Caste and Cine Stars- The World of Tamil Politics (by Vaasanthi)
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Caste and Cine Stars- The World of Tamil Politics (by Vaasanthi)
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Review of the book of Vaasanthi by G. Swaminathan
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kalyan
Caste and Cine Stars- The World of Tamil Politics
by Vaasanthi; New Delhi, Viking Publications, 1st ed., 2006, 254 pages: Rs. 495 ISBN: 0670999008
Review by G. Swaminathan Source: http://www.boloji.com/bookreviews/077.htm
Ambrose Bierce defines Politics as Strife of interests masquerading as a contest of principles. When this is valid for the whole world it not surprising in a nation like India where there is a surfeit of everything except integrity.
Vaasanthi, a popular writer, journalist in Tamil had ventured into a book titled 'Cutouts, Castes and Cinestars' where in she explored the gaudy shades of tumultuous Tamil Nadu politics. Though a Tamilian by birth, Vaasanthi had spent her early days in other parts of India and by the time she landed in Chennai as the editor of the Tamil edition of 'India Today', she had countless opportunities to witness and experience the unique world of Tamil Nadu politics.
The book carries a lengthy introduction and divided into 25 chapters; Vaasanthi analyses the political scenarios that existed in Tamil land during different periods, the genesis of several parties specially the Dravida Kazhagams, the strange psyche of the Tamil population, the idiosyncrasies of the leaders, the outside factors which played major role in the states politics, the regional parties strong hold on the national level, the death of national parties in the state etc. In the last one decade, there was surfacing of several outfits based on caste. It is probably the only state in India where film personalities had found their route to land on politics. The larger than life image of these film actors still have a sway over the masses in their favor be it a powerful scriptwriter like Karunanidhi, a benevolent screen hero MG Ramachandran or a glamorous yesteryear heroine Jayalalithaa.
Still caste has a vital place in Tamil Nadu politics. The socially oppressed or ostracized lots have now in a position to dictate the state and the central. Dravida Kazhagam, which was founded by EV Ramasami Naicker purely stemmed on the hatred towards the upper caste and to educate the lower strata of the society. Later, on personal grounds, the genesis of DMK (Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) and then AIADMK ( All India Anna Draivida Munnetra Kazhagam) happened. This has been faithfully followed even now with more Dravida parties like MDMK (Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) , PMK (Pattali Makkal Katchi) , DP (Dalit Panthers) and the latest DMDK (Desia Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam) by another film star Vijayakanth who had victoriously entered the assembly as a single representative after the recent elections.
Idelogies? All parties have the same agenda with just marginal manipulations. All of them are hungry of power and if power is given they all adept in abusing it with impunity. If Jayalalithaa is a megalomaniac, Karunanidhi is wily than a fox, Ramadas of PMK is a mercenary to the core, Vaiko is a tin drum. All their parties depend only on the leader and most of the followers are just shameless sycophants or spineless slaves.
Vaasanthi dwells deep into the emergence of these political outfits and communal parties, the appalling incidents, unsavory electoral alliances and their ruthless crossover from one to another for the sake of power and position.
In fact, after reading the book a Tamilian may feel totally mortified by the paradoxical political history of Tamil Nadu. Ideology and principle are the most battered words in India especially in Tamil Nadu. If someone is interested in knowing to what extent this could be done, they may better read Vaasanthis book.
The greatest advantage of the book is Vaasanthis straightforward, simple and lucid language with minimum bias in her approach to this anthology.
July 2, 2006 --- About the Author: Vaasanthi
Vaasanthi was educated at Mysore University and also attended summer school in Oslo. Her writing reflects a concern for human rights, gender issues and communal harmony. Among her better known works is Mounappuyal, translated into English as The Silent Storm, which was awarded the Punjab Sahitya Akademi Award in 1991. She was the editor of India Today’s Tamil edition for nine years, and is presently a consultant with the magazine. She lives and works as a freelance journalist and writer in Bangalore.
Synopsis of the book:(http://www.bagchee.com/BookDisplay.aspx?Bkid=B35526 )
Tamil Nadu is a state very different from the rest of India, both culturally and historically. It has retained a fundamentally separate identity for itself in language and caste structure, and this is most evident in its politics. Cut-outs, Caste and Cine Stars: The World of Tamil Politics tells a unique and gripping political story where ironies and larger-than-life characters abound: Periyar, a Kannada-speakers, who introduced the notions of Tamil self-respect and regional pride, yet dismissed Tamil as ‘a barbaric language’; the matinee idol MGR, a Malayalee born in Sri Lanka, who became Tamil Nadu’s most popular mass leader; the Dravidian movement which, by its own ideology, should have helped the Dalits but has instead supported only the upwardly mobile middle groups; and parties that rose to power by propagating anti-Hindi and anti-Brahmin sentiments but have now allied themselves with the BJP. It is fitting that this reel-like scenario is presently dominated by the electoral politics of Karunanidhi and Jayalalithaa, one a scriptwriter and the other a former actress. Through all this, the author discusses the successes and pitfalls of politics in the state, from the free-meal scheme for students and the elevation of leaders to a divine status to the anti-conversion law and the rising importance of the Dravidian parties in national politics. Well-known writer and journalist Vaasanthi has observed the dramatis personae in this epic drama at close quarters for a decade, and Cut-outs, Caste and Cine Stars offers an objective and insightful view of a political world that is both fascinating and perplexing.
Caste and Cine Stars- The World of Tamil Politics (by Vaasanthi)
