Big men do cry -- for votes

Big men do cry -- for votes

Shanmughasundaram J





Crying and singing and showing excessive emotion has always been part of Tamil culture. The roots of this can be traced to ancient texts and epics in which crying and singing wasn't relegated to just women alone.It does seem that Tamil men are hardwired to cry in public. And during elections, they cry more often.
On Sunday , faced with dissension within the Vellore DMK party over ticket distribution, Duraimurugan started addressing a party volunteers meeting by responding to al legations by dissidents. Then he listed the development projects implemented in Vellore during his tenure as minister.Duraimurugan said that he wanted to establish a government medical college in the constituency , but then AIADMK minister Pandurangan, who won from Anaicut constituency in 2006, took the project to his constituency . Then with his voice breaking, he said: “Death will come to me one day . When my mortal remains are taken out on a procession, the people should remember what I did for them.“
The eight time MLA said that he was determined to bring the multi-specialty hospital this time and establish an arts and science college in the constituency . “Won't you say that this is the man who brought court buildings, university (Thiruvalluvar University) and built bridges when my mortal remains are carried in procession?“ he said, wiping his tears.
The cadres also started crying and shouted out, “nothing will happen to you“.

The women and men cadres started crying and said that “nothing will happen to you”. Mohammed Saqhy, former MP and party presidium chairperson, and others in the dais cajoled him. The speech has given a much needed push for Durai Murugan, who faced a tough fight during last election against AIADMK candidate S R K Appu (alias) S Radhakrishnan. He won the election with a margin of around 2,000 votes.

However, this is not the first time the seasoned politician shed tears in public and party meetings. During the election campaign in Shenbakkam, which was annexed in the constituency in 2008 delimitation process, he shed tears for vote.

He even cried in an election campaign at Latheri, one of his strongholds, asking the people to vote for him in 2001 election. Durai Murugan had then said that he would retire from politics, if his constituency people did not elect him in the election./eom/shan/