Supporters of AIADMK and fans of Tamil Nadu Chief J. Jayalalithaa in the city said they were shattered on learning of her demise on Monday, despite their prayers and hopes for a miracle recovery.
Small pockets of the party’s supporters exist in many areas of Secunderabad, notably in Trimulgherry and Bollarum. Jayalalithaa’s hospitalisation in September descended them into gloom and the community had prayed for her recovery.
“The Tamil people and the AIADMK have lost a great leader. It is a sad day for us,” said Sunder Krishnan, a resident of Bollarum. Mr. Krishnan, a former AIADMK party worker, said social gatherings of the Tamil community in Bollarum have been sombre ever since reports of her ill-health had trickled in earlier this year.
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“Prayers were organised in temples and churches for Jayalalithaa’s recovery. There are many in Hyderabad who support AIADMK and Jayalalithaa in particular. It is trying times for all of us,” said Narasimhan Kannan, who is a Congress party member.
Upon learning Jayalalithaa’s deteriorating health condition, some supporters from the city had made frantic plans to visit Chennai. Sunder Krishnan, who was among them, had set out for Chennai on Friday to learn about the ailing Chief Minister’s health. “It was a hectic trip for me back to Hyderabad. But I and my family, like most other Tamil households in Bollarum, were propped in front of the television,” he said.