I don't know if it would be a change for the better or worse. The optimist in me believes that nothing could be worse than the corruption of the past five years, but the realist is skeptical. The last time Ms. Jayalalitha was ousted in favour of Mr. Karunanidhi, I believed that we had seen the last of crore rupee worth corruption. I was right. What ensued in DMK's next ten five years was in the order of many hundreds of crores against the few tenths of crores of the predecessor. It is a sad state of affairs if one or two zeroes less after the one makes it appear better.
I want to believe that you cannot add any more zeroes, but what do I know? I belong to the clan that works 12 hours a day to see three or four or, in a lucky year, five zeroes after the one, 30% of which we gamely give back to the Government with the hope that our roads are laid, our food and water supplies are kept functional and our life secure. Such of us are the luckier lot . My maid works at 7 houses, washing clothes, vessels and floors and earns a few thousands every month, most of which is spent by her good-for-nothing husband on TASMAC, a legacy of the founder of the party that will now rule us for the next five years, if all goes well (!).
I just want to be optimistic and hope that Ms. Jayalalitha learned something from her past mistakes. And I sincerely hope it is not the fact that she could add more zeroes like her successor did.
Good luck Ms. Jayalalitha. Good luck Tamil Nadu.
how is it ten years? from 1991, we have been alternating between JJ and MK, right? 2001 election was won by AIDMK and 2006 by DMK. we have given equal opportunity for looting!
Posted by: sachita | 05/13/2011 at 06:24 PM
Sachita, case of bad homework. Yes, five years, but it seems as long as ten !
Thanks for pointing it out. I have corrected the fact in the post.
Posted by: Lakshmi | 05/13/2011 at 09:18 PM
Read in the Twitter ...Aatha replaces Thaatha.
Happy with her victory hoping sincerely its a change for the better but would have preferred not a landslide victory like this...
Posted by: Arvind | 05/13/2011 at 11:04 PM
"Aatha replaces Thaatha."
ROFL. That shall be my gmail status for a few days.
Posted by: Lakshmi | 05/14/2011 at 11:11 AM
Change is a must rather than good or bad. It is the ONLY realistic punishment that can be given to errant governments, in a democracy.
If the replacement behaves as badly or worse than its predecessor, then it also has to be changed in the next election.
This is much better than letting one set of bandicoots alone to loot uninterrupted.
Posted by: Srini vasan | 05/14/2011 at 02:42 PM