Like Shakepeare’s greatest work, will DMK patriarch Karunanidhi’s abdication of power end in tragedy?
By Papri Sri Raman
For more than 40 years M Karunanidhi has held the reigns of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam as the party’s one and only president. He has brokered no dissent, not even from immediate family.
Despite 40 years of a carefully-orchestrated succession plan, Karunanidhi’s party now faces a division over which of his two sons will take charge of the party and who will be the next DMK chief minister.
It was Alagiri supporters not voting for the DMK – which is said to have brought Jayalalithaa to power in 2001. The DMK was forced to sit up and take notice of Karunanidhi’s prodigal son, banished to Madurai in the 1980s for anti-party activities.
MK Alagiri is back with a bang in Tamil Nadu politics, staking an open claim to the DMK presidentship, with his supporters eyeing the chief ministership too, post Karunanidhi. A resurgent Alagiri has divided the party into southern districts loyal to him and northern districts loyal to Karunanidhi’s chosen “heir” MK Stalin.
On the surface, all ministers and MLAs (100/234) support Stalin as the deputy chief minister. He is said to hold two thirds of the ministers/MLAs but the real division, say sources, is closer with Alagiri claiming support of at least 45 MLAs.
All six MLAs from the southern districts elected in last year’s by-elections through the good office of Alagiri are said to be beholden to him as are at least 25 others elected in 2006 from districts south of Madurai. Even districts north of Madurai like the Nilgiris and Perambalur, Dindigul and Pudukottai are said to be loyal to Alagiri. These are districts with powerful district secretaries, Alagiri loyalists, who have engineered the actual DMK victory in these once AIADMK strongholds. Several AIADMK senior politicians here have been wooed to join the DMK and they are all expected to favour Alagiri.
According to DMK lore Karunanidhi first came into contact with student leaders of the Justice Party like K Anbazhagan in his teens. Two years older to Karunanidhi, Anbazhagan (88) is the DMK general secretary and Tamil Nadu’s finance minister. Having been with Karunanidhi for such a long time, he ought to have been seen as the next chief ministerial candidate, the natural answer to the oft-asked
question, after Karunanidhi, who? Unfortunately, the mere suggestion has encouraged a whispering campaign about old age and Alzheimer’s against the loyal politician.
The popular actor MG Ramachandran challenged Karunanidhi in 1971 while Karunanidhi was promoting
son Muthu as an actor and parallel political figure. The DMK expelled MGR, who ruled Tamil Nadu for 10 years with a new party, the ADMK.
Karunanidhi then abandoned his son Muthu. In 1977, the young Stalin even went to jail for a brief while under MISA (the 1975 internal security act). His reward – stewardship of the DMK youth wing.
Elder brother Alagiri opposed Stalin’s rise to power and was banished to Madurai. Unlike Muthu, Alagiri worked for 20 years on building first a muscle power, then money power and a network of loyalists within the DMK in the southern districts.
In the 1990s, when Vaiko objected to Stalin’s leadership, he was expelled from the DMK. Another anti-Stalin politician expelled from the DMK was the former minister, Aladi Aruna.
In June that 2001, the AIADMK government arrested the elderly Karunanidhi. This arrest changed Alagiri’s fortunes. He returned home after 20 years, called by his mother Dayalu and met father Karunanidhi and brother Stalin. Alagiri is said to be the architect of the DMK’s 2006 victory.
On May 20, 2003, a Stalin loyalist T Kiruttinan, was hacked to death near his home in Madurai when he was returning from a morning walk. The then Jayalalithaa government promptly arrested Alagiri for the alleged murder. In 2008, a district court in Tirupati ruled Alagiri and his 13 associates “not guilty.”
Aladi Aruna, a rebel DMK leader, and one of his friends were murdered in a village in Tirunelveli, when they were on a morning walk on December 31, 2004. His daughter Poongothai Aladi Aruna, a doctor, joined the present Karunanidhi government as a minister but her loyalties are carefully couched.
Young, suave, English-speaking Dayanidhi Maran was given his father Murosali Maran’s constituency in 2004. As India’s IT minister he was soon calling Manmohan Singh ‘uncle’ and Sonia Gandhi ‘auntie’ and brought in Rs 30 billion investment into Tamil Nadu. If the state had to look for a chief minister other than Stalin, it was Maran’s name that cropped up.
In May 2007, a newspaper , the Dinakarn owned by Kalanidhi Maran, published a opinion poll that rated Dayanidhi as the best Central minister and said people in Tamil Nadu wanted Stalin to be the next chief minister. Infuriated Alagiri supporters attacked the Madurai office of the Dinakaran, killing 3 innocent employees
Under Karunanidhi’s control, the DMK forced Maran to resign from the Manmohan Singh Cabinet. The IT & Telecom Ministry was given to another DMK heavyweight, A Raja, since embroiled in several
telecom scams.
