History will not forget a courageous leaders like Jayalalithaa

She did not have a grand entry into politics, but when she left it, she had made a mark. 

Rather than confining ourselves to the question as to how history will judge her, it is important to take a broader look at her entry and achievements if any, in politics. Her mentor, the late MGR, with whom she had paired in more than 50 films, was instrumental in her political foray. Jayalalalithaa, who was in wilderness after the sudden death of her mother Sandya, confined herself to home with profound grief. When MGR went to console her, he asked her to enter public life and render service to under privileged and keep her engaged.  He admitted her into AIADMK in 1983 and made her the Propaganda Secretary and made her a Rajya Sabha member in the same year, giving her access to national politics. Her fluency in different languages brought her many friends at the national level. 

When MGR was critically ill and away at the united states during 1985 Assembly and Lok Sabha polls, she campaigned extensively for the AIADMK nominees and helped her party win the polls. People thronged to see her, and both men and women were blown away by her looks and sophistication. But some of senior leaders envied her meticulous rise in the state level politics and urged MGR to strip her of the party post. 

From Kollywood to politics was not an easy task for her. “It was not a walk on rose petals but on a thorny ground. Though I was born with a silver spoon, I have inched forward in politics’, she once said. Though she 

hailed from a wealthy family from Mysuru and attended Church Park Convent, considered a luxury those days, and was a good student, her mother introduced her to Bharatanatyam and performing arts. 

She made her film debut in Sridhar’s Vennira Adai and never looked back.  She paired with all leading actors at that time and most of films were runaway successes. Adimai Penn with MGR as hero,  Engirotha Vannthal, in which she paired with Sivaji Ganesan and Suryakan thi with Muthuraman were some her best films. 

After her entry into politics, she was made as a member of the committee to oversea the midday meals scheme, the first public office she occupied.  However, she reached the nadir of her 

political life after the death of MGR. 

But she fought back. She split the party with majority of the party cadres siding with her.  But due to the split in the party, the popular two symbol of the party was frozen by the election commission leading to the defeat of both factions of the AIADMK in 1989 polls. After the elections, DMK came to power in the state and Jayalalithaa became the leader of the Opposition, the first woman to occupy the post in the state.  

Jayalalithaa fulfilled her vow to return to the house as Chief Minister in 1991 and ruled the state with an iron hand.  During this term as Chief Minister, Janata Party President Dr Subramanian Swamy alleged that she had amassed wealth disproportionate to her income. The case saw her going through ups and downs. The special court found her gullty and punished with four years RI ad a fine of Rs.100  crore  With the special court’s verdict she had to quit, only to become Chief Minister after Karanataka High court setting aside the lower court’s verdict.  She became the Chief Minister once again after the assembly election in May 2016. She passed away on December 6, 2016. 

Though she is no more several schemes like free rice, Amma canteens free bicycles for girls still linger in the minds of the public. Great courageous leaders like her will appear once in a century.