In the death of J. Jayalalithaa, India has lost one of its most charismatic politicians. The 19th chief minister of Tamil Nadu, known for her authoritarian style of functioning, had an iron-like grip over the party apparatus. A recluse, used to mass adulation, she transformed the way Tamil Nadu and its 72 million people were governed. The example of welfare state that Amma — as she was fondly called — presented, was sought to be emulated by other states in the country.
The culture of freebies that she inherited from mentor M.G. Ramachandran was developed into an art by Jaya. Amma canteens, as they are widely known, provide wholesome meals for as little as Rs 5. Little wonder then that there are no beggars in Tamil Nadu. Hardly surprising then that leaders as diverse as Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan sought to replicate the Amma canteen model in their respective states.
While it’s true that the culture of freebies in Tamil Nadu — wherein Jaya promised free rice to people below poverty line, free laptops to intermediate students, marriage assistance to underprivileged girls — led to a lot of controversies with even the Election Commission and the apex court stepping in, Amma was also known as an industry-friendly face.
According to the latest Annual Survey of Industries, the state has 37,000-plus industries, which provide more industrial employment than any other state.
Human development indices and public health system are among the best in Tamil Nadu, and they only grew more robust under Jayalalithaa’s leadership.
With the lowest fertility rate, and the fifth highest per capita income in the country, Jayalalithaa provided a unique Tamil Nadu model of governance, which her supporters reckon was superior to even the Gujarat model of governance.
While she was undoubtedly an efficient administrator, she was also charged with corruption on two occasions — in 2001 and 2014.
Jayalalithaa’s influence was far in excess of what a Tamil Nadu chief minister would have under normal circumstances. She had excellent relations with PM Narendra Modi. She was also hailed as a possible leader on occasions when states like Odisha, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh talked about a third front. Her supporters would have liked her to lead India one day.
The death of Jayalalithaa marks the end of an era in Tamil Nadu. Political experts are already predicting the return of national parties in Tamil Nadu now that the void left by Jayalalithaa would be hard to fill.
BW Reporters
Suman K Jha was the deputy editor with BW Businessworld
