As the trends began showing a convincing victory for the DMK on May 2, a senior IAS officer paid a quick visit to the Chittaranjan Salai residence of party supremo M.K. Stalin, with a bouquet of roses and a handful of files. The senior bureaucrat, who had worked with Stalin when he was the mayor of Chennai, was the first high-profile visitor to personally greet the incoming chief minister. The roses were to congratulate him, while the files were to brief him on the surging Covid-19 cases and the threat posed by the pandemic.
This is for the first time that someone other than M. Karunanidhi is taking over as chief minister of Tamil Nadu representing the DMK, and it is a major challenge for the party and its leadership. The previous DMK regime, which was in power from 2006 to 2011, had earned the wrath of the people for its alleged abuse of power. As the 68-year-old Stalin gets ready to take over as chief minister, the question doing the rounds on social media and in the minds of the people is, “Has the DMK changed?”
This story is from the May 16, 2021 edition of THE WEEK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the May 16, 2021 edition of THE WEEK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
There Is A Wind Blowing Against The BJP, And It Will Only Pick Up Speed
Interview - Akhilesh Yadav, Former Chief Minister, Uttar Pradesh
Between hospital and home
Transitional care centres can add a lot to India's health care system
EFFORT VS EFFECT
The government's attempts to ensure quality drugs is evident, but how well new policies can be monitored on the ground remains to be seen
A way to let go of fear
Accepting the use of adult diapers is a journey with various stages-denial, concealment, rejection and reluctance
Mandeeps & a miracle
Two strangers, one deadly disease and an act of kindness. How Mandeep Mann saved Mandeep Singh, an acute leukaemia patient, by donating his stem cells
The A, B, C of cosmetic surgery
Between eight to 10 lakh cosmetic surgeries happen in India every year. Who is an ideal candidate, and what are the risks and results you can expect?
Vaccines and meningitis
In sub-Saharan Africa, from Senegal in the west to Ethiopia in the east, and encompassing the northern part of Nigeria, there exists a region known as the African Meningitis Belt (AMB).
Celebrating diversity and inclusivity
As Indians battle it out in our nation's 18th general election, it is again time for voters to reflect on the \"Idea of India\"-or rather, on two duelling ideas of India that are now before us and between which the nation must choose at the ballot box.
Defendant: an Hermès handbag
When Hermès was hit with a class-action lawsuit last month for \"antitrust\" activities, it didn't see it coming. Most of the luxury world has all eyes on this suit, filed by two interested consumers who claim they were denied a purchase, and whether it would go to trial.
A legacy, bound
Amal Allana's biography of her father, Ebrahim Alkazi, is as much personal as it is historical
