Jayalalitha who contested in Barkur also got defeated.
Five years later, in 2001, the field of assembly elections was favorable for Jayalalithaa, but she could not contest. The reason is that Jayalalithaa was sentenced to three years in the Dancy case and two years in the Kodaikanal Pleasant Stay case. Jayalalithaa filed nominations to contest in four constituencies knowing that the nominations would be rejected.
As expected, all the petitions were dismissed and orders were passed. However, Jayalalithaa campaigned fiercely and brought victory to the AIADMK.
Jayalalithaa did not contest the election itself… how can she take charge as Chief Minister? Who are the AIADMK MLAs going to make as the Chief Minister? The confusion arose. But Jayalalitha was not confused by it.
Jayalalitha met the then Governor Fatima Bivi and claimed the right to form the government by taking advantage of the rule that a person who was sworn in as Chief Minister could contest elections within six months even if he was not a member of the assembly.
But when there were discussions about how a convicted person can be made the Chief Minister, Fatima Bivi unexpectedly invited Jayalalithaa to take office. For this, Fatima Beavi had to face severe criticism. Jayalalitha appointed O. Panneerselvam, who is not so familiar to the people of Tamil Nadu, as the Chief Minister in the case filed against Jayalalithaa in the Supreme Court.
However, in the next few months Jayalalithaa completed those five years by winning the 2002 Antipatti by-election and becoming the Chief Minister again after getting relief from the cases.
Jayalalithaa’s reign from 2001 to 2006 was a tumultuous one. DMK leader Karunanidhi arrested. Incidents such as the murder of Veerappan, who was said to be involved in the smuggling of sandalwood in the Tamil Nadu-Karnataka forest for many years, and the total dismissal of the government employees who were on strike, caused a great stir.
Even though she lost power in 2006, Jayalalithaa won by contesting from the same Antipatti constituency she contested last time. Jayalalitha used to publish daily reports on the problems of the people when she was in the opposition party, like implementing programs for the people when she was in the ruling party.
Assembly elections were held again in 2011 after five years. But this time the constituency from which Jayalalithaa is contesting has changed. Yes, Jayalalitha who left the Andipatti constituency where she had won twice and opted for the Trichy Sri Rangam constituency won by a huge margin.
Then another problem came to Jayalalithaa. Jayalalithaa, who lost her legislative post after being convicted in the asset embezzlement case, was later freed from the case and contested the RK Nagar by-election and registered a landslide victory.
2014 parliamentary elections came. AIADMK won 37 out of 39 constituencies and became the third largest party in India. Many DMK candidates who contested against AIADMK lost their deposits. Opposition parties criticized AIADMK’s victory as a victory created by money power rather than power.
Jayallitha said that the victory in the parliamentary elections was the recognition given by the people to the AIADMK rule of three years. At the same time, when he raised the question of whether he would act as a responsible opposition party in the Indian Parliament, he carefully avoided the word opposition in his reply, stating that he would act as a responsible party.
Jayalalitha, who was well-versed in various languages like Tamil, English, Telugu, Kannada, Hindi and Malayalam, was also a scholar and an accomplished writer. He used to write various articles and serials in Tamil and English magazines in his free time between intense political tours.
Although Jayalalitha’s victory journey continued for several years, the reasons for her implementation of programs for the poor and simple people were the reason for this. After the 1970s the birth rate started to decline when looking at the census of Tamil Nadu as a whole.
At the same time, there were complaints that female children were being killed after birth in Tamil Nadu. After coming to power in 1991, Jayalalithaa introduced the Cradle Baby Scheme with the aim of protecting the girl child in Tamil Nadu during the period when they were killed by dousing them.
He announced that the government would raise girls among those who could not raise them and launched the program in various districts of Tamil Nadu. Wherever this program was started, infanticide started to decline gradually. The male-female ratio started to improve in those areas.
Jayalalitha’s first program after coming to power, the Cradle Baby Program, earned her the honor of the UN. Similarly, another scheme brought by him is the girl child protection scheme. The project also attracted a lot of national attention.