Exit Maran, enter Kanimozhi, who became a MP in July 2007. Kanimozhi’s mother Rajathi Ammal has emerged as the DMK powerbroker since 2006. Rajathi is said to have decided DMK nominees for the 2009 Parliament elections and snatched the traditional Congress seat of Nilgiris for Raja, supported by her daughter Kanimozhi, who opted out of the Singh Cabinet to accommodate Raja.
Raja, his advocate wife Parameswari, Rajathi and her supporters, Kanimozhi and ministers like K Ponmudi are said to be into telecom and real estate businesses and in the Alagiri camp. Among their interest are companies like the Green House, and the Norwegian firm Telenor. Media reports say, “The Telenor issue was highly ‘significant’ for Karunanidhi since his handpicked man A Raja was involved. During his meeting with Congress president Sonia Gandhi in Delhi on December 4, 2008, Karunanidhi had taken up the issue of clearing Telenor files pending with the home ministry. When Karunanidhi drove to 10 Janpath, no members of the delegation [he had taken to Delhi], was in the meeting with Sonia Gandhi. Then Union minister, TR Baalu was (also) asked to go out after the photo session. Only his daughter Kanimozhi was present at the meeting with Sonia Gandhi.”
In 2008, however, Maran’s aunt and Karunanidhi’s elder daughter Selvi went on a fast and attempted suicide to force Karunanidhi to forgive the Marans. Kalanidhi met Stalin, in the presence of their grandmother and Karunanidhi’s older sister Shanmugasundarathammal. It is at Stalin’s insistence that Dayanidhi is back as an MP. The Marans are visibly backing Stalin. The attempt to shunt Alagiri to Delhi as Union minister has not succeeded, because between May 2009 and March 2010, the DMK has had to go through 11 by-elections, of which it has won 8, thanks to Alagiri’s poll management. Tamil Nadu now readies for Assembly polls in May 2011.
DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi was born in 1924 in Thirukku-valai village, in Thiruvarur, the music district near the towns of Thanjavur and Nagapattinam. Parents Muthuvel and Anjugam belonged to a community of temple musicians. Now their humble home has been redone into a library. Karunanidhi was brought up by elder sister Shanmuga-sundarath-ammal who had two sons, Murasoli Maran and Murasoli Selvam, a few years younger than Karunanidhi. Another sister has a son called Amritham.
By the age of 20, Karunanidhi, a budding politician and film script writer, had married Padmavathy, daughter of musician ‘Pataka’ Sundaram Pillai and sister of singer CS Jayaraman. The couple had a son, Muthu. Padmavathy died of tuberculosis in 1948.
Soon after, Karunanidhi married Dayaluammal. The couple had four children: Sons MK Alagiri (1951), MK Stalin (1953), MK Tamilarasu, and daughter Selvi. By 1968 Karunanidhi was living with Rajathiammal. Documented in state Assembly records is his answer, when he was asked by the then Opposition to explain his relationship with Rajathiammal: “She is my daughter Kanimozhi’s mother.” Padmavathy’s son MK Muthu was an aspiring actor, influenced by Karunanidhi’s arch rival MG Ramachandran. He played several lead roles and once upon a time Karunanidhi used to boast Muthu could be pitted against many MGRs. In the late ‘70s Muthu deserted his wife and children and joined the AIADMK. Failing
as actor and politician, Muthu later settled down in a village.
Two years ago Muthu was brought back to Chennai by his son and daughter and rehabilitated. His son, Arivu-nidhi, is a doctor by profession and a playback singer. Arivunidhi has floated a trust in the name of Padmavathy, his grandmother, and is known to harbour political ambitions.
Dayaluammal’s son MK Alagiri: Now a MP from Madurai district and a reluctant Union Minister of Fertilizers and Chemicals in the Manmohan Singh Cabinet. His wife is Kanti, son Durai Dayanidhi and daughters Kayalvizhi and Anjugaselvi. Kayalvizhis is married to Venkatesan and is a close friend of Kanimozhi. Durai is among Chennai’s pub crawling elite. Both Kayalvizhi and Durai harbour political ambitions.
Dayaluammal’s son MK Stalin: Named after the Russian dictator, Stalin is said to be Karunanidhi’s chosen “heir” for the posts of CM as well as DMK chief. Stalin and wife Durgadevi have a son Udayanidhi and a daughter Senthamarai, married to Sabareesan. Udayanidhi, who till recently owned
Chennai’s most popular bowling alley, is married to Krithika, who runs an upmarket magazine Inbox1305. Udayanidhi is into film production now. The couple has a young son, Inbanidhi. Udayanidhi is known to harbour political ambitions.
Dayaluammal’s son MK Tamilarasu: Married Mohana, daughter of PS Veerappa, a film actor and producer. The couple has a daughter Poonguzhali and a son, Inbanidhi. Tamilarasu runs a few small businesses in Chennai. Keeps a extremely low profile.
Dayaluammal’s daughter Selvi: Married to Murasoli Selvam, younger brother of Murasoli Maran, and Karnataka chief of Sun Network group. She has a daughter who lives with her doctor husband.
