There is a famous dialogue from the Kamal Haasan starrer ‘Nayakan’: “Naalu perku nalladhuna, edhuvum thappu illa.”roughly translating to ‘Nothing is bad, if some good happens to people.’
While Kamal has been looking to the atheistic skies for inspiration to ace the next assembly elections, he need not to look any further than his epic quip. It can be the core strategy for his fledgling party Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM). We’ll explain how.
Although, technically speaking, Maiam is supposed to be centrist, Kamal has never hidden his love for the left. In his many undecipherable thought expositions, he’s openly expressed his admiration for communism. His public courtship of Pinarayi Vijayan is well chronicled. These send very wrong signals to voters who’ve never been enchanted by Marxism.
His bizarre need to appear leftist is highly questionable as the communist parties have decided to ally with the DMK-Congress for the assembly election. And their vote share even during the 2019 parliamentary polls was just 4.7%.
Another overt political signal sent out by Kamal Haasan often is that he’s vying for the same ‘Pro-Regional’ space as DMK/DK/Seeman/VCK and every other outfit barring the national parties in Tamil Nadu. One is stupefied by this stance as the Pro-Regional vote in all elections has never been over 43%. And Maiam took a mere 3.77% slice out of this pie during the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. So, Kamal is basically preaching to the already converted. He cannot expect any more incremental returns from this audience.
Hence, it is pertinent for Kamal to look outside. If Maiam needs to be in the reckoning it needs a complete overhaul of its political strategy. Wearing Kautilya’s hat might help to solve the problem. One of the first approaches outlined by Kautilya to win any war-like situation is ‘Sama’ – the path of alliances. In other words, Kamal needs to become a cobbler par excellence if he wants to trump the ‘kazhagams’. Most cynics think even this is impossible. But everything is possible in politics.
That brings us to the conundrum. How can Kamal square the circle? How does he offer a battle royale to DMK and AIADMK? A clue to this puzzle lies in the chart below.
Culled by studying various assembly polls in Tamil Nadu.
At any point in time, the average Alternate Vote in Tamil Nadu has always been close to 28%. The DMK + AIADMK have notched up an average 72% of the electoral pie. 28% is a salivating number when one compares it with the Maiam vote of 3.77%.
One thing that endeared the ‘Torchlight Party’ was its stance that it will never ally with either the DMK or the AIADMK. Kamal Haasan has been the only political leader to have been openly vocal about being equidistant. Given this context, Maiam has the moral aura to become the nucleus of the ‘alternative movement’.
But how does he go about attracting allies as diverse as PMK and DMDK? Would they even consider talking to him as they have visions of being ‘superior’? This is where Kamal has to take lessons from Kautilya.
‘No More Kazhagams’ has been the pipe dream of every political party other than MGR’s or Karunanidhi’s. No party has been individually been able to breach the Dravidian wall. It is the unsaid desire of parties as diverse as PMK, DMDK, NTK (Seeman’s) and even the BJP. That is the first card he needs to play.
The next big ace is his friendship with Rajinikanth. The superstar has been wanting to enter politics. He got his supporters and well wishers excited with his ‘aanmiga arasiyal’. But his fragile health has thrown a spanner into the works. His doctors have announced that it’s risky for him to hit the road. Hence he has started pussyfooting. This has demoralized his cadre. Rajini is looking for an honourable way out.
Enter Kamal Haasan. He persuades Rajinikanth his friend to float a political party ‘for the sake of Tamil Nadu’. The two announce an alliance on the common ground of ‘Pudhiyadhor Ulagam Seivom’ (let’s build a whole new world). The aim of the alliance would be take Tamil Nadu to the next level by freeing it from the clutches of the Kazhagams. A 5-point program could be put out that clarifies that their alliance is for more jobs, more investment, better education, better health, and better farming. Tamizh pride and other emotive issues can be kept at the back of the burner.
The beauty of the announcement is that it helps both Kamal and Rajini. It’s a win-win in the sense, Rajini gets someone to shoulder the campaign with. Kamal gets the leeway for building a galaxy of new allies. Rajini could do a Biden-style video-based campaign with masked-up appearance at key rallies. Kamal could hit the road and electrify the voter base. An alliance of equals must be the talk. Two Chief Ministers for the Price of One Vote must be the sales pitch.
The alliance would clearly rattle DMK and AIADMK. It is the one unexpected spark that could set off an electoral fire that will rage till the elections. What the coming together will ensure is a magnetic core that will attract a whole new set of allies.
