Sasikala Natarajan—the name Tamil Nadu utters the most after Jayalalithaa.
September 1995: Jayalalithaa organised a gala wedding ceremony for her adopted son, V.N. Sudhakaran, who is the nephew of her companion Sasikala Natarajan. On that day, Sasikala and Jayalalithaa were dressed like twins, in similar saris and jewellery. The grand event showcased the depth of their friendship.
April 2009: It had been a long day for Jayalalithaa, as she was busy campaigning in the Lok Sabha elections. She was out of power, desperate to bounce back, and was touring the state in her campaign van and on this day she was in Thiruvannamalai district. As usual, a fair, thin woman in her 50s, dressed in a dark and maroon sari like Jayalalithaa’s, sat behind in the campaign van holding placards that had Jayalalithaa’s slogans printed on it. After the public meeting, while Jayalalithaa was getting back into the van, she hurt her right foot and screamed, “Sasi! It is very painful.” Sasikala went to her, consoled her, and offered her water with sisterly affection.
On December 5, 2016, shortly before the death of Jayalalithaa was announced, her convoy was in place inside the Apollo Hospital in Chennai. As the ambulance carrying the body slowly moved out of the hospital, one saw Sasikala sitting next to the body, inconsolably sobbing.
On December 6, at the Rajaji Hall where the public paid their last respects to Jayalalithaa, the focus of attention was intermittently on Sasikala. Prime Minister Narendra Modi consoled Sasikala, putting his hand on her head, as she broke down on seeing him.
Denne historien er fra December 18, 2016-utgaven av THE WEEK.
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Denne historien er fra December 18, 2016-utgaven av THE WEEK.
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