Alagiri's suspension will boost morale of cadres and functionaries in southern districts of Tamil Nadu.
Madurai: The DMK’s decision to suspend the party’s stormy petrel M.K. Alagiri and divest him of the south zone secretary post will boost the morale of the cadres and functionaries in the southern districts who remained confused due to sibling rivalry, say senior leaders.
However, on the flip side, it portends the daÂnger of whipping up another strong boÂut of internecine actiÂvities, which the parÂty witnessed in 2001 when Alagiri made all unsavoury attemÂpts to get his position as an uncrowned moÂnaÂÂrch consolidated. He was against some of the party’s trusted frontline leaders and was suspended along with a few of his men for 'anti-party' activities for about 18 months then.
But now, after 13 years of politics, he has not only questioned the decision of his father and DMK chief M. Karunanidhi to name his younger brother M.K. Stalin as the heir but also ruÂbÂbed him the wrong way with his ‘imÂproÂmptu’ comments ridiculing DMDK and its leader Vijaykanth at a time when his father is straining every nerve to rope him in for an alliance.
“His role is limited. He should have understood his limitations,” says a senior functionary. Many concede to the fact that Alagiri is more of a spoiler than a constructive team leader in the party.
The suspension, just prior to the Lok Sabha polls, is considered to be crucial for a party, which is already under stress thanks to various anti-DMK factors and its diminishing vote share. It, however, needs to have a healthy representation in the next Parliament with the 2G spectrum case staring at two of its important MPs, Kanimozhi and Raja.
“To shore up its image in South and to restore a sort of semblance in its empirical functioning and confidence among workers, the leadership has to resort to such strong measures. Alagiri’s 'suspension,’ the high command feels will stem the rot that threatens to eat into its vitals and serve as a warning to other dissenters,” he says.
The DMK, which was in power in early 2001, could not have forgotten the bitter experiences it underwent then – all scripted by Alagiri. Following his suspension then for ‘anti-party’ activities, government buses were torched in southern districts. He and his men stormed into Karimedu police station in Madurai to release a few DMK cadres who were detained for burning a state bus causing embarrassment to his father’s government.
A bigger disgrace for the party took place when they worked overtime against official nominees in the 2001 assembly elections forcing even DMK stalwart late P. T. R. Palanivel Rajan to taste defeat. The DMK then lost power to AIADMK faring very poorly in the south.
Many unpleasant things followed including the gruesome murder of senior leader Tha.Kiruttinan in which Alagiri was named prime accused but acquitted. Later, a patch-up was brokered between the father and the estranged son was rehabilitated.
Meanwhile, the present action too has not disturbed his loyalists. They are going ahead with a plan for a big birthday bash on January 30. “Our leader is free. No fetters, no party, we celebrate,” says P.M. Mannan, one of the suspended supporters.
( Source : dc )
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