The Brand Amma - Social Work or Self Promotion

J Jayalalithaa, the actress turned Chief minister of Tamil Nadu was given the nickname "Amma" by her followers comparing to or assuming her Amma (Mother). But, she developed this nickname to be the biggest brand in Tamil Nadu, the “Amma brand”. Despite having no market value of this brand, it has a very significant value for the people of Tamil Nadu, especially the poor and the have-nots. For them, she is the goddess who is not only filling their hungry stomach but also providing them almost all basic items necessary for living a decent life (including some luxurious items too).

After becoming CM, the major work Jayalalithaa's government has done is providing subsidy and freebies to the people. For instance, subsidized cheap food at canteen, packaged water, pharmacy bill, cement, free rice, free mixer grinder, spectacles, mobiles, laptops, bicycles, etc. all under brand "Amma" and at the price no other shopkeepers, manufacturers or the e-commerce companies can dare to give or if they do we have every right to call them "fools". In other words, the brand "Amma" is all about subsidy!

So, is this the right way of running a state? Why shouldn't Tamil Nadu then become model state for development like the Gujarat model and let Jayalalithaa to expand her brand "Amma" to the national and to the global level? The answer is a big "no" because this may appear as a social work but if we look it more closely, we'll find that this is nothing but an abuse of power for self promotion to remain in power forever.

If she continue to give subsidies in this manner, people will definitely choose her leadership because we know Indians love subsidies. Also, when you've a hungry stomach, you cannot think or decide clearly what is right and what is not. And seriously, why would anyone deny taking this fantastic services of brand "Amma"?

There are charges of corruption against her government and she was also nabbed in the Disproportionate asset case. But, nothing made her weak as she didn't lose trust of the people who elected her and it's all thanks to the brand Amma.

So, how does she compensate the massive subsidy and freebies she offers to the people of Tamil Nadu? Any guess? The answer may be injurious to health!

As election is underway, opposition parties are trying to devalue the Amma brand. The principle opposition party cannot make corruption an issue in this election because people haven't forget the 2G scam yet and if they did, Amma will remind them once again.

As Jayalalithaa provides services of "Amma" not just during elections but 24/7, the Election Commission cannot question her integrity. If EC somehow manage to ban the services during election, then more and more people will come out voting for AIADMK to make Jayalalithaa chief minister once again or to avail services of brand "Amma". In a nutshell, by creating the brand "Amma", Jayalalithaa is ruling the hearts of people and the state of Tamil Nadu.

Comments

Anatomy Of Suicidal Propensity And Life's Purpose

I don't know whether committing suicide is a courageous or cowardly act. And I think, taking a specific side here would be unfair. During evolution, our thinking power enabled us to survive. But, it has also provided us an option to end a messed up life. Suicide is a very serious psychological and philosophical problem that modern humans are facing today. Legally, it is a crime. Religion, too, never permitted this act. And, as a society, we don't want people to do it. To be, or not to be, that is the question: Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And by opposing, end them. To die, to sleep— But, when life becomes miserable, why would one let one's mind to suffer, when there is an option of suicide to attain peace? Why is everyone against suicide? Probably because, suicide is the violation of human survival interest. We are an adapting species and always believe tha...

India Learning To Live With Air Pollution

After Diwali came the inevitable cloud of smog in Delhi. The fact that smog is going to arrive any moment was known to every single person living in Delhi, just the intensity of this smog was a bit surprising. And why not? The toxicity of air was 14-16 times more than the safe limit. The PM 2.5 level skyrocketed making people vulnerable to various respiratory problems. Usually when the smog checks in, a translucent greyish layer of air cover the city. But this winter, this layer was quite thick, almost opaque. As this year's smog came right after Diwali, a number of people directly blamed Diwali's crackers for it. On the other hand, some remain critical of the farmers of Punjab and Haryana who burned their paddy releasing poisonous gases in the air that reached Delhi through the wind. While both burning crackers or crops fairly invite criticism not because they polluted the air but because these actions could have been avoided or minimized. Diwali is celebrated everywhe...

