J Jayalalithaa passed away on Dec 5, 2016. Jayaram Jayalalitha (24 February 1948 – 5 December 2016) was an Indian actress and politician who served as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for more than fourteen years over six terms between 1991 and 2016. Hers is a story of hardship, grit and courage. A story of a vulnerable yet fearless woman in the world of Tamil Nadu politics, dominated by men and conservative patriarchy. Jayalalitha was a tall Tamilian leader, well known all over India and amongst the most recognized faces of her political party, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK).
The AIADMK is a political party founded by the former chief minister of Tamil Nadu, M.G. Ramachandran (M.G.R) in October of 1972, as a breakaway faction from the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) after DMK leader & former Chief minister, M. Karunanidhi expelled him from the party, for demanding an accounting of funds, as the party treasurer. M G Ramachandran (MGR), a popular Tamil movie star, had a sussessful stint as Chief minister of Tamil Nadu and was reported to be Jayalalitha’s mentor. As an actress herself, she had known him since her acting days. Jayalaitha was claimed to be MGR’s political protégé and heir but that didn’t make it any easier for her political ascendancy within the party. Her determination, courage and confidence allowed her to finally taste victory as the leader of the AIADMK and eventually, as the Chief minister of Tamil Nadu.
Jayalalitha was an accomplished actress, politician, orator, writer and connoisseur of the arts, fluent in several languages – Tamil, Hindi, English, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam. She was revered by her cadre, as their “Amma” (Mother) and “Puratchi Thalaivi” (Revolutionary leader). As with most people blessed with a strong, distinct individuality and leadership skills, she had her share of highs, lows, successes, failures, sensational news and controversies. Much has been written about her and there’s plenty of information available, on every sphere of her life. Rather than a repetition of all information pertaining to her, this year may be the right year, to talk about one of her actions, taken exactly a decade ago in 2002. A bold, politically risky one, that ruffled a whole bunch of “secular” feathers, including her arch rival, the DMK party: The Tamil Nadu Anti Conversion Bill passed in September 2002 and enforced in October. The bill was officially termed “Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Forcible Conversion of Religion Act 2002” but she had to withdraw following severe backlash from Christians and Muslims.
The time may not have been ripe for Tamil Nadu ten years ago – Will it resume its relevance now, with a stronger Hindu voice and unity, both at the national level and at the regional level? The Hindus are better positioned and represented now, with a larger BJP presence (and regional affiliates) in several more states, a decade after Jayalitha risked her political career? She repealed it, just two years after bravely footing the bill in the TN assembly, on account of political compulsions of the times. Leaders of the minority communities of Islam and Christianity backed by “secular” parties like M Karunanidhi’s DMK, the Congress and the VCK, led by the virulantly anti-Hindu Thiruvamavalavan, succeeded in creating a false and hyped up narrative around the anti-conversion law, linking it to the constitutional right of freedom of religion. The Hindus were divided across several fault lines, including caste and did not back the much needed bill, with the vigour and enthusiasm that she had expected.
In the end, it was the Hindus of Tamil Nadu that betrayed her. The minorty reaction was an already anticipated, predictable one, from groups that had traditionally been pampered and pandered to, by the Indian Left and the “Secular” lobby. The Constitution addresses both issues, freedom of religion as well as circumstances unacceptable for proselytization/ conversions.
The original intention of the Constituent Assembly and the interpretation of Article 25 by the Supreme Court later on clearly differentiate the right to propagate from the right to convert other persons to one’s own religion. The former is a Fundamental Right, the latter, if forcibly done and not by choice of the person converting, is illegal.
Jayalalitha reminded the people of Gandhi’s aversion to conversions via dubious methods such as financial incentives and promises of employment. Gandhi had made it clear that he did not approve of religious conversions in general and encouraged people to study and practice their own religions well.
As is their tendency in India, the secular brigade chose to focus sharply on the first and deliberately keep the general public ignorant of their rights under the second.
Jayalalitha’s bill suffered from malicious misinformation, spread by the opposition secular parties and Christian, Muslim administrative bodies, which cried foul over an imagined breach of the Freedom of Religion provision, when in reality, the bill was formulated to stop misuse of religion and fraudulent conversion practices, based on unethical practices like financial inducements and derogatory remarks on native faiths and practices. She intended to put a stop to such non-genuine, inauthentic, un-ethical practices, already causing animosity among the various religious groups in India including Tamil Nadu. The bill had nothing to do with the Constitutional right to practice one’s Religion freely and without fear of retribution, yet it was mis-interpreted, mis-judged and mis-understood by people, based on false propagandist information spread by Left leaning media and the ‘secular’ parties.
Jayalalitha had miscalculated the financial clout of the minority organizations (both Christian and Muslim ones, which often receive funds from foreign nations often flouting legal terms of the FCRA- Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, specifically for Conversion purposes), the virulence of the anti-Hindu rhetoric unleashed by the Secular lobby receiving funds, votes from minority communities and the hugely disappointing luke-warm to none, support from the Hindu community.
She repealed the Act in 2004 yet lost the next state elections in 2006. Jayalalitha lost the smear campain and misinformation battle, to the anti-Hindu forces with no support from her own Hindu community. The opposition was well funded and well organized. All of the “seculars” united, in spite of minor differences amongst themselves and unleashed a storm of fear-mongering and negative publicity.
All the parties that indulged in rampant minority-appeasement won, at the cost of a genuine cause, affecting the cultural and demographic fabric of India, that ought to have at the very least, been debated on both sides of the argument.
Fast forward to a decade after Jayalalitha’s laudable but failed attempt. As the year 2022 draws to a close, everybody’s eyes and ears are on the rise of the young and charismatic BJP leader, the party’s Tamil Nadu Chief Mr. Annamalai, a proud Hindu and an accomplished IPS officer. He shares many of the same personality traits as Jayalalitha, which made her a hero in the eyes of the masses. He is well educated, intelligent, self confident, fearless, hard working, a good orator and seems to attract the crowds, wherever he travels. He appears genuine, is compassionate yet firm and displays the courage to speak his mind on a range of subjects, regardless of publicity. Like Jayalalitha, Mr. Annamalai is not anti-minority, as parties like the Congress, the DMK, VCK and others, would want to potray him. Like her, he is against misrepresentation and misuse of religion for fraudulent, illegal purposes like conversion by use of financial incentives, false and derogatory statements on native beliefs etc. He stands for Freedom of Religion but is against religious fundamentalism/ fanaticism, that tears into the composite culture of this diverse nation.
Is Tamil Nadu ready for him? Many BJP leaders have proposed anti-conversion laws. A few states have enacted them. Will Annamalai rise to the occasion, to finish the unfinished business of Jayalalithaa? Only time will tell.
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