The unforgettable legacy of a forgotten woman
Jayaram Jayalalithaa, alias Amma (mother), alias Puratchi Thalaivi, alias Thanga Tharagai (golden maiden) played many roles in her life. Rising to prominence in the mid-1960s as Tamil cinema’s “queen”, Jayalalithaa cemented herself in Kollywood while also appearing in numerous other South Indian language films. Even though she entered the film industry with hesitation, upon being insisted by her mother, Jayalalithaa worked prolifically. It was through her friendship with Tamil cultural icon, M.G Ramachandran (MGR) that her reluctant foray into politics began. MGR took Jayalalithaa under his wing in this field as well, accepting her into his party, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK). After his untimely demise, Jayalalithaa proclaimed herself as his political heir and went onto become Tamil Nadu’s youngest chief minister at the time and has rooted herself as a very important figure in Tamil Nadu’s political history.
Throughout her long and successful political career, Jayalalithaa was revered as an intelligent, perceptive and confident woman. Just by listening to her speeches, it was very clear that she can quickly grasp the complexities of any subject. Fresh out of the movie industry, these qualities doubled with her charming personality and beautiful appearance, Jayalalithaa appeared to bowl over her party cadre and supporters with ease. This ‘beauty with brains’ attitude would come to turn her life around after an unruly and heated session in Parliament in 1989. Without considering her intellect or debating points, members of the opposition party began to harass her, disrobe her, tug her hair and assault her. It was after this horrifying incident that Jayalalithaa ‘desexualized’ herself and in extension, her public image. Gone were the lavish gold ornaments, jewellery and ‘pattu’ sarees. She quickly transformed herself into an “Amma” in order to shut down the misogyny and harassment she faced. She persevered through humiliation, allegations of affairs with her mentor and other accusations with tenacity and nonchalance. Although her strength and leadership qualities are undeniable, it brings us to ask the question: was Jayalalithaa a feminist?
To give you a short answer, she was too clever to allow any ideology, principle or bigger picture (however important or popular) become more important than herself. She was always self-reliant and only trusted her own qualities to propel her to power. However, Jayalalithaa was respected for her pro-women policies such as depositing 5000 rupees in the account of every girl child born in the state, in effort to end female infanticide and foeticide. After compounding and reaching 25,000 by the time the girl turned 15, she would transfer them to matriculation schools. Jayalalithaa also pioneered the controversial Cradle Baby Scheme which allowed people to deposit their girl children anonymously in cradles deposited in health centres, temples and orphanages etc… She promoted education of young women and girls by giving away laptops and providing food at very affordable prices through her Amma canteens. During her 1991 term, she started the first all-women police stations in the country. She also later went on to set up an all-women task force. Today, Tamil Nadu boasts the largest number of women police stations in India and the second largest number of women in its police force. Thus even if she was not a vocal feminist, Jayalalithaa did pave a way for the better welfare of women and took on the patriarchy and misogyny every single day.
What impresses me the most about her is the way she climbed the ranks through the male-dominated Dravidian politics. At one point in time, she eliminated all competition and firmly stayed in power. In a state that fluctuates handing over power between two parties every term, getting elected as the Chief Minister twice in a row is a commendable achievement. Jayalalithaa’s supporters are fiercely loyal and devout, to the point of becoming zealots. Her absolute dominance was evident in the way the male ministers and party members would fall to her feet out of respect, and perhaps even surrender. It was truly a sight to see — a gesture that provoked and scared the opposition. She was never in the domain to make friends, often preferring to be surrounded by sycophants. It is understandable to see why it was important for Jayalalithaa, someone who faced nasty misogynistic acts all her life, to wield power through autocratic means. While the quasi/back-handed feminist in us can appreciate the satisfying aspect of her fighting fire with fire, upon closer inspection, it is disappointing.
It comes as a surprise that, after all she had accomplished, she was so quickly forgotten. After her unexpected death, Chennai was hit by a devastating cyclone that shifted the attention from her demise to a state-wide hazard. Now that she is no more, her loyalists are bereft. Even days before her anniversary, there are no news stories remembering her and no talks remembering her legacy. There are no ideas of honoring her, a year later. With Tamil Nadu’s politics only just settling down after a lot of turmoil and disarray, it is evident what a significant role she played in the political affairs of the state. So even though her fanatics may have moved on with their lives, Tamil Nadu, should not forget her contributions towards the development of the state.
Ultimately and undoubtedly, Jayalalithaa was a trailblazer and an influential woman. But, the truth remains that she could have done so much more, as one would expect from any politician. She could have used her voice to fight for women’s rights in more substantive, lasting and impacting ways. She could have used her platform to attempt to dismantle the patriarchy instead of merely exploit it for her own ascension. The highest glass-ceiling is yet to be shattered, but for now, let us appreciate the progress being made for gender equality by leaders such as Hilary Clinton, Theresa May, Angela Merkel and more recently, Jacinda Ardern and Katrín Jakobsdóttir. Women have come a long way in being represented on a political front, but we still have a long way to go. Now that Jayalalithaa has paved the way for women to enter and maybe even settle in politics, it is time for women to become the change the rest of us want to see and not mere leaders.
References:
http://www.thehindu.com/society/Was-Jayalalithaa-a-feminist/article16783981.ece
http://www.womensweb.in/2016/12/jayalalithaa-pro-women-policies/