An active Rajinikanth means the BJP will come knocking. And wherever BJP goes, PMK, DMDK and a host of smaller parties will follow. Kamal Haasan can attract the leftist-periyarist-dalit-rational forces. The ‘Makkal Kootani’ as it must be christened will not be rightist or leftist but ‘right of center’ in thinking. Almost akin to Kejriwal’s strategy in Delhi where he never attacks Modi. And is mildly ‘Sanghi‘ but very pro-development. Kamal Haasan must convince himself first that it is possible for him to be ‘right of center’. Otherwise, BJP would not be amenable to the alliance.
Kamal Haasan can take a leaf from Karunanidhi’s book of alliances. Whenever he wants an alliance with an unlikely partner, he will praise the senior most leader for some act. Kamal can take a cue from ‘Nammavar’ where he made another famous quip: “Namma kovil kattradha paththi pesinaalum pesuvom, aana bathroom kattradha pathi pesa maatom”.
Modi has not only ensured the Ram temple he has also been the only reason 110 million new toilets have been built in India. Kamal, being one of the first invitees for the Swacha Bharat movement, can cite this in an interview, to point out how Modi can benefit Tamil Nadu.
In Varumaiyin Nivam Sivappu, Kamal mouths another dialogue: “You’re Tamilian? I’m a Tamil-speaking Indian.”This is the very card that will gladden the hearts of BJP supporters. And this stance will set him apart from the Kazhagams.
The union of the Big Two will have far reaching political ramifications. Many might be tempted to jump ship from AIADMK and DMK. DMK’s setting son Azhagiri might consider joining the alliance. Who knows, Amma Makkal Munntera Kazhagam’s TTV Dinakaran might come running too with his money. Kollywood would unite behind the two Titans. Some young heroes might even join the ‘Makkal Kootani’ movement.
In one stroke, 3.77% can jump to 28%. And closer to the elections, depending on how the alliance is shepherded, it has the possibilities to become bigger and bigger.
That’s how it’s done, Mr. Kamal Haasan. Unnal Mudiyum Thambi.
(Views expressed are the author’s own.)
(This article was originally published by the author in Medium and has been republished with some modifications with permission. Click here to read the original article.)
Making Kamal bloom
There is a famous dialogue from the Kamal Haasan starrer ‘Nayakan’: “Naalu perku nalladhuna, edhuvum thappu illa.” roughly translating to ‘Nothing is bad, if some good happens to people.’
While Kamal has been looking to the atheistic skies for inspiration to ace the next assembly elections, he need not to look any further than his epic quip. It can be the core strategy for his fledgling party Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM). We’ll explain how.
Although, technically speaking, Maiam is supposed to be centrist, Kamal has never hidden his love for the left. In his many undecipherable thought expositions, he’s openly expressed his admiration for communism. His public courtship of Pinarayi Vijayan is well chronicled. These send very wrong signals to voters who’ve never been enchanted by Marxism.
His bizarre need to appear leftist is highly questionable as the communist parties have decided to ally with the DMK-Congress for the assembly election. And their vote share even during the 2019 parliamentary polls was just 4.7%.
Another overt political signal sent out by Kamal Haasan often is that he’s vying for the same ‘Pro-Regional’ space as DMK/DK/Seeman/VCK and every other outfit barring the national parties in Tamil Nadu. One is stupefied by this stance as the Pro-Regional vote in all elections has never been over 43%. And Maiam took a mere 3.77% slice out of this pie during the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. So, Kamal is basically preaching to the already converted. He cannot expect any more incremental returns from this audience.
Hence, it is pertinent for Kamal to look outside. If Maiam needs to be in the reckoning it needs a complete overhaul of its political strategy. Wearing Kautilya’s hat might help to solve the problem. One of the first approaches outlined by Kautilya to win any war-like situation is ‘Sama’ – the path of alliances. In other words, Kamal needs to become a cobbler par excellence if he wants to trump the ‘kazhagams’. Most cynics think even this is impossible. But everything is possible in politics.
That brings us to the conundrum. How can Kamal square the circle? How does he offer a battle royale to DMK and AIADMK? A clue to this puzzle lies in the chart below.
At any point in time, the average Alternate Vote in Tamil Nadu has always been close to 28%. The DMK + AIADMK have notched up an average 72% of the electoral pie. 28% is a salivating number when one compares it with the Maiam vote of 3.77%.
