My daily routine as of now (From December 2009 till may be I complete my M.phil)

I wake up at 8.30 in the morning, finish my morning duties and straight head to college. I should reach there by 10 to get my attendance for that day. So I make sure I leave early to reach there in time. It’s as usual there, none of me lectures would have come at that time and if at all they were there, they would be doing some work. Then I sit down to have a chit chat with my friends talking about politics, life, love, girls and whatever comes up at that time and suddenly we realize that it’s 1 o’clock and time to have our lunch. I then wait till others have their food because I don’t fell hungry at that time and so I keep listening to songs trying a get a small nap till they all finish their lunch, but still I fail most of the time because of the noisy environment over there. The talk continues after their lunch session is over and we continue to talk on things we left off. Time waits for none and suddenly I feel my stomach pinching me from inside and that’s the time I open my lunch box and its 2 or even 2.30 sometimes.

Again we have a small lunch session, the guys alone, because I don’t eat my food fully and then we head to the tea shop after a while which is near our department itself. But the strong tea never helps me to stay awake and my head starts to spin which nobody understands or even realizes that this is happening to me. I then start back home at about 3 or 3.30 sometimes even later. As soon as I reach home I hit my bed and sneak off into dreamland.

At the stroke of 6 my mom comes back home and wakes me up and by 6.30 I finish my dinner and head off to work. Well, after that I have to stay there till 4 and sometimes it extends till 5. Then I come back home sleep at once I enter the house and wake up again at 8 that same day in the morning. It’s the pure grace of my Lord that keeps me going despite this hectic schedule of mine. He leads me in a miraculous way. His unseen hand guards me and shows me the way in which I have to go. Let all praise and honor be to my Lord Jesus Christ alone.

Aesthetization of Politics in Tamil Nadu

Aestheticization is used to depict as being pleasing or to symbolize to be in an idealized or refined manner in Tamil Nadu from the time the very concept of politics was recognized by the people of our state. From the very beginning people used some kind of reaching motion of medium to correspond or to entrust their ideas on others. Whenever Periyar voiced his ideas he used to be different from the sayings of others which made people think the other way. This was a tool used by him to spread his views. His ideas are strongly recommended by many (Even I am a strong follower of Periyar) because of his fight against injustice. This thought being different from the authoritarian rule of that time.

The “King Maker” Mr. Kamaraj started his early political life by joining the congress party at an very early age of 16 by participating in the march to Vedaranyam led by C. Rajagopalachari as part of the Salt Satyagraha in March 1930. This was his first step to get into active politics by being different from the authoritarian rule of that time.

Early politicians used aestheticization to propaganda a noble cause which will benefit the people. But as years went by, modernization started playing an important role in politics. People started using the visual medium as a strong tool to spread their fame. The late Conjeevaram Natarajan Annadurai, the then chief minister of Tamil Nadu shot to fame not only because of his well known oratorical skills and his writing abilities, he used theater as an effective medium to gain popularity. He had scripted and acted in several plays. Some of his plays were later made as movies. He was the first politician from the Dravidian parties to extensively use Tamil cinema for political propaganda.

After him following in his footsteps was the great M. G. Ramachandran who later became the most popular Chief Minister of this state. He made his film debut in 1935, in the film Sati Leelavati. M. G. R. dominated Tamil cinema during the Fifties and Sixties with multiple blockbusters. He rose to super-stardom in 1954 after Malai Kallan. Later, this film was used as a template for other films by playing roles that portrayed him as the savior of the poor and the oppressed. His movies were the medium of communication for the Dravidian movement. He had the maximum number of all-time blockbusters to his credit at that time. This stardom status helped him to make a mark in the political arena in this state. The party which is founded by him the A.I.A.D.M.K swept the polls whenever it consisted for elections under his leadership. Such was his stardom effectively used in politics. His co-star in most of his movies actor J. Jayalalithaa took up his post in that party after his demise.

Our current Chief Minister MR. M. Karunanidhi began his career as a scriptwriter in the Tamil film industry. He is known for his wit and oratorical skills, qualities which helped his rapid rise as a popular politician. He was famous for writing historical and social (reformist) stories which propagated the socialist and rationalist ideals of the Dravidian movement to which he belonged. His stardom saw him get elected at the highest office in this state five times. His greatest political rival J. Jayalalithaa started acting when she was 15. She acted in a number of films in which most of them were with M. G. Ramachandran through which she entered politics as well.

Political parties have started owning television channels which serve as a strong tool to furnish their goals and to make a strong mark among the common man. The sun tv network and the Ktv network owned by the DMK family is the largest viewed regional channel in Asia. This medium helps them give a fast reach. Similarly the Jaya tv network is owned by the AIADMK chief.

Nowadays every other actor in Tamil cinema wants to become a politician. They enter active politics once they get a little bit established in the film field. The recent actors changed politician is Vijayakanth who is the founder of the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam. Looking at him followed Mr. Sarathkumar who started his career in Tamil cinema playing negative roles, and later played minor roles in other movies. He then later started a new political party claiming to carry out the ideals of K. Kamaraj Nadar.