NT’s Political Phase Continuation – 1975 to 1988
Friends extremely sorry for the long delay that happened at my end due to my pre occupation. I am creating time to squeeze in this topic. Most of the forum members must have forgotten about this topic. So let me do a small recap.
We were discussing the events that happened during 1980 Parliament elections that saw the return of Indira Gandhi to the Prime Ministerial Chair. I had discussed the pressure exerted on Indira to dismiss MGR government and Indira acceding to the request, which saw the MGR government getting dismissed on Feb 17th 1980 along with another 8 State Governments.
Before proceeding further let us talk about the release of one NT movie.
Rishi Moolam – 26.01.1980. Sp.Muthuraman directed NT in 3 movies and this was the last of the three and the most successful movie among the three. For a change instead of Panchu Arunachalam, Mahendran (Uthiri Pookal) wrote the story and dialogues. KRV was the pair and a youngster by name Chakravarthy acted as NT’s son. Reena also had a role. Though the movie again dealt about estrangement between a married couple and their subsequent reunion (resembling Tirusoolam & N.Kudumbam) the movie became a hit and celebrated 100 days run. After a long time the heroine (KRV) had a meaty role. Ilaiya Rajaa had come out with hit songs like Neramithu, Mazhai Varuvathu, Aimbathilum Asai Varum etc.
Back to political front, the defeat suffered (Again a recap: ADMK won only 2 out of 40 seats) by his party had a huge impact on MGR. After a very long time he had tasted defeat and he was totally upset. He had even come to the conclusion that people of TN have started hating him and started liking his archrival MuKa. Many of the ADMK functionaries that included Ministers used this phase to promote certain things. They told MGR that the rigid stand that he took on prohibition had made the youth/ gents to stay away from ADMK and they voted for DMK. Another section said that the Reservation on economic criteria did not go down well with the downtrodden people and they voted against him. Just as it happened in 2004, when after the Parliament election defeat, JJ rolled back all strict measures, MGR gave up the rigid policy on Prohibition and in one single order, he removed the economic ceiling for reservation and increased the quota for BCs to 50% from 31% and for SC/STs it became 19% from 18%. So the total reservation that was 49% in TN (31+18) became 69% (50 +19). This is how the much-debated 69% reservation came into effect in TN and still continues so.
The rumours had been floating on the dismissal of MGR government and so when it came it was no surprise. There were no issues. But MGR did not want things lying down and he organized a protest rally in Chennai and other parts of TN. The communist parties and other allies had given him good support and the rally was a huge success. But there erupted a problem when the rally was coming to a close when it was alleged that some people with iron sticks (Vel Kampu) had tried to attack MGR while he was getting in to the car and the sticks narrowly missed his eyes. This had probably made the cadres angry and made them more active. MGR also announced that within the time period available between that time and the Assembly elections, he is going to act in a movie, which was titled, as “ Ithu than Badhil”. Preliminary work started for this movie, which had MSV as the MD, and two songs were recorded with SPB. The EP record was released before elections and the same was played in the ADMK meetings. (But the movie never went beyond this and MGR later told that this movie would be made with other Heroes, which also did not materialize). MGR now knew that this is going to be one election, which will be a Vazhva/Saavaa for him. So he left no stone unturned. He realized the importance of allies and he did not want to make the same mistake of ignoring the allies like he did in Parliament elections. He struck a large alliance, which had the Communist Parties, Janata, Kumari Ananthan’s Gandhi Kamaraj Desiya Congress (Ka.Ka.De.Ka), Nedumaran’s Tamilnadu Kamaraj Congress and Peasants Party. MGR personally went and met Narayanaswamy Naidu, the Farmers’ leader who had taken a stand against ADMK in the Parliament elections. Naidu announced a neutral stand. MGR had support from unexpected quarters also. Kannadasan who had been against MGR was made as the Poet Laureate of TN (Arasavai Kavingar) and now Kannadasan came out in support of MGR. Kannadasan was writing a weekly feature in Kumudam at that point of time under the heading “ Intha Vaaram Santhithen” and during the peak campaign he featured MGR in that and that created a lot of support for MGR. Another person who came out in support of MGR was Cho. Cho was a hard-core opponent of MGR from 1972 onwards but after the fall of Morarjee Government and formation of Congress-DMK alliance, he fully supported MGR. Therefore even the resignation of Nanjil Manoharan, Subbulakshmi Jagadeesan from the ADMK did not unduly worry him. He was prepared to face the challenge.
