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04 MAY 1998 NATIONAL COVER STORY

TheLifeAndTimesOfJayalalitha
"Noonecangetanythingoutofmeorsubduemebythreats,harshtreatmentitonlymakesmemorestubborn,inflexible,unbending,
determined.Theonlywayanyonecangetmetocooperateistobenicetome,pamperme,cajoleme,talktomekin
AJITH PILLAI, A.S. PANNEERSELVAN ON J. JAYALALITHA

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MISJUDGED,misled,misinterpreted,misunderstoodandmismanaged.Allthis,sayherfriends,hasrenderedJ.Jayalalithahighlyunpredictable,asthe
BJPfoundouttoitsdismay.Personalconsiderationsmotivatepoliticalactions.Goodandbadaredifferentiatedbyamindriddenwithangstrootedina
troubledpast.Evensuccessdoesnotseemtohavehealedhervictimsyndrome.Indeed,neitherheralliesnorherfoescanexplainwhyJayalalithaprojects
herselfasavictimevenwhensheiscrackingthewhip.

SaysValampuriJohn,formerMP:"Sheisabundleofcontradictions.Thereisadeeprootedattitudinalproblemwhichcanbetracedtoherpast.She
perceivesallmeninherlifeherfather,MGR,heronetimeliveinfriendShobanBabuaspeoplewhofailedher.Thereforesheseemstohave
developedadeepdistrustofalmosteveryone."John,whohelpedJayalalithainherformativepoliticalyearsandpublishedasemiautobiographicalnovel
andtwobooksofessays,standsdiscarded.HetoohasjoinedtheranksofthosewhooncehelpedtheAIADMKchief.

ThedisenchantmentwithpracticallyeveryoneshewasclosetoisreflectedinherautobiographypublishedintheTamilweeklyKumudamin1978.Her
fatherispresentedasa"squandererandagentlemanofleisure",aman"whocouldnothandleanythingproperly".MGRisapersonwhoshesaidshe
wouldrather"treatasanequalratherthanasuperstar".Abetrayalbyaschoolfriendtooleftadeepimpression.Jayalalithahadplayedpostmanforthis
friendwhowasinlovewithaneighbour.But"whenthegirlsmotherdiscoveredwhatwasgoingon,myfriendplayedBrutusandpaintedmeasa
daughterofanactressandagirlofloosemorals."

Thisoverwhelmingsenseofbeingusedseemstohaveinfluencedtheworldviewoftheotherwiseprecociousandsensitivegirlwhodreamedof
"becomingamillionaireandalawyer",collectedpicturesofRockHudsonandhadacrushoncricketersNariContractorandMansurAliKhanPataudi."I
usedtogoformatcheswithbinocularsjusttolookatPataudiandPataudialone,"shecroons.HerdreamworldcollapsedwhenhermotherSandhyaalso
anactressknowntoMGRrevealedthata"financialcrisisinthefamily"meantthatJaywouldhavetogiveupstudiesandstartacting.RecallsJayal
alitha:"Itwasarudeshocktome.MyargumentwithAmmawasthatitwasshewhopunishedmeforputtingonmakeupandtoldmetostayoffcinema
whowasnowpushingmeintoacting."

Sothe16yearold,insteadofgoingtoStellaMarisCollege,wenttothesetsofdirectorC.V.SridharsfilmVenniraAadai(WidowsRobe).Anironictitle
forawomanwhonevermarried,althoughsheconfessessheneverunderstood"thewordplatonic"andbelievedthat"eitherthereisaromanticrelationship
betweentwopeopleortheyarejustfriends".Aloner,Jayalalithaseemstohaveharbouredadistrustforothersratherearlyinlife."TheexperiencesIhave
beenthrough,thesufferingandpainhavetaughtmeanimportantlesson:inlifethereisonepersonyoumustrelyonyourself."

Herformerfriendshaveallbeenabandoned.ChoRamaswamy,editorofTughlaqwhoshefondlydescribesinherautobiographyasavaluablefriend,
wasrecentlyadmonishedpubliclyandasked"nottodescribehimselfasafriend".SalemKannan,twotimeAIADMKMPwhovirtuallycreatedapolitical
baseforherintheparty,isnowpersonanongrata.MinistersinMGRscabinetandformerJayaloyalistsS.ThirunavakkarsuandK.K.S.S.R
Ramachandranhavebeeneasedoutoftheparty.SaysKannan:"AfterallthatIhavedoneforher,Iamdeeplyhurtatthemannerinwhichshedumpedme
whenIadvisedhertokeepSasikalaandherfamilyatadistance."

KannanandValampuriJohnwereprivytoherblowhotblowcoldrelationshipwithMGR.AccordingtoJohn,MGRwassuspiciousofJayalalithaand
monitoredhereverymove.Herealisedthatshewasaveryindependentwoman"whoactedonherownvolition".Indeed,whenMGRoptedforanew
heroinein1970,anirateJayafoundanewfriendinTelugustarShobanBabu.Itwasonlyin1981thattherelationshipwasrevived,leadingtoher
inductionintopoliticsayearlater.RecollectsKannan:"AministerinMGRscabinetinvitedJayalalithatopresentadancedramaatMadurai.MGRwasso
impressedbyherperformancethattheybecamefriendsagain."

Thoughthefriendshipwasrevived,MGRkeptaclosetabonhisAmmu.NotesJohn:"Thisplayedonhermind.Shefeltshewasatrappedwomanbeing
observedunderamicroscope.Butshealsoseemedtohaveenjoyedalltheattention."Interestingly,amongthoseaskedtospyonherbyMGRwasSasikala
whothenranavideoparlour.Later,shebecameoneofherclosestadvisers.NotesKannan:"Veryfewpeopleknowthis.Butcopiesofthelettersshewrote
tomeonherpoliticalmovesmadetheirwaytoMGR.IamconvincedthatthiswasgiventohimbySasikala."

