COMMUNISM AND TAMIL NADU

Muthuvel Karunanidhi is among the many Tamilians who have at least paid lip service to Communism by naming their son Stalin. In fact, Tamil Nadu and neighbouring Kerala are two states where you find many Lenins and Stalins. Socialist-sounding sops have also helped the grand old man in his rhetoric. Remember last year's electoral promise of rice at Rs 2 per kg.

Which is why it's not surprising that the canny politician recently spoke about his belief in Left ideology to Indian Express Editor-in-Chief Shekhar Gupta. He even went on to say he would have been a Communist if not for Periyar and his Dravidian movement.

It may sound a grandiose statement now from Karunanidhi, but more than five decades back, history did throw up possibilities for Communism to cast its spell over the then Madras State. It's now easily forgotten that the Communists nearly formed the state government in 1952.

Out of 375 MLAs the Congress had only 165, agonisingly short of a majority. Even though the Communists had only 62 seats, they were in a position to cobble together a majority with other socialist outfits. Also the fledgling Dravidian movement was inclined to support them.

The New York Times dated January 24, 1952 shouted, "SOUTH INDIA'S REDS GAIN IN ELECTIONS; 3 Provinces Indicate Trend (Madras, Hyderabad, Travancore-Cochin)-- Nehru Calls Top Party Group to Study Menace.

The Congress wasted no time in their efforts to shut the 'menace'. Madras Governor Sri Prakasa invited the Congress to form the government, despite the party being in a minority. And guess who a panicky Congress sent all the way to helm the state, and negotiate for the extra numbers. C Rajagopalachari, who had been Governor-General of India till 1950, assumed charge as CM. Something like A P J Abdul Kalam becoming Tamil Nadu CM now.

A year later Andhra became a separate state and after the 1956 reorganisation of states Malabar became part of Kerala. Which in turn led to a drastic fall in Communist numbers in the Madras Assembly. But having said that the course of Tamil Nadu could well have been different if the Communists had come to power in 1952. Aspiring to a similar vote bank, being in power the Communists could have checked the rise of the DMK.

Instead the Congress was firmly in power and failed to gauge the emotional appeal of the Dravidian movement. Communism was reduced to a footnote with some pockets of influence, for example industrial hubs like Coimbatore and Tiruppur. (Kalanemi writes in his blog about growing up in hammer and sickle town Tiruppur).

And their ideals were reduced to props in DMK speeches and films, with MGR the underdog majestically trampling over all the odds in film after film.

HINDI TAMIL BHAI BHAI

Jab Hindustan hai desh hamara
Hindu Muslim Sikh Isai
Aapas main hai bhai bhai

A paean to secularism recited in Hindi at a joint meeting of the ruling alliance in Tamil Nadu on Sunday evening. And who trots out these lines flawlessly in a thick Tamil accent, without consulting a piece of paper. None other than Muthuvel Karunanidhi, the head of the DMK, whose party came to power for the first time way back in 1967 on an anti-Hindi platform.

Listening to the Kalaignar's ode to secularism in the very language he has openly despised, presented mixed emotions - of mirth as well as admiration. The man has tirelessly stuck to 'Tamizh Tai' as his medium of expression, and has rarely spoken in English in public, forget Hindi. (The only time I've heard a near-English soundbyte of his was when he read out some report on the Cauvery issue in English)

Karunanidhi is in no mood to give way on the Sethusamudram project, a long-cherished dream of Dravidian ideology. And at the same time wants to show off that he's part of a secular India and not just a regional politician. A shrewd publicity gimmick stimulating his cadres and creating a talking point for the Tamil public. And an indication to the BJP that two can play the game of whipping up sentiments.

The perfect launch pad for the hunger strike DMK leaders plan on Monday, after the Supreme Court's special sitting on a Sunday restrained them from organising a bandh. No bandh, no food - that's the motto.

The AIADMK may have prevented a bandh by going to the Supreme Court, but Karunanidhi's Plan B was undoubtedly poetry in motion. And Amma has to tread carefully, with the seasoned veteran already invoking Tamil pride.

At 84, the veteran scriptwriter continues to surprise us with new layers in the plot of power. Ever the artist, the Kalaignar.

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