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? With the merger of TMC and Congress imminent what is the status of your party? (* probable date is August 1) Our main objective is to create a third front in TN. For us to achieve this objective, we have to be an independent party and emphasise this point. We feel, only then our chances of success are high. The Congress has so far not made its stance clear on the formation of a third front. As long as it is not clear if the Congress is willing to lead a third front to contest against the DMK and AIADMK, in the Assembly elections, we will function independently to fulfill our objective. ? When it looked like a third front was coming up in TN, you reportedly made a statement that Rajini should head the third front. Your comments? No. Do not ask questions based on news reports or guesses. ? The middle class supported your idea of the third front in the last elections. Today's youth who are serious about the economy seemed to endorse your economic policies. However, people feel that you have not done enough to build on this popularity; you have not travelled enough in the State after the elections. Your comments? Elections are due only after four years. During this time I want a third front to be born. I do not believe that a new party, on its own, can assume power in TN. So when we talk about the third front, which parties are likely to join the third front is an important question - most likely it will be Congress, TMC merged congress, CPI, Dalit outfits, CPI (M) and may be PMK. All these parties want the support of the DMK or AIADMK some of the time and they want to be independent some of the time. The task is to create a unanimous opinion among the various parties. Only then will a third front be born. My most important duty, I feel, is to bring everyone together. At the same time I will not agree the Congress Democratic Forum has not grown. Youngsters, fresh faces, who are loathe to join other parties, are enrolling in Congress Democratic Forum. Do you hear of new members joining DMK? or AIADMK? or Congress? The answer is no. Some of the dalit outfits do attract youth. Just a few days ago, 120 fresh (faced) young men joined our party. I do not believe in sensational press releases and announcements. My agenda for the next four years is to strengthen our organisation and at the same time make all efforts to form the third front. If I am satisfied with strengthening my party alone, the third front cannot be created.
I'm saying Congress should be part of the third front. TMC, whether alone or merged with Congress should also be part of the third front. There is no rivalry in getting people's support. There is a big void beyond the space dominated by DMK and AIADMK. The third front will fill this void. At the same time the space has to be expanded beyond these two parties. This has been done successfully in other States. For example, in UP, which had only the BJP and Congress, Mulayam Singh Yadav has created his own space. Mayawati has created space for herself. What I am advocating is that a similar development should take place in TN, also. Parties other than the DMK and ADMK have to expand their political space and not compete with each other within that space. ? Awakening of the Dalits has been responsible for Mayawati's rise and the Yadavs have made Mulayam prominent. This implies regional politics making its mark, whereas TN has always had very strong regional parties. Is it correct to say that 'National' parties do not have a worthwhile base, in TN, because they are blind to local problems? To believe that only the Dravidian parties have cared for the Tamils is only a miasma. This impression is prevalent because the Congress did not bother to highlight its deeds, did not do a proper PR, and did not advertise its achievements. The Congress has done much more than either of these two parties, for Tamils and their cause. You should read 'Tamizh Valartha Desiyam' written by Diraviam. The Dravidian parties are better campaigners than the National parties. Therefore, they have succeeded in creating the impression that they are responsible for all the good things. Who was responsible for making Tamil an official language? Who introduced Tamil as a language subject? Who made the salary of Tamil teachers on par with other language teachers? All this happened under the Congress rule. I'm not saying that nothing has been done under Dravidian rule. All I'm trying to say that they are very smart campaigners. ? While talking about the (likely) constituents of the third front, you were rather hesitant while mentioning the PMK, why? Because I'm unable to understand the PMK's position clearly. They are with the ADMK in one election, with the DMK in the next... We have to wait and see if they will always align with one of these parties or they will make it clear to everyone that they are not a Dravidian party and join the third front. If the PMK realises that it can project its own identity, that of representing the weaker sections of society, and that it is not a Dravidian party and also comes forward to join a formation that does not include either the DMK or ADMK, then there is certainly a place for PMK in the third front.
No. Even then we strongly opposed the BJP. We fielded candidates against them and two of our candidates were victorious. No one can deny that first the ADMK and then the DMK helped BJP get a foothold in TN. The effect of the rise of BJP at the National level, was felt in TN also. This 'effect' has more or less disappeared. Two years ago, 2 out of 10 flags in a village used to be BJP flags. Today, BJP's base, in TN, is almost nil. If neither of the Dravidian parties support BJP, that party will draw only a blank, in TN. Published on 18th June 2002 (To be continued) Met by: Vikramdarma & Saravanan
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He was the Finance Minister and earlier the Commerce
Minister in the Union Cabinet. He is credited with a number of bold initiatives. He is now trying to fulfill his dream of a third front, after starting his own party which he named as Tamil Maanila Congress Democratic Forum. Ladies and Gentlemen, we present to you Mr.
P. Chidambaram. In an exclusive to Chennaionline, Mr. Chidambaram speaks on a wide range of topics....
?
You have mentioned that a third front has to come up. In this backdrop you have a unique identity. Why is it that you have not gone beyond this to create a vote bank for yourself? If you had concentrated on some of the Congress strongholds, may be you could have created your vote bank?
?
The major problem in TN politics now seems to be BJP's growth. Both the biggies are vying with each other to support the BJP. If it is DMK with the BJP one day, it is ADMK with BJP the next day. Positions of the other parties becomes uncertain, too. Your party faced similar problems. Is there is a conflict of principles?
