It has been a meteoric rise for Sasikala, who once ran a video-casette business. She is now on the verge of being anointed successor to late Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa.
As J Jayalalithaa lay in state at the imposing Rajaji Hall in Chennai, a black sari-clad woman with puffy eyes quietly stood at her side. She was Sasikala Natarajan, who barring a brief period, had steadfastly been with Jayalalithaa through the ups and downs of Tamil Nadu’s caste-riven politics.
After spending over three decades living in the shadow of a larger-than life Jayalalithaa, Sasikala, 60, is the woman to watch out for as she is not only expected to lead the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), but also perhaps take over the reins of the state by becoming the chief minister.
Jayalalithaa’s sprawling Poes Garden mansion continues to be the hub of activity as ministers as well as bureaucrats make a beeline to meet Sasikala, who is addressed as Chinnamma.
Since Jayalalithaa’s death on December 5, the frizzy-haired Sasikala has been aggressively projected as the next leader of the ruling AIADMK. Sasikala was, after all, udanpiravaa sagodhari (sister not related through blood).
So, who is Sasikala?
“She is the woman who knows too much about Jayalalithaa,” says Vaasanthi, a popular Tamil writer and journalist. She is more enigmatic than Jayalalithaa, Vaasanthi tells Governance Now.
Sasikala, who hails from Mannargudi in Tiruvarur district of Tamil Nadu, had humble beginnings. In 1975, she married Chennai-based M Natarajan, who was working as assistant public relations officer with the government. His first posting was in Cuddalore district, where VS Chandralekha was the district magistrate. Later, as head of TIDCO, Chandralekha had opposed the AIADMK government’s disinvestment plan for the state PSu. She was attacked with acid, and later, an AIADMK minister was arrested in connection with it. She then turned to politics and shared a love-hate relationship with Jayalalithaa.
この記事は GovernanceNow の January 1, 2017 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です ? サインイン
この記事は GovernanceNow の January 1, 2017 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
the trump phenomenon
how the 2016 election exposed the us underbelly.
chinnamma is not amma
sasikala may have become the leader of the aiadmk, but she is a far cry from j jayalalithaa, who towered over tamil nadu politics like a colossus.
sakshi malik
sakshi malik is the first indian female wrestler to bag an olympic medal. the 24-year-old comes from mokhra village of rohtak, haryana. she came into the limelight as an international wrestler after she won bronze in the junior world championship in 2010. then, she went on to win silver in the commonwealth games in 2014 and a bronze at the asian wrestling championships in 2015. after rio olympics, malik was conferred india’s highest sporting honour – the rajiv gandhi khel ratna. she is also the brand ambassador of the beti bachao, beti padhao campaign in haryana.
Across The Threshold
A social media campaign aims to bridge gaps between communities by urging people to visit ‘people unlike us’
'How Can An Insurance Firm Promote Death?'
Dr Pankaj Chaturvedi, head and neck cancer surgeon at the Tata Memorial hospital in Mumbai, is a leading antitobacco activist. He joined hands with Sumitra Hooda Pednekar and others to file a PIL in the Bombay high court earlier this year, questioning the staterun insurance firm LIC’s investments in a leading cigarette-maker company. Edited excerpts from an interview with Geetanjali Minhas:
The Wolf And The Lamb
Social injustice and the fate of the university
"Young Dalit Leaders Have Age, Situation On Their Side"
How do you see the rise of the Bhim Army in Uttar Pradesh?During the last assembly elections in UP, it was a common consensus among many [dalit leaders] that we’d give one more chance to Mayawati.
Timely Delivery
A veteran bureaucrat explains how to complete government projects without time and cost overruns.
Cauvery Water Dispute
India’s leading water expert and president of the South Asia Consortium for Inter disciplinary Water Resources Studies, S Janakarajan, wonders why Chennai, a city that receives 1,250 mm rainfall, is called a thirsty city and goes on to explain to Shivani Chaturvedi what went wrong among the southern states that led to a water-war like situation. But, he warns that such a scenario will keep occurring if the government does not come up with a lasting solution.
Case Against Cash
Can you imagine a day without cash?