If there is only one girl child in a household, 50,000 rupees will be deposited in the bank in the name of the girl child, and if there are two girls, 25,000 rupees will be deposited in the name of both and the amount will be paid with interest after 20 years. Lakhs of women started benefiting from this.
Among the schemes brought by Jayalalithaa, another revolutionary scheme was the scheme to set up a women’s police station. Jayalalithaa decided to have a separate police station to prevent the increasing number of crimes against women in Tamil Nadu and to solve the problems of women.
It is those women police stations that are functioning in an efficient manner even today to ensure the safety of lakhs of women.
Although there were criticisms about the various schemes brought in by Jayalalithaa’s regime for women at the grassroots level, the schemes themselves were later considered symbols of women’s development. Even today, the reservation of 50 percent seats for women in the local government bodies is appreciated by everyone as the basic reason for the progress of women.
Thali to gold scheme to help marriage of young girls, Egray, scheme to provide free rice through fair price shops for the benefit of poor people, one time puja scheme in temples, free laptops, free bicycles to help school students in higher education, Amma Call Center to solve people’s grievances immediately, poor Baby showers for pregnant women, food donation in famous temples, Jayalalitha with only the welfare of the people as her objective. No one can easily pass over the plans and accomplishments that have been made.
Actions taken by Jayalalithaa like abolition of adultery, ban on sale of lottery tickets, restitution of land confiscated through Land Expropriation Act, Prohibition of Conversion Act brought about a revolution in Tamil Nadu and renaissance in the lives of the people.
The 2016 assembly election was a crucial election for Jayalalithaa. All the polls conducted by many news channels and popular organizations were in favor of DMK. However, facing the election with confidence, Jayalalithaa conducted a whirlwind campaign across Tamil Nadu and met people to gather votes.
Election results are out. The polls were completely false. Jayalalitha came to power for the second consecutive term. After 1984, the entire nation turned towards Jayalalitha, who made a record of returning to power by the ruling party.
The AIADMK won 134 seats against a requirement of 118 seats to form a majority. In the same election, the DMK alliance won 98 constituencies. The People’s Welfare Alliance formed by the parties of DMDK, Madhyamik, Vimithya Siruthai, Communist parties and Tamil State Congress to form a third party in Tamil Nadu failed to win even a single constituency.
Later it was also complained that AIADMK was behind the formation of that alliance. Thus, Jayalalithaa’s political journey was full of spectacular successes and occasional unexpected failures.
A staunch believer in Hinduism, Jayalalithaa retained the post of Minister of Hindu Religious Charities for the first two years when she took office as Chief Minister for the first time in 1991. In 1992, Jayalalithaa’s speech in favor of the Ram Temple at the National Coordination Council meeting in Delhi created mutual goodwill and harmony between the AIADMK and the BJP.
In 1993, when Jayalalithaa was the Chief Minister, a signature drive was conducted in Tamil Nadu by the Ramjanma Bhoomi Nias Manch organization in support of the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya and 20 lakh signatures were collected.
In 2002 Jayalalithaa brought the Prohibition of Forced Conversion Act in view of the cases of forced conversions that were taking place here and there in Tamil Nadu. The main objective of the Act is that a single person belonging to a particular area should not be converted by force, desire or fraud.
Clarifying that the Prohibition of Compulsory Conversion Act enacted in Tamil Nadu is not against any religion or sect, Jayalalithaa also explained that this law is being brought on the basis that such evil effects that disrupt the sense of communal harmony should not occur in Tamil Nadu.
Apart from politics, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Jayalalithaa were close personal friends. Modi as the Chief Minister of Gujarat and Jayalalithaa as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu held office for the same period and both of them implemented many welfare programs for the development of both states. The friendship between them continued for many years to the extent that Jayalalitha attended the swearing-in ceremony of Gujarat Chief Minister Modi and Prime Minister Modi attended the swearing-in ceremony of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa.
In a letter congratulating Modi on his appointment as the head of the BJP’s election campaign committee in 2013, he proudly described Modi as a master administrator.