Rajathiammal’s daughter MK Kanimozhi: Now Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament. She married a businessman called Athiban Bose in 1989, they later divorced. Now married to a foodie and poet G Aravindan. The couple has a son.
Murasoli Maran: Grew up to be Karunanidhi’s most trusted lieutenant and the DMK’s main spokesperson, strategist and ideologue in the 1960-90s. He was a Member of Parliament since 1967 to his death in 2003. Maran and his two sons also had a captive media house, the Sun Network devoted to the DMK. Maran’s daughter Anbukkarsi is a doctor.
Murasoli son Kalanidhi: Businessman, he owns India’s second largest TV network, with 14 regional channels, Sumangali Cable Network, Sun DTH, 7 FM channels and 7 newspapers and magazines. Kalanidhi Maran and his wife Kavery Kalanidhi, the joint managing director of the company, took home Rs 37.08 crore each as salary during FY09. Sun TV posted net sales of Rs1,039.3 crore and a net profit of Rs 340 crore, March ’09 end. Maran holds a 77% stake in the company and has bid for 55% ownership of SpiceJet.
Younger son Dayanidhi: Married to Priya, daughter of another media house owner. A Lok Sabha member from 2004 and was Union Telecommu-nications and IT minister in the Manmohan Singh Cabinet. Is Union Textile Minister in the present UPA government.
As he strode into the Chennai airport on his way to Madurai last Thursday, after returning from his first visit abroad as a Union Minister, his brows knit, MK Alagiri told the media, “I agree with Chief Minister M Karunanidhi’s view that the [DMK] leader should be elected democratically. If there is a contest for the party president’s post, I will also contest. But why do we need to talk about all this when Karunanidhi is alive.”
Alagiri was talking about contesting the DMK president’s post. The party chief is elected by 200+members of the DMK general council and the district party secretaries, who count more than the MLAs and MPs in deciding who gets elected as DMK chief.
Ten thousand Alagiri supporters are said to have greeted him back, like a battle-worn hero returning home, though he had just stepped out to Australia for a week-long visit. Among them were minister for tribal welfare A Tamilarasi, minister for hindu religious and charitable endowments KR Periakaruppan and Tamabaram MLA SR Raja.
In his absence, Junior Vikatan, a popular magazine published an interview with Alagiri, in which he was asked, “After Karunanidhi, who will you accept as the leader of the DMK?” Alagiri is quoted to have replied: “After Thalaivar, I will not accept anyone else as leader in the DMK. I don’t think that anybody has the qualification and skill to fill Thalaivar Kalaignar’s place.” On his 59th birthday in January too he said he would not accept any other leadership in the DMK. “Karunanidhi will be the chief minister after the 2011 Assembly elections,” Alagiri said.
Asked last week about his reaction to Alagiri’s statement, Karunanidhi evaded any direct answer, saying, “Alagiri is the best person to explain what he means.”
“Even I do not know when this ‘after him’ will be” Karunanidhi added for good measure. It was just a week ago that the Chief Minister had pointedly told the media: “I’m using the wheelchair because of the surgery on my back. Otherwise, I have no other ailments. I’m in good health.” The health statement came when a contemporary had tried to explain to Karunanidhi loudly what he had said into the microphone, fearing old age could have impaired the CM’s hearing. Perhaps there are some things Karunanidhi would rather not hear. Like the three questions Alagiri threatens to ask when he meets Karunanidhi. “I will ask: a. If some non-southern districts can be entrusted to me; b. If two party district secretaries in two northern Tamil Nadu districts can be replaced with two people I nominate; c. In your lifetime you have made Stalin the deputy chief minister. Can you, in your lifetime, make me the deputy president of the party?”
Karunanidhi has reportedly told Dayaluammal, Alagiri’s mother, “Let him come. Let him ask what he wants to ask. If possible, I will do that. If he is stubborn, then I will take some other decision.”
When Karunanidhi announced in January this year that he would retire from active politics in June, Alagiri is reported to have sought a senior party posting, but the Stalin camp did not agree. When a book on Alagiri was released on his birthday, Kalaignar TV and Murasoly, the party TV channel and party organ had ignored the event. On the other hand both these party media had publicised a book on Stalin released on his birthday last month. Alagiri was furious.
He is reported to have even asked the 88-year-old Anbazhagan, the DMK’s senior-most leader if it was okay for DMK cadre on public platforms to call Stalin “Junior Kalaignar, future chief minister, leader in waiting” and such other laudatory names. When ministers who got elected from southern districts, assisted by Alagiri, come to visit him, Alagiri is known to ask them: “Does brother (Stalin) know you have come to see me?” In the DMK, it is no surprise that the party chief’s post is up for grabs. It means the general council has to vote, if there is a contest.
But then Stalin may not go in for a contest. Sources say, he is satisfied that two thirds of the general council want him as chief minister and may actually give away the party president’s post, on his mother’s bidding. For Dayaluammal, it is important that Stalin becomes chief minister in their life time. For Dayaluammal, it is also important to keep Alagiri happy for Alagiri’s sake. Most off all, as a mother, it is important to establish peace between her two sons.