The Hindu Business Line : TNCC turntable

I HAVE never been in such a fix as when I was frantically casting about for the right title for this piece. Should I call the happenings leading to the dismissal of the President of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC), Mr S. Balakrishnan, and its Working President, Mr E. V. K. S. Ilangovan, and the appointment of Mr G. K. Vasan, as the President, "TNCC musical chairs", "Shuffling the pack", "TNCC turnstile", "TNCC capers" or "Farcical manoeuvres"? I came to the conclusion that it is a bit of everything, and you can have your pick by rotating the table and having a look at whatever comes to view.

Is this latest move going to prove any more efficacious in controlling the constant faction fights and clash of egos in the State unit of the Congress? Especially when it is all reminiscent of the commotion common among penguins on the brink of the cliff, jostling and shoving, to push one of their kind into the sea below to check up the presence of the sea lion, their mortal enemy!

It will not do for the so-called Congress High Command (which really is none other than "annai" — or "Mother" Sonia Gandhi), as the sole and final arbiter of the party's policies and placements, merely to be treating the symptoms by haphazard administration of palliatives. That way, all that has been keeping the State unit on the boil for as long as one can remember will flare up once again. Chopping of heads is, therefore, no solution.

Take the summary disposal of Messrs Balakrishnan and Ilangovan. They were doing no worse than their predecessors in the given situation. In some respects, they were doing somewhat better. True, they could not get over the squabbling and sniping, but the spot they were in was due more to lack of management skills than to malice aforethought.

There is nothing that specially distinguishes their successor except that he is his father's son and the flavour of the month of "annai". On these counts, he may enjoy a brief acceptance, but the seed of trouble is already apparent in Mr. Ilangovan's comment that he saw no need for the imposition of the sudden change, but would abide by it as it was the doing of "annai".

"Annai" should realise that so long as a coterie around her, utterly ignorant of the culture and conditions of Tamil Nadu, operating from 2000 miles away, keeps taking snap decisions, there can be no salvaging of the party's fortunes in the State. She should allow the State unit to function with total autonomy, and give the local leadership all the time it needs to show results, instead of encouraging backbiting.

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