One thing that endeared the ‘Torchlight Party’ was its stance that it will never ally with either the DMK or the AIADMK. Kamal Haasan has been the only political leader to have been openly vocal about being equidistant. Given this context, Maiam has the moral aura to become the nucleus of the ‘alternative movement’.
But how does he go about attracting allies as diverse as PMK and DMDK? Would they even consider talking to him as they have visions of being ‘superior’? This is where Kamal has to take lessons from Kautilya.
‘No More Kazhagams’ has been the pipe dream of every political party other than MGR’s or Karunanidhi’s. No party has been individually been able to breach the Dravidian wall. It is the unsaid desire of parties as diverse as PMK, DMDK, NTK (Seeman’s) and even the BJP. That is the first card he needs to play.
The next big ace is his friendship with Rajinikanth. The superstar has been wanting to enter politics. He got his supporters and well wishers excited with his ‘aanmiga arasiyal’. But his fragile health has thrown a spanner into the works. His doctors have announced that it’s risky for him to hit the road. Hence he has started pussyfooting. This has demoralized his cadre. Rajini is looking for an honourable way out.
Enter Kamal Haasan. He persuades Rajinikanth his friend to float a political party ‘for the sake of Tamil Nadu’. The two announce an alliance on the common ground of ‘Pudhiyadhor Ulagam Seivom’ (let’s build a whole new world). The aim of the alliance would be take Tamil Nadu to the next level by freeing it from the clutches of the Kazhagams. A 5-point program could be put out that clarifies that their alliance is for more jobs, more investment, better education, better health, and better farming. Tamizh pride and other emotive issues can be kept at the back of the burner.
The beauty of the announcement is that it helps both Kamal and Rajini. It’s a win-win in the sense, Rajini gets someone to shoulder the campaign with. Kamal gets the leeway for building a galaxy of new allies. Rajini could do a Biden-style video-based campaign with masked-up appearance at key rallies. Kamal could hit the road and electrify the voter base. An alliance of equals must be the talk. Two Chief Ministers for the Price of One Vote must be the sales pitch.
The alliance would clearly rattle DMK and AIADMK. It is the one unexpected spark that could set off an electoral fire that will rage till the elections. What the coming together will ensure is a magnetic core that will attract a whole new set of allies.
An active Rajinikanth means the BJP will come knocking. And wherever BJP goes, PMK, DMDK and a host of smaller parties will follow. Kamal Haasan can attract the leftist-periyarist-dalit-rational forces. The ‘Makkal Kootani’ as it must be christened will not be rightist or leftist but ‘right of center’ in thinking. Almost akin to Kejriwal’s strategy in Delhi where he never attacks Modi. And is mildly ‘Sanghi‘ but very pro-development. Kamal Haasan must convince himself first that it is possible for him to be ‘right of center’. Otherwise, BJP would not be amenable to the alliance.
Kamal Haasan can take a leaf from Karunanidhi’s book of alliances. Whenever he wants an alliance with an unlikely partner, he will praise the senior most leader for some act. Kamal can take a cue from ‘Nammavar’ where he made another famous quip: “Namma kovil kattradha paththi pesinaalum pesuvom, aana bathroom kattradha pathi pesa maatom”.
Modi has not only ensured the Ram temple he has also been the only reason 110 million new toilets have been built in India. Kamal, being one of the first invitees for the Swacha Bharat movement, can cite this in an interview, to point out how Modi can benefit Tamil Nadu.
In Varumaiyin Nivam Sivappu, Kamal mouths another dialogue: “You’re Tamilian? I’m a Tamil-speaking Indian.”This is the very card that will gladden the hearts of BJP supporters. And this stance will set him apart from the Kazhagams.
The union of the Big Two will have far reaching political ramifications. Many might be tempted to jump ship from AIADMK and DMK. DMK’s setting son Azhagiri might consider joining the alliance. Who knows, Amma Makkal Munntera Kazhagam’s TTV Dinakaran might come running too with his money. Kollywood would unite behind the two Titans. Some young heroes might even join the ‘Makkal Kootani’ movement.
In one stroke, 3.77% can jump to 28%. And closer to the elections, depending on how the alliance is shepherded, it has the possibilities to become bigger and bigger.
That’s how it’s done, Mr. Kamal Haasan. Unnal Mudiyum Thambi.
(Views expressed are the author’s own.)
(This article was originally published by the author in Medium and has been republished with some modifications with permission. Click here to read the original article.)