On the other hand Congress-DMK alliance was over confident. MuKa went and met Indira and the talks hardly lasted 10 minutes. Indira announced that both Congress and DMK would contest 109 seats each and the rest would be given to allies. There was no mention of who would be the CM in the case of alliance winning the elections. As it is vogue in Congress, RVSwaminathan who was the TNCC President resigned his post, as he became a Central Minister. In his place M.P.Subramaniyan was appointed as TNCC chief. The irony of the nomination was MPS started his political career in DMK and came out of the party along with EVK Sampath. A known anti MuKa person, his nomination was received with a pinch of Salt by DMK circles. But MuKa for the first time in his entire career (barring the present 2006 election) went out of the way to accommodate the Congress. DMK men started working earnestly but the enthusiasm shown by the Congress cadres was on a low scale compared to the Parliament elections. The MPS group too was also not playing ball and even the poster put up by TNCC had Indira at the centre with MuKa and MPS at both sides with a caption “ Kootani Aatchi Kanpom; Kolgai Vazhi Nadappom”. MPS for his part in Press conferences began to say that CM candidate had not been decided and the PM would take a decision on this. This angered MuKa and DMK men to no end and immediately MuKa rushed to Delhi and met Indira. She came out with an announcement that MuKa indeed would be the CM in case of the alliance winning the elections. DMK men then started working. For Congressmen this was not to their liking. But one Silver lining for DMK and MuKa was the effort put forth by NT and his fans. The fans who had broken away from NT’s political line had come back and they having all their life nursed on anti- MGR feelings now felt very comfortable and worked tirelessly for Congress- DMK alliance. NT on his part took an active part in the campaigning after 1971 and during that campaign (1980) many a times there was a war of words between NT and MGR. MGR came out strongly against NT and NT was retaliating. The aggressiveness shown by NT fans also had an impact on MGR fans, which rekindled the old rivalry that existed before October 10th 1972. The rivalry escalated into violence in some places and at the height of it NT was injured in an attack near Udumalpettai. It was alleged that after finishing the meeting while he was stepping down the dais, the lights were switched off and stones thrown at him. One such stone hit his head and caused bleeding injury. He had a stich and dressing done. NT’s photo with the bandage round his head was pasted across TN with the heading “ Ennatra Ilangarigalin Idhya Deivamam Sivajiyai Kolla Muyarchi”. NT continued his campaign with the bandaged head and when he visited Madurai, I had gone to the meeting. On seeing NT in such a pose made the fans emotional and few were screaming for retaliation. But MGR denied the involvement of his fans/cadres in this incident and said because of the sudden power failure, NT had accidentally hit his forehead against the post by the side of the make shift stage which caused the injury. Adding insult to injury MGR added that NT should be normal at least during campaign (Thambi Ganesan Nithanathil Irukka Vendum) that was least say irritating. So it became a no holds barred campaign.
