Bhaskaran, Selvam and HariPrasad, Rajaji, devised much of the strategy with Annadurai in the mid-1960s, for the 1967 DMK rule. He ignored the strident anti-brahmin abuse of the DMK, but focused on his opposition to the Congress. He started with TN, then went on to all-India level with his Swatantra Party to oppose Congress. Many brahmins followed Rajaji's advice and voted for DMK in 1967. It is disappointing that DMK, ADMK rule has turned out to be worse than the Congress rule. Only emotional rhetoric, symbolic gestures like "Make Tamil a Classical language". No real progress in anything much. Corruption strong. I am sad that "caste" has been strengthened. There is a party for "Naickers", one for "Nadars", one for thevars, one for "Dalits-1" (Thiruma Valavan) and another for "Dalits-2" (Krishnaswamy). I see a Sangham for every caste as there were in the 19th century. I am also saddened by the spreading "goondaism". Example, the disgraceful Chennai Corpn. elections in 2007 ( I and another person went to vote, found an open lorry blocking the booth - with DMK rowdies waving weapons, we heard one say, "Dai, indha rendu iyerungalaiyun oottukku pochchollu" = "Ask the two iyers to go home") and the recent violence within the DMK party elections in UdamalaiPettai, when a DSP was badly beaten up for doing his job. In my view, Tamils used to be a polite, cultured and warm people. But since the 1960s they have taken another "avataram". These are not the people I grew up with.
