Thank you Chief Minister, yet again

Dear Chief Minister,

Please accept my sincere thanks. I will tell you why.

5 years ago when you came to power, I was one of the many who rejoiced. When you said that you would meet the press every week, I was over-joyed.

5 x 52 weeks have passed. And you met the press once.

The state was then ruled by a sycophantic conglomerate that whiled away its time ogling at semi-clad actresses gyrate on stage. Now that does not happen. However, I don’t know what you and your govt do.

The state was, albeit 40 years ago, the knowledge capital of the country. Today, it is the ‘water’ capital of the country – literally and figuratively. Chennai either doesn’t have water or has an abundance of it.

I often thought your ministers had hunched backs. But later I learnt that their backs were bent due to an occupational hazard of having had to bend while standing in attention with hands folded, in mock respect.

You promised ‘corruption-free’ governance. What I got was ‘free’ corruption. Yes, either there was corruption or it was ‘free’ and hence corrupt.

I have not forgotten you. But I never understood why you had to remind me of your face when ever I step out of home – in the form of posters, billboards et al.

I wanted ministers who could speak. But what I  got was a bunch of people that repeated what it said and repeatedly said what it repeated.

I can still recall Karunanidhi’s ministers by name. What they ministered is a different matter. But they had a name and I could remember them. The only minister I can remember in your government is you.

I expected rapid turn-around in governance. And I got an assembly resolution to release Rajiv killers.

I didn’t expect statesmen in your team. But I got a bunch who were biological men who couldn’t stand up to what they were expected to stand up for. I wanted them to stand up for what they believed in but found that they didn’t know what they believed in.

I wanted men and women in your team who could speak and act. What I got in return was a group of bench tappers.

The state of Tamil Nadu had produced such stalwarts like R.Venkatraman, O.V.Alagesan, Kamaraj and Rajaji. Though I didn’t expect your ministers to be like these folks, I got only a group of bench bangers.

Name one awe inspiring act of your government and I will change my name to ‘Blistering Barnacles’. Other than keeping the other bunch of looters out of power, I am searching for some contribution of your government to the betterment of the state.

The more countries I visit, the more depressed I am. The Japanese Prime Minister walks with the commuters. Even Obama’s motorcade needs just 3 mins of traffic hold-up in New York. So, what is so special about TN?

Didn’t you find even one English speaking minister in you cabinet? The ex-BJP MP Maitreyan who joined your chorus brigade – where is he now? Why not allocate some decent work for the guy?

Your government has the dubious distinction of making people disappear into thin air at the drop of a hat. Not sure what the trick is. If one face from your party appears in a TV talk-show, then he would be expelled by you in the next one week or so. I think that people wanting to leave your party only take part in TV talks. And what a mess they make!

Neither are the opposition speakers on TV any good. They flounder and stutter and swear at one another. If only you had some speakers whose speech didn’t  start with eulogies to you every time they opened their mouths, your points of view would have been made known. For by the time they finished singing your hosannas, we lost patience and changed channel.

I am not going to talk about the flood management in Chennai. But for the army, some bureaucrats, the NGOs and some well meaning youngsters, the capital would have been washed away, literally.

Dear Chief Minister, the state deserves better than what it has got.

But, is there a choice for us?  Here are the alternatives:

• 2G looters who can’t count the zeroes in their bank balance.
• Wood-cutters, armed with pick axes, roaming around to cut off heads of lower caste folks.
• A semi-conscious alcoholic who never completes a sentence.
• Other lumpen elements that surface during election time.

‘None of the above’ only seems to be an option for me and hence you have a chance again. So don’t let us down, yet again.

A note before I conclude: Neither MGR nor Annadurai did take anything with them when they departed. This holds good for any body and that includes a Chief Minister as well. As far as possible, do good. If not don’t do what you have been doing this term – in case you were doing anything at all.

You don’t need to transform TN into a Gujarat, but don’t make it a Bihar.

Let me know in case of clarifications. But don’t ask your ministers to talk, for I can’t wait until they finish your hosannas.

Thanks

An Indian aspiring a better future.

P.S: My earlier letter to you and your predecessor.