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Why the Death of an Indian Politician Is Sparking Fears of Mass Suicide

The former Tamil Nadu chief minister, Jayalalithaa, died on Monday. The actress turned politician is no stranger to controversy, and her death has been no exception.
Photo by Sindhuja Parthasarathy

A glamorous actress, who turned her back on theatrics to become a popular politician; accused of corruption but widely loved by the public; a fierce advocate for the poor who led a hugely extravagant lifestyle. Jayalalithaa Jayaram, the leader of the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, may have been a woman of contradictions, but her death on Monday has led to a huge outpouring of grief. There have even been concerns that her supporters may kill themselves—so bereft are they at the loss of their beloved Amma (meaning "mother" in Tamil). So who was this enigmatic woman and why has her death sparked such a wave of grief—and even fears of public suicide?

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Jayalalithaa had an unconventional route to politics: She began her working life as a hugely successful actress and was India's highest paid film star from 1965 to 1980, featuring in over 140 films. As an actress, her fame and popularity spread but she grew to be influenced by her mentor MG Ramachandran—a hugely influential actor who had gone on to form his own political party, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK)—and Jayalalithaa soon made her political debut in 1982 at the age of 34.

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Jayalalithaa's pre-existing fame helped her quickly gain ground in the AIADMK. When MG Ramachandran died in 1987, she successfully laid claim to leadership of the party. However, she faced consistent opposition and in 1989 was even physically attacked inside the assembly house by a minister of the governing party. She vowed not to step foot in the building again until "conditions are created for a woman to attend the assembly with dignity." Two years later, Jayalalithaa returned to the House—this time, as Tamil Nadu's youngest and first ever female chief minister.

Jayalalithaa meeting then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Photo via Wikimedia Commons

"She was like a goddess to the people of Tamil Nadu," explains Vaishna Roy, associate editor of The Hindu newspaper, speaking from Chennai. "A goddess and a mother rolled into one. Her supporters worshipped her." In a country where the treatment of women is often questionable and criticized, Jayalalithaa's political success is even more notable. "Tamil Nadu is a very patriarchal state, very conservative," says Roy. "Jayalalithaa had a personality that was strong enough to make men obey her and be subservient to her. She was ruthless with dissent. This ability to rule over men would make her a heroine for the women of Tamil Nadu."

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It was Jayalalithaa's ability to brand and rebrand herself that led to her attaining an almost mythic status. In the earlier stages of her political career she was known for her huge extravagance: In 1995, she was widely condemned for funding her foster son's overtly lavish wedding which included a reception banquet for 150,000 guests and cost over $23 million. When one of her houses was raided in 1996, 800 kg of silver, 28 kg of gold and more than 10,000 saris were found. She was also involved in a long-running corruption case in which Jayalalithaa was accused of misusing her position in office to amass immense riches.

Her distaste for political convention didn't end there—in 2001, Jayalalithaa reportedly added the second 'a' to the end of her name after an astrologer told her it would make her more successful. She was also often spotted wearing green saris and huge emeralds—not just because it matched the green leaves of her political party's logo, but because the astrologer also told her it was her lucky colour.

A woman in Tamil Nadu with a ring bearing Jayalalithaa's face. Photo by Sindhuja Parthasarathy

Yet she was universally loved by the poorer sections of Tamil Nadu's society. In her last term, she introduced a variety of welfare schemes, including opening highly subsidized canteens providing cheap food and drink. Dr Kriti Kapila, a lecturer at King's India Institute in London does not believe the raid and subsequent Disproportionate Assets case brought against Jayalalithaa had a significant impact on her reputation. "Her popularity was based to a very large extent of her policy measures—a near universal healthcare coverage scheme in the state, food security, and other more explicitly populist measures… aimed at the disadvantaged sections of the population."

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Chennai local and photojournalist Sindhuja Parthasarathy agrees that Jayalalithaa's welfare policies made many people willing to ignore the less edifying elements of her character, but also points out that Jayalalithaa made a concerted effort to transform her image after the controversies of the 90s. "She managed to redeem her image. If you look at photographs of her 20 or 30 years ago, she was wearing these very amazing saris, covered in jewelry, but towards the end she was always in a plain outfit with no jewels. She made efforts to rebrand herself as humble; as of simple means."

On Tuesday, tens of thousands of people attended Jayalalithaa's funeral, with many prostrating themselves as the coffin passed through the streets. Others became hysterical, overcome with apparent despair. "The grief is indeed genuine," Roy tells me, "People have a strong emotional connect with her. She was a very popular film star and a very powerful leader but at a second level, this kind of vocal, violent grief is very much a part of Tamil culture."

A crowd mourns Jayalalithaa in Tamil Nadu. Photo by Sindhuja Parthasarathy

After MG Ramachandran's death there was widespread violence and rioting, whilst over 30 of his followers even committed suicide as an act of homage, and there are fears that Jayalalithaa's death could spark a similar response. Roy says that many Chennai inhabitants have stocked up on food and drink before shops shut and authorities have drafted in thousands of security forces to protect the city if mass hysteria breaks out.

However, so far things have remained relatively calm. Roy has read of two suicides and one attempted self-immolation, but is surprised that the numbers are so low. "Self-immolation to show sympathy with a leader or film star is a known social phenomenon in Tamil Nadu. People have been known to set themselves ablaze even if a cultural figure is dangerously ill."

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Parthasarathy believes that times have changed and the reaction to Jayalalithaa's death will not be the same as to MG Ramachandran's. "Suicide has happened before and there may be talk of people self-immolating themselves but I think people have evolved now and realise there's no point. We are in mourning, but we're not punishing ourselves."

As the seven-day mourning period in Tamil Nadu gets underway and reflections on Jayalalithaa's life begin, it seems unsurprising that she inspired intense devotion both in life and in death. She worked relentlessly to present herself as powerful and yet vulnerable, cultivating the image of her as both a mother and a goddess, and she navigated her political career with grit, determination, and—at times— brutal ruthlessness. Once the dust has settled, she may well be remembered as savvy leader—one who blurred the lines between celebrity and politics and who challenged perceptions of what female politicians could do.