All the world’s a stage, and all men and women merely players… especially if they’re politicians in Tamil Nadu. And in the latest ‘dramatic turn of events’, the newly minted RK Nagar MLA, TTV Dhinakaran announced on Thursday that his aunt, and jailed aide of late Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, VK Sasikala, is on a ‘mouna veradham.’ For the uninitiated, that means she’s taken a vow of silence.
Wow only.
Exactly what does that mean for Tamil Nadu politics? Is it an attempt by Sasikala/Dhinakaran to buy time before reacting to, umm, political matters? And why should we care about a convict’s religious/spiritual rituals? We’re not sure.
All we know is, minutes after meeting Sasikala at the Parappana Agrahara jail in Bengaluru, TTV Dhinakaran declared that his aunt was observing silence since the death anniversary of her friend and former TN Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa. Dhinakaran told the media, "I have taken her blessings. She is on a 'mouna veradham' since Amma's death day. She listened to everything I said regarding future plans. I gave it to her in writing and she signalled that I can go ahead."
Of course, Witty Wittenkinses on Twitter and the all-knowing all-seeing uncles on family WhatsApp groups are cracking up over Dhinakaran’s pronouncement. If Sasikala is on a ‘mouna veradham’, how did she inform Dhinakaran about the same? What is she praying for, exactly? Is she petitioning Amma’s Atma for a quick end to the EPS-OPS regime in TN? Or is it a more banal prayer, perhaps for good food and better sleep?
Is she simply speechless at the way things turned out in RK Nagar?
Dhinakaran's victory in RK Nagar has been widely attributed to a video released by disqualified MLA P Vetrivel who belongs to his faction. The video, purportedly of Jayalalithaa on a hospital bed, shows her sipping on juice during her treatment in Apollo Hospital. Vetrivel had claimed that he was releasing the video without Sasikala or Dhinakaran's permission in order to put an end to rumours that 'Chinnamma' was responsible for Jayalalithaa's death.
Following this, Sasikala's niece Krishnapriya had claimed that Sasikala will not be pleased with the release of the video.
But the ‘mouna veradham’ has now put a dampener on the hopes of the millions of Tamils waiting with bated breath to know what Sasikala thinks of Vetrivel’s action. Or not. We will never know.
While others are speculating whether the vow of silence is a ruse to not answer the questions posed by the inquiry commission into Jayalalithaa’s death, we’re not sure it’s considered a valid reason to not give a reply.
I mean, does a ‘mouna veradham’ allow the person who has taken a vow to write a reply?
The world will never know, since Sasikala is not speaking just yet.
Views expressed are the author's own.