Date:13/04/2003 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2003/04/13/stories/2003041303010400.htm

Southern States - Tamil Nadu

People's court only way out for Opposition

By V. Jayanth

CHENNAI April 12. A sense of frustration and anger seems to be gripping major Opposition parties in Tamil Nadu. Their inability to raise key issues in the legislature and the chastisement they received at the hands of the Chief Minister yesterday have rubbed salt into their wounds. First, a couple of DMK legislators were suspended for the rest of the budget session; then the main Opposition, DMK, decided to boycott the proceedings until the MLAs were allowed to attend. And finally, the rest of the Opposition was evicted, when it tried to raise the issue of the arrest of M.K. Stalin and four other DMK legislators.

The way the Chief Minister has used the House to harangue to the Opposition parties, not just in the State, but even the Left ruling West Bengal as a coalition, has shocked the legislators as well as their leaders. But they seem to be at a loss not knowing how to deal with this challenge, because there is very little they can do in the House, where, they say, they are not even given an opportunity to respond to the charges flung at them.

Just when the DMK leadership was planning an all-party meeting to chalk out a strategy to protest the arrest of its MLAs, 43 other legislators, who raised this issue, were not only evicted, but also removed to the North Beach police station here a couple of days ago.

One thing the Opposition is clear about - it cannot achieve anything inside the Assembly. The struggle has to be outside and taken to the streets, to the people.

As the Leader of the Congress Legislature party, S. R. Balasubramaniam, says, ``This is an extraordinary situation. We have been denied an opportunity to raise burning issues - arrest of the MLAs, foisting of cases, the plan to demolish the Queen Mary's College here and the strike by government employees. If we cannot discuss these matters in the legislature, what are we there for?''

Most of the Congress legislators are shocked at the epithets the Chief Minister threw at the Opposition for its `behaviour' - ``reprehensible, irresponsible''. And when they tried to protest, they were forced to leave the House.

The CPI leader, G. Palanisamy, is upset that even the unprecedented drought, the plight of farmers and the decision to scrap free power for agriculture have not been debated or discussed. If these are not people's issues, what else, he wonders.

The former DMK Ministers are equally aghast at the turn of events. ``Whenever any of our key speakers or former Ministers speaks, there are interruptions galore. This affects the flow of thought and takes away the time allotted to the MLA. It is testing our patience, but we have shown tremendous restraint'', says a former Minister.

But there is the realisation that something needs to be done and the people ``educated'' about the functioning of the Government and the conduct of the legislature. Unfortunately, there are glaring divisions among the Opposition parties and the ruling AIADMK is not only aware of this situation, but also enjoys exploiting it.

For the DMK, the `war' is against the AIADMK and its regime, and it is no matter of concern that it is part of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance at the Centre. The same is true of the Pattali Makkal Katchi. Though the Congress may have nothing in common with the DMK, the two parties are perhaps the closest in coordination today, despite the BJP factor. It is the CPI (M) and the CPI, which are finding it difficult to reconcile to the DMK ties with the BJP. Even the CPI has adjusted its equations with the DMK on ``the real issues''. But the CPI (M) is unable to come to terms with having to deal with a BJP ally. Hence the call to the DMK to come out of the NDA and assume leadership of a `secular front' here.

The Congress, despite repeated attempts by the high command to unify the State unit, remains deeply divided. Even if the TNCC chief, S. Balakrishnan, and the working president, E. V. K. S. Elangovan, agree to work together, they will find it impossible to set the house in order. Mr. Elangovan today condemned the ``anti-democratic'' attitude of the Chief Minister and pledged his party's support to a `movement' to oppose the regime.

The DMK too has its share of internal problems. But no ruling party will provide so many opportunities and issues for the Opposition to unite. And if the opposition parties fail to accept the challenge, they will have none except themselves to blame.