MDMK Vaiko has got arrested for supporting the LTTE the second time around; opening up great possibilities for the media.
The last time he got arrested he put his jail experience to good use and got a fair amount of political mileage out of it. He even authored a book, “From the portals of prison” and got PM Manmohan Singh to release it.
And since the book trick worked once, he’s now authored another one called “Yes, We Can” on Obama, US presidential candidate. In July, he managed to meet Obama on the strength of it (personally I think he would be playing it extra safe if he waited for the results of the US elections before getting into all the bother of writing a sweetening-up book.)
The last time Vaiko got arrested, his arrest was condemned by DMK president M Karunanidhi, S.R. Balasubramaniam of the Congress, PMK S Ramadoss, CPI R Nallakannu & DK Veeramani. This time only PMK Ramadoss & DK Veeramani might actually come around to condemning the arrest….Eagerly awaiting AIADMK chief Jayalalithaa’s take on it as she put him in the coop for the very same reason last time.
MDMK Vaiko has always caught my imagination ever since he changed his name from V Gopalasamy to Vaiko. He provides a lot of colour and fun in an otherwise dull political spectrum with his black shawls (superstition or Periyar leanings?), fiery speeches on “Tamil nationalism” and his frequent shifting of loyalties between the Dravidian parties and national parties.
He fwas groomed DMK chief M Karunanidhi. But once he realized he would have to contend himself with joining the second-power rung of K Anbazhagan, T R Baalu & Co as the top-posts were reserved for MK’s kith and kin, he rebelled….That is of course taking a simplistic view of things, but MK’s curbing his growth in the party was definitely an issue. He was expelled and formed the MDMK in 1993.
But unlike Karunanidhi, Vaiko never knew when to play it safe. Karununaidhi stopped referring to the LTTE chief as thambi Prabhakaran after the PM’s assassination. But Vaiko went ahead with unequivocally supporting the LTTE, which gave AIADMK chief Jaya, who was then the CM, a plum opportunity to get him arrested under POTA.
He then shifted from the BJP to the Congress. The minute he got released, he must have had amnesia, because he conveniently forgot that Jaya got him arrested and joined hands with her.
But poor guy, it turned to be a squib, as he lost the elections and the little amount of respect voters might have had for him.
Spinnin' a yarn 