Death of a star politician
Jayaram Jayalalitha, India’s most charismatic and controversial politicians adored by many.
She was one of India’s most successful actresses, and as a politician played a key role in the economic development of the southern state of Tamil Nadu. As head of the AIADMK party, she was elected as chief minister of Tamil Nadu on four occasions, overcoming convictions and jail terms to return to office.
Born of 24th February 1948, in what was then Mysore state, her father a lawyer died when she was only two years old. She an exponent of music and dance and began training as an actress and over three decades she became one of India’s most popular actress appearing in over 140 films. She was introduced to politics by the actor-turned chief Minister MG Ramachandran with whom she starred in several films. She was the first ever woman opposition leader elected to the Tamil Nadu Assembly in 1989 and took her the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Khazagham (AIADMK) party.
She championed the cause of the urban and rural poor by bringing in Amma Canteens – subsidy scheme under which canteens served food at very low prices like £0.15p, Rs2 for South Indian Breakfast, Amma water bottles, Amma Salt, Amma Pharmacies,providing free laptops to thousands of school pupils and students and giving away food mixers and grinder for poor and needy families and even Amma cement. Many publicly funded projects in Tamil Nadu were named after her.
Jayalalitha’s supporters say she was the architect in making Tamil Nadu one of India’s most economically influential states. She was above cast or creed, a Brahmin woman born in Mysore to Iyengar parents, finding acceptance as leader of a Dravidian Party, and became a goddess of the masses.
Jayalalithaa was professionally trained in classical music, western classical piano and various forms of classical dance including Bharatanatyam, Mohiniattam, Manipuri and Kathak.
According to reports, Jayalalithaa drew a salary of just one Rupee for her job as chief minister.