The Failure Of Clean India Campaign

We must applaud the Prime Minister Narendra Modi Step of massive Clean India Campaign which officially began from 2nd October 2014. Whenever he Speaks about cleaning India people all over India as well as people of Indian origin shouts Yes! "This is the man India was waiting for and needed for a long time, he will definitely change India". But after listening to Mr Modi's mesmerising speech we forget everything and start doing the same thing that we are doing for a long time. For example, we spit anywhere, we throw garbage at the place where we found plenty of them, we urinate anywhere we find suitable and comfortable like on the wall, on the bushes. One day I went to someone's house (typical Indian) wearing shoes One lady shouted: "How dare you to come into my house wearing shoes?" I was pretty shocked and I was feeling as if I have done a punishable offence!! Think for a while how much we do to clean our house. But we forget that this country ...

Bihar Liquor Ban - The Political Perspective

Whether you call it Nitish Kumar's masterstroke for gaining publicity and support of people or a responsible chief minister batting for people's interests, on the face of it, it is great that Bihar is free from alcohol abuse. The Bihar excise (amendment) act, 2016 – a very old 1915 act has been converted into a very stringent law – is haunting the alcohol gang of Bihar. This law banned manufacturing, selling or consumption of liquors (strong or mild) and even prescribes the death penalty for the manufacturer, suppliers and sellers of hooch in case of death as a result of consumption of spurious liquors. Although Biharis can drink outside state boundary, they'll be punished if they create nuisance after returning home. The government had actually proposed to ban only 'desi' liquors. The sale of non-country or ‘Indian Made Foreign Liquor’ (IMFL) was allowed, although, with some caveats. However, within five days, the government extended the ban to IMFL as w...

The Indian Society And The Struggle Of Our Sports Fraternity

India, the world’s second-most populous nation, fails to show its dominance in sports. In fact, India's performance remains terrible except in few games. So, what's holding India back when it comes to competing in world sporting events like the Olympics? First, it's the conservative Indian mindset of the Indian society. You might be aware of the saying in India “ Padhoge likhoge banoge Nawab, kheloge kudoge banoge kharab ” which translates to “You can be a king if you study, can be spoilt if you play games.” Social life of a person who took the plunge of making a career in sports in India can be challenging and demotivating. An Indian parents or teachers, being part of the society, don't consider sports as a career. They have the biggest influence in a child's future ambitions. They may scold the child that “playing a sport will get you nowhere in life, but to make a life you need to be good in academics”. In other words, young Indians are discouraged from playing s...

Why Religion Should Not Be Downplayed

When you were a child and your parents told you stories about god, you listened to that with great curiosity and excitement, but as you grow older and started seeing everything with the rational eye of science, you realise that it was a lie, and so every religious event and ritual appears to you as an act of stupidity. Still, you keep worshipping the men or women whom you were told to worship as Gods. Why? Have you considered what is the significance of religion? Religion teaches us that God has created this universe and he is running it in his own way. The Sun, The Moon, Stars, Planets, Living creatures — bacteria, viruses, plants, animals, humans are all the creation of God. We are just doing things ordained by him. It may appear that we are influencing things, but the reality is we, ourselves, are influenced by some heavenly forces. Indians, especially Hindus, are obsessed with rituals and other religious activities like holding fast and going to temple. Some of ...

Forgiveness - Your Way Towards Peace

Forgiveness is a divine power, something that ordinary humans are not entitled to have. And, those who have this quality are more than 'a human'. One, who is free from materialistic desire and, most importantly, the ego, is blessed with such divine power. Whether it is of physical or mental strength, weak cannot forgive others. Forgiveness is always an attribute of strong people. It is a trait of a mature person having deep inner control over his mind. This strength cannot be bought, it has to be earned. But, how would you earn that? I think spirituality may be the answer. There are multiple benefits of forgiveness. It directly influences our thinking process. It sets you free from the negativity building around and boosts positive personality. It saves energy which can be redirected to do productive things. It is also the key to longevity and good health. But, how will you forgive someone who is not even sorry for their action? How will you respond to evil with kindn...

The Sunshine Within You

Search This Blog