Outlook English - Print Subscribers Copy Outlook English, 16 July 2018 | Page 19

ho wants to challenge the status quo”
Photographs: PTI
Excerpts from the interview:
You have been meeting everyone,
from Stalin to H.D. Kumaraswamy in
Karnataka. In politics, one is supposed
to be adversarial. You seem to like a
charm offensive.
I have called myself ‘politiculturist’. The
time has come when you can be adver-
sarial but not with cudgels. We can agree
to disagree, even openly and brazenly,
but it doesn’t have to be discourteous.
I was tagged as ‘Left-wing’ and when we have clearly indicated from the beg­
I went and met Mr Karunanidhi, they inning our sort of nom de guerre—that
tagged me as Dravidian. When I went we will give you much more. Even in our
to mark 50 years of Murasoli (Tamil first meeting, we said that you (voters)
newspaper), I said something which have been shortchanged and the money
surprised even the DMK cadres. I said that you sold your vote for is not the
this talk of annihilating Dravidian right amount, so I will explain the math-
politics is not possible. The reason: as ematics to you. I spoke to the people. I
long as the word Dravidian stays in the asked: Where does the money come
national anthem, it will stay. And any- from? Have you ever questioned it? It is
body who wants to do politics with that from your pocket. They keep some and
give you some. So you
can, but they need to be
have actually been sho­r­
careful and understand
tchanged. They gave you
that Dravidianism is
“People say that
Rs 5,000, you sold your
pan-national. It is an
you are a naive
democratic right for
anthropological truth.
politician, be
five years. Divide it into
You have been speak-
the number of days—it
ing for the Dravidian
ready for
will
not even amount to
movement since the
compromise.
Rs 3 per day!
Babri Masjid demoli-
Why are we
The kind of argument
tion days.
talking about
you are putting for-
People have forgotten
ward is very middle
all that.
that when you
class. Does it cut ice
But there seem to be
have not even
with people in rural
feudal elements even
taken a stand?”
areas?
within
Dravidian
We are trying to cut ice
politics.
in rural areas because
I want to challenge the
they are not frozen stiff
status quo. That is the
“This talk of
(like urban citizens). I
first purpose, but that
annihilating
tell them: ‘Let me exp­
can’t be the only pur-
Dravidian
lain how you have been
pose of the party. The
cheated. You say that it
challenge is to make this
politics is not
is Rs 5000, do you know
vicious circle virtuous. It
possible.
how much that is in a
is not impossible. People
Dravidianism is
corpus meant for you.
say that you are a naive
Have you ever availed
politician, be ready for
pan-national.
of it? You are quickly
compromise. Why are
It’s ­an
settling for a freebie that
we talking about com-
anthropological
comes your way.’
promise when you have
truth.”
In that case the ques-
not even taken a stand?
tion arises, what are
Even Gandhiji had to
you giving the citizens
make
compromises,
as a leader or as a party?
no­­t­­­hing went his way entirely.
You can take a stand but currently, The thing is to participate. What I tell
irr­espective of which party it is, they them is: ‘Don’t say we will make you a
are all populist in some ways. You, leader, make this go away. Don’t tell me
on the other hand, seem to be less that, because I can’t make it go away,
populist, more popular. How do you because, it is you who made it come in
avoid populism in the age of freebies? the first place. The onus is on you.’
Is the Tamil Nadu of today ready for a So even if your films are slightly fan-
tastic, your politics is very realistic.
post-freebie politics?
It has to start somewhere and I am con- (Laughter) Very realistic. I told them
fident that it will start with us b
­ ecause that I try it even in films, but my business
16 July 2018 OUTLOOK 19