But things were not smooth for Congress-DMK alliance. The prices of essential commodities were going up like anything. Especially Sugar became a scarce commodity with a Kilo shooting up to Rs 20/-. The period of July 79 to May 80 was the period that saw the price of gold shooting up to unprecedented levels. To the youngsters of this forum it may sound as a wonder to know that the cost of 1 sovereign (Oru Pavun) of gold was just Rs 400/- during 1979. But the Iran-Iraq war and Russia (USSR at that time) occupying Afghanistan during December 1979 led to a situation of gold prices escalating to the 4-digit mark (Rs 1000/- and above). Congress during the run up to the Parliament election had used this well to it’s advantage, hiding the fact that gold prices are determined at London International Gold Market. Along with Parliament elections, Pondicherry had its assembly election and there Congress- DMK alliance was voted to power. One of the poll promises was Thalikku Thangam and the coalition government at Pondicherry was finding it difficult to fulfill the same. Now at the saddle in the centre, the Congress-DMK alliance was finding it difficult to answer the public. Indira did visit TN twice for campaigning but the response was not enthusiastic. On the other hand MGR was drawing mammoth crowds. Though it is no wonder since he had always done that, his style of campaigning had changed with he pitching the slogan What wrong have I done for dismissing my Government? He was also interacting with the public by asking them to vote for DMK so that the prices of essential commodities would still go up. This struck a chord with the public and as it was wont during those days (when election rules were not strict) crowds were waiting for him throughout the night. MGR contested from Madurai West constituency. (In 1977, he was elected from Aruppukottai) and Pon.Muthuramalingam (incidentally he was the first DK person to taste defeat at the hands of ADMK in Dindigul by election in 1973) contested against him. MuKa was again contesting from Anna Nagar that had returned him in 1977. But this time MGR put up Dr.Hande who had crossed over from Rajaji’s Swatrantra Party. Dr.Hande had (still has I believe) a clinic in Anna Nagar and he knew most of them by name. So that made MuKa jiffy and he was forced to campaign in the constituency for more than 6 days. MGR on the other hand hardly spent 6 hours in Madurai. ADMK had another agenda that MGR wanted his party to win a few seats in Chennai. For NT, his follower and General Secretary of Sivaji Fans association, Vn.Rajasekaran (a tireless worker and organizer, this man still in congress had recently in this 2006 assembly election had contested as a rebel candidate in Sivagangai assembly constituency and polled 30000 odd votes and captured the second place.) contested from RK Nagar against Isari Velan. Our NT campaigned for Vn.Rajasekaran and addressed as many as 33 meetings in this constituency alone that saw him defeat Isari Velan.
MuKa and group were so confidant that the alliance was going to win the elections had started planning celebrations. Even the size of the ministry was decided and 20 rooms (10+10) were asked to be made ready at the secretariat and swearing in was planned at Valluvar Kottam. Elections were scheduled on May 28th and May 31st of 1980 and counting of votes on June 1st. Remember MuKa’s birthday falls on June 3rd and DMK men assuming that he would become the Chief Minister had printed the poster “Indru Pol Endrum Vaazgha” and pasted it on the walls.
But belying all their hopes results started coming in by 12 noon on June 1st, a Sunday and the first trend was from Madurai West and the radio said that MGR is leading by 8000 votes. The ADMK cadres became jubilant. Slowly the results started trickling in and the emerging trend was in favour of ADMK. For the DMK worst was to follow when it was announced that its treasurer Sadiq Baasha had been defeated by KAK in Thousand Lights, Nanjil Manoharan was defeated at Mylapore and MuKa himself was trailing at Anna Nagar. The result of Anna Nagar was not disclosed in the evening and in the wee hours MuKa was declared winner with a slender margin of 631 votes. On the over all scenario ADMK won 130 seats (against 126 in 1977) and DMK had come down from 48 in 1977 to 38 in 1980. Congress marginally improved its position from 27 to 30. MGR for the second time was sworn in as CM on 9th June 1980.
For NT and his fans, the results were a huge shock though it cannot be said of the same against other Congressmen. We started this post with NT movie. We will end with NT movies. Like the election result, the news on the movie front was also bitter.
Dharma Raja – 26.04.1980: The only movie of NT directed by MA Thirumugam (who directed 16 movies of MGR) was produced by Chinna Annamalai and depicted NT as a Karate (!) exponent. Shot in Japan there were one or two nice duets and the movie failed at the BO.
Yemanukku Yeman – 17.05.1980: This movie a remake of Telugu “Yamaloka” was released during the middle of election campaign. Our people could not accept the story line like this, which was better suited for Telugu audience. If my memory serves me right, it had music by Satyam and few numbers became hits. Of course movie sank at the BO.
Friends let us stop here and I will start the continuation soon.
Regards