MGRhadreasonstobesuspicious.Inlate1984whenhewashospitalisedintheUSfollowingastroke,Jayalalitha,aRajyaSabhaMPsince1983,was
convincedthatsheshouldtakeoverthereins.Sheapproachedthethenprimeminister,RajivGandhi,andgovernorS.L.Khuranatoappointherchief
ministersinceshefeltthatMGRshealthwouldnotpermithimtodischargehisduties.Hermoveswerewidelyreported.Kannanwhoactedashercourier
confirmshereffortstogettothetopslot.SodoesJohn.Thirunavakkarsu.AndR.M.Veerappan.

Stungbyhermoves,MGRstrippedherofthedeputyleadershipoftheparliamentaryparty.InaninterviewtoSavvymagazine,shearticulatedheranger
againstthedecision:"MGRhasbeenagreatinfluenceinmylife,Idontdenythat.ButnowIammyownperson.Ihaveevolved.Hereafter,Iam
responsibleonlyformyself.Neveragainwillanybodyinfluencemetosuchanextentthatallmythoughtsandactionsandstatementsareinfluencedand
madeinaparticularwayjustbecausesomeoneelsewantsitthatway."

Inthis"Iwilllaunchmyself"mode,aparalleloutfitcalledtheJayalalithaPeravai(conference)wasformedin1986,courtesyKannan.ThoughJayalalitha
hasdeniedanyhandinitsformation,KannantoldOutlookthatitwaswithherfullknowledge.TheformationofthePeravaiupsetMGRnoend.Shewas
askedtostopfunctioningasthepropagandasecretaryoftheAIADMK,apostspeciallycreatedforherin1983,andKannanwasexpelledfromtheparty.
"WhenImetMGRhewasverycrypticintellingmenottosupportthatwoman,"saysKannan.Therivalrycontinuedandinearly1987thegroupopposed
toJayalalithamanagedtoconvinceMGRtoconvenethegeneralcouncilofthepartytoexpelJayalalithaandherfriends.Sensingthis,33MLAsowing
allegiancetoJayalalithaheldameetinganddecidedtoapproachRajivtoprevailuponMGRtostallJayalalithasexpulsion.SaysKannan:"Thismeeting
waswronglyreportedbythestateintelligenceasamovetofloatarivalparty.AbitterandsadMGRcouldnotstomachhisprotegebreakingaway.The
sackingofJayalalithawasstruckoffthegeneralcouncilsagendaandMadamwasinvitedtospeakatapublicrallythatevening."Thiswastheturning
pointinhercareer.

AccordingtoJayalalithasinnercircle,itwashersuccessinmanagingMGR,oftendescribedasthewiliestofCMs,thatconvincedhershecould
manipulateallcategoriesofpoliticians.HerpressuretacticswiththeBJP,theyaver,areonlyamanifestationofthis.HerformerfriendThirunavakkarsu
notes:"Shehasahistoryofusingpeopleandthendiscardingthem."Accordingtohim,shehasnopermanentfriends.Thisperhapsexplainswhyshehas
tiedupwithheronetimearchrivalSubramanianSwamy.AddsThirunavakkarsu:"Youcannotviewheractionsthroughtraditionallogic.Sheisavery
impulsivepersonwhomanufacturessituationstopushherownpersonalagenda."

Toagreatdegree,MGRisresponsibleforherachievinginstantVIPstatusintheparty.Itwashewhogaveorderstopartymenthattheyshouldstandupto
showtheirrespecttoher.Itwashewhoadvisedhertoshunthemedia.Whenshecametopowerin1991,shetookallthistoanextremelimit.Shekept
evenherministersatadistance.ItwaswidelybelievedthatitwasSasikalaNatarajanwhoranthegovernment.

ButthefinalwordcomesfromCho:"Itisherhabittomakeunfavourableremarksagainstherallies.ShedidittoNarasimhaRao.Butthisisthefirsttime
thatsheistryingtohumiliateaPM.Sheisinadesperatehurry.Perhapsthecasesagainsthercouldbesolvedonlywhenthestategovernmentischanged.
WhatshefailstounderstandisthatthemandateisasmuchtheBJPsastheAIADMKs."

PoliticalwisdomdictatesthatJayalalithashouldbemorediplomatic.ButJayalalithafunctionsontheprinciple,whatJayawantsJayashallget.Givenher
past,itdoesntseemthatpreposterous,butfortheVajpayeegovernmentitspellscontinuedturbulence.

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Some of the most mundane aspects of JJ are overlooked by most journalists:

For eg., she is lesbian, ( most feminists are bi-curious ).

She hates males in her life. Most feminists do, but very few actually admit it.
She rose in ADMK because of ( corrupt ) MGRs lust for beautiful women.

She came to power because of media craze for young women ( over older ones like MGRs wife ) - like how people today crave for Sonia and her daughter ( nothing to
do with their political experience ).

Her own lust for dierent males does not make news.

She has actually been left o lightly with a 100 crore ne ( and a jail sentence she can easily jump with bail ) for an oence involving Thousands ( probably Tens of
Thousands ) of crores in todays money.

SEP28,201404:04PM ,,

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Jayalalitha is very good in certain things and very bad in certain other things. She is stubborn leader at the same time a small group close to her can easily hijack her
n her principles for their own benet. Her faith in superstition could be a great danger for anybody at the same time with the same superstition she could make any
ordinary man a King. She could be great leader or could be worse than Mayawati.

MAY13,201110:15PM ,,

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