It has been rightly said that in politics, there is no permanent friend or foe (“For one more, a lot lost,” June 28). The DMK pulled out from the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre — after tasting power for nine years —saying the government was not doing enough for Sri Lankan Tamils. Many hailed the DMK leadership as the decision was in tune with the anti-Congress sentiment that prevailed in Tamil Nadu then. The move was also seen as something that would improve the DMK’s electoral prospects in the 2014 Lok Sabha election.
Kanimozhi’s victory in the Rajya Sabha polls with the support of the Congress not only shows the DMK and its leadership in a bad light but also exposes the double standards on the Sri Lankan Tamil issue.
M. Jeyaram,
Sholavandan
Ms Kanimozhi’s election to the Rajya Sabha with the support of the DMK’s one-time ally will most likely clear the decks for a tie-up between the Congress and the DMK in the 2014 polls. As is always done, the two parties can spell out many pious reasons for their coming together in the interest of democracy, secularism and what not. After all, politics is the art of the possible. Power and pelf are the overriding considerations. Well, people are not always amused.
C.G. Kuriakose,
Kothamangalam
The Congress and the DMK were together for nine years, feathering their nests. It would be naïve to assume that the Sri Lankan Tamil issue can break their friendship forever. The DMK chief declared well in advance that his daughter Kanimozhi would contest the Rajya Sabha election and then started seeking support. He has ensured that his daughter will remain an MP for six long years without being directly elected by the people.
The Congress needs the DMK’s support in the Lok Sabha to pass the pending bills before UPA II’s term comes to an end. It also needs a back to ride on in the 2014 election as it cannot stand on its own leg in Tamil Nadu.
E. Rajakumar Arulanandham,
Palayamkottai
The editorial correctly says “all the DMK’s rhetoric in the weeks leading to the breakup in March this year now rings hollow.” Many questions crowd our minds — would the DMK have strained itself so much had the candidate been someone other than Ms Kanimozhi; how will the DMK and the Congress face the people; do they take decisions based on their ideology or other factors; and does their coming together speak well of the parties?
L.V. Vasudevan,
Chennai
