A video showing Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalaithaa visiting an unwell Cho Ramaswamy in hospital has set social media on fire. For many viewers, this was special as they were watching and listening to Jayalalithaa in a candid setting, not talking politics and have a personal conversation with a close friend, after a long time.
Amidst rumors of her serious illness, the video shows a hale and hearty Jayalalithaa cheerfully reassuring Cho that he will get well soon. The video has helped further dispell the notion that Jayalalithaa was terminally ill.
In the video, Jayalalithaa is seen cheerfully reassuring the writer that he will get well soon.
She asks, “Cho, how are you?” and tells him, “Don’t lift your head.”
It is not very clear what Cho says, but he seems be enquiring about her health, and she says tells him that she is fine and was there to meet him..
When Cho apologises to her for having given her the trouble to come visit him, she laughs it off asking why he was saying sorry, and that it was no trouble for her. “It is always a pleasure to see you. I hope you get better, doctors are quite optimistic, they say that everything will get better,” she says.
Jaya reassures him saying, “You will get better, don’t worry it happens to everybody,” she says adding, “You must think positively, in such situations you must believe that you will get better, then you will get better,” she says.
The 79-year old veteran has been adimitted in hospital reportedly over joint-pains resulting from old age. He has been battling a spate of illnesses in the past year.
The video is testimony to the warm friendship the two strong personalities have shared for decades.
Cho has known Jayalalithaa for nearly 60 years, since she was a small kid. She has also written columns for Cho’s magazine, Thuglaq.
Cho has played an instrumental role in Jayalalithaa’s political career. He has been a trusted advisor for several decades and shared the common cause of fighting their nemesis M Karunanidhi. He has provided her with his counsel and encouragement at crucial moments of her political life. He has helped her cobble together important alliances.
But he has also been her strongest critic at times, showing that he was no blind supporter. But in spite of this, they continue to share a relationship which transcends politics and public life.