After Modi became Prime Minister, instead of using his powers, he visited the Boyathoda residence and held discussions with Jayalalithaa. According to the proto-call tradition, his visit to Jayalalithaa’s house, which was less powerful than him, caused a sensation in the political circles and strengthened the relationship between them.)
Jayalalitha became the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu after winning the 2016 elections. Jayalalithaa’s signature to reduce 500 liquor shops in Tamil Nadu was well received across Tamil Nadu. Within six months of her sixth term, Jayalalithaa’s health began to deteriorate.
September 22nd… 11pm… An ambulance pulls into Boissgaarden. An unconscious Jayalalithaa was loaded into the ambulance and admitted to a private hospital on Creams Road.
This news is spreading like fire all over Pattithotti of Tamil Nadu. Starting from the village to the city, the AIADMK activists started invading towards Chennai. By dawn the next day, the roads leading to the hospital were thronged with volunteers.
What happened to Jayalita? How is his physical condition now? The series of questions were running through the mind of the volunteers as the tears in their eyes showed. Senior leaders, ministers, members of assembly parliament camped in that private hospital.
Two days later, an official medical report on Jayalalithaa’s condition was released. It stated that he was admitted to the hospital due to fever and dehydration and was under constant observation by doctors. However, with no way to leave the hospital, all the volunteers stayed at the door and offered various prayers for Jayalalitha’s recovery.
Every day was a day of disappointment for the volunteers who were waiting in the hospital to go home today and tomorrow. The Governor, Union Ministers, celebrities from the film industry visited the hospital every day to inquire about Jayalalithaa’s health. Noted doctor Richard Peele was also called from London as Delhi AIIMS medical team was not enough.
It was during the period when Jayalalithaa was admitted to hospital that by-elections were held for the three constituencies of Aravakurichi, Thanjavur and Tiruparangunram in Tamil Nadu. AIADMK candidates’ forms to be submitted by General Secretary Jayalalithaa’s left thumbprint were stamped on the places where she had to sign, which caused controversy, but later the controversy subsided as the Election Commission declared that it was acceptable.
It was also reported that AIADMK’s winning candidates met Jayalalithaa at Apollo Hospital and congratulated her.
Meanwhile, the government released a press release saying that Jayalalitha held consultations with top government officials regarding the Cauvery Commission while she was undergoing treatment in the hospital. Every day passed like this. Jayalalitha’s health report was published every three days and till the end she did not leave the hospital.
On the night of December 4, senior ministers suddenly rushed to Apollo Hospital. The police are piling up. The tension spread throughout Tamil Nadu that something had happened to Jayalalithaa. As the news of Jayalalithaa’s death leaked out, the screams of the AIADMK activists who besieged the hospital could be heard throughout Chennai.
The next day, on December 5, the official announcement of Jayalalithaa’s death was made. Jayalalithaa’s death left not only the AIADMK workers but the entire people of Tamil Nadu in mourning. People not only from Tamil Nadu but also from various states started invading Chennai to pay their respects to Jayalalithaa.
Jayalalitha’s body was placed in Chennai’s Rajaji Hall for public homage and later buried behind MGR’s memorial at the Marina. The era that began in Mysore ended at Marina Beach.
Jayalalitha had to face more challenges and trials after her death than she had to go through while she was alive. There were complaints that Jayalalitha’s death was suspicious. In this regard, a commission of inquiry headed by retired Justice Arumugasamy was formed and the report was submitted after more than two years of investigation. But it is an additional information that no action has been taken against those accused in the report.
The iron woman who stepped into the cinema without any background and stepped into politics for the sake of the people, rather than the glory she reached there, is known as Amma by all the people of Tamil Nadu. She considered it her privilege to be called Anbodu Amma by the people of Tamil Nadu, despite having received so many successes and awards.
Because of the mantra ‘I am for the people… I am for the people, I am for the people’, Jayalalithaa’s fame will remain forever as she fought as a single woman in the patriarchal political battlefield.
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