S. Ramadoss and Anbumani Ramadoss: Father, son, and a disagreement

PMK founder S. Ramadoss addresses PMK cadre at a gathering in Salem together with his son Anbumani Ramadoss sitting subsequent to him. File
| Photograph Credit score: The Hindu

In 2011, through the run-up to the Tamil Nadu Meeting elections, Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) chief S. Ramadoss visited DMK chief M. Karunanidhi at his Gopalapuram residence to ask him for a household wedding ceremony. Karunanidhi didn’t miss the chance to rope the PMK into the DMK-led alliance, though the PMK had contested the 2009 Lok Sabha elections as a part of the AIADMK alliance. The PMK had did not win a single seat in that election, regardless of being thought of a robust ally able to tilting the scales of victory for any alliance. But, this notion of the celebration being a robust ally led Karunanidhi to generously allot 30 seats to the PMK and seal the alliance. Nonetheless, the PMK managed to safe solely three seats, proving that its decline had truly begun as early as 2009.

Dr. Ramadoss, a medical physician by qualification, has at all times performed his political playing cards fastidiously, switching alliances from one election to a different, however failing to gauge the shifting sands of Tamil Nadu politics. In 2009, the PMK suffered defeat by aligning with the AIADMK. It was routed once more within the 2011 polls. The emergence of the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam, led by actor Vijayakant, in 2005, additionally eclipsed the PMK’s affect in lots of areas.

The celebration has by no means been capable of reclaim its previous glory, regardless of having been a part of the Union authorities from 1998 to 2009. Throughout that point, Anbumani Ramadoss, Dr. Ramadoss’s son, held the well being portfolio (2004-09). Right this moment, regardless of its organisational energy and the help of the Vanniyars, its core base, the celebration finds itself at a crossroads because of the rising rift between Dr. Ramadoss and Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss.

Within the Eighties, Dr. Ramadoss mobilised the Vanniyars by championing their declare for Most Backward Class standing. After the DMK authorities led by Karunanidhi granted 20% reservation by grouping collectively a number of communities, together with the Vanniyars, Ramadoss based the PMK. In a symbolic gesture paying homage to Piloo Mody, Dr. Ramadoss despatched Panruti S. Ramachandran, the PMK’s lone MLA in 1991, to the Meeting using an elephant — the image on which he received. The celebration carried out nicely within the 1996, 2001, and 2006 Meeting elections.

The PMK entered the nationwide stage when Dr. Ramadoss joined the AIADMK-BJP alliance in 1998 and secured a Union Cupboard berth for Dalit Ezhilmalai, the celebration’s basic secretary. He remained with the BJP even after Jayalalithaa toppled the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led authorities. This paid off because the BJP-DMK mix made good good points in 1999. The PMK was allotted two ministerial berths within the BJP-led authorities. In 2004, together with the DMK, it joined the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance, and Anbumani Ramadoss grew to become a Union Minister within the Manmohan Singh authorities.

Dr. Ramadoss, who as soon as acted as a bridge between the Vanniyars and Dalits, additionally sought to shed the picture of being a solely Vanniyar celebration by espousing Tamil identification and dealing carefully with Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi chief Thol. Thirumavalavan and Tamil nationalist chief Pazha Nedumaran. Nonetheless, successive electoral defeats compelled him to take refuge in caste-based politics. He even ran a marketing campaign focusing on the Scheduled Castes (SCs), accusing their youth of carrying denims and sun shades and luring ladies from different communities for his or her wealth. In 2012, the tragic demise of Dharmapuri Ilavarasan, an SC man, who married Divya, a Vanniyar girl, brought about deep harm to the PMK’s picture. Since then, it has not been capable of shed the ‘Vanniyar celebration’ picture.

The present disagreement between father and son has crossed all limits and shocked observers who’ve adopted the PMK for many years. Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss had at all times mentioned that his father is his position mannequin and has acknowledged his organisational expertise.

The absence of political energy and affect appears to have made Dr. Ramadoss determined and indignant. He’s most likely making a last-ditch effort to safe a steady future for the celebration because the Tamil Nadu political house is just too crowded. His ego doesn’t allow even his son to intrude together with his schemes. He is aware of nicely that Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss, who rose swiftly inside the celebration ranks, might overshadow him, and he’s not ready for that. Neither his relations nor outsiders, together with Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh ideologue S. Gurumurthy, can persuade the unreconstructed Dr. Ramadoss.