Rajya Sabha Elders Take A Break From Protests To Bid Goodbye To 6 Retiring MPs From TN

In an unusual break from noisy disruptions and hurried adjournments that have marked the Monsoon Session in the past few days, the Rajya Sabha briefly paused to bid goodbye to 6 MPs who were retiring. Incidentally, all MPs were from Tamil Nadu — MDMK veteran Vaiko, PMK leader Dr Anbumani Ramadoss and DMK leader MM Abdulla and three others. It was great to hear the way leaders of other political parties — particularly John Brittas of the CPI(M) or Manoj Jha of RJD — were paying tributes to octogenarian Vaiko for inspiring them to raise issues on the floor of the House. Recalling Vaiko’s commitment to Sri Lankan Tamils’ cause, Brittas mentioned how Vaiko would always be remembered for his daring and courageous journey to Sri Lanka some half-century ago to meet with the (now eliminated) LTTE chief Velupillai Prabhakaran. “He had then dodged watchful eyes of the Indian Navy as well the Sri Lankan Navy. More than Prabhakaran, it was Vaiko whose daring journey to LTTE hide-out and back made him a hero.”  Brittas also shared how FM Nirmala Sitharaman had in a chat recalled Vaiko’s fiery oratory in his younger days. Barring lawyer P Wilson, DMK had not renominated any of its retiring MPs. Vaiko, who entered the RS with the help of DMK, could not have expected TN chief minister MK Stalin to back him as he had left the DMK protesting against late Karunanidhi promoting Stalin as his heir apparent. Ironically, Vaiko is now promoting his own son Durai Vaiko, who is Trichy Lok Sabha MP, at the cost of other MDMK leaders. AAP MP Sanjay Singh was amazed that DMK member MM Abdulla in his farewell speech raised an issue of connectivity for Hindu pilgrims on a busy route in Dindigul district– that too visiting a temple dedicated to a religious man who had passed away recently.