Chirenjeevi and Change...

K. Chirenjeevi & N. Kiran Kumar Reddy

Karl Marx once said that Change is the only constant in nature. It implies that changes are inevitable. The political happenings of twentieth century are a testimony to it. Many changes have occurred within and to those systems that seemed immune to it. However, there have been very few attempts to comprehend the idea of change. While the editorial is too small a place to deliberate on the philosophical implications of change, we could focus on the plight of “change champion” in Andhra Pradesh. It is important to understand the idea of change as every new political formation centres its discourse on the transformations that it will bring in into the polity.

Change is the new mantra. Obama said it and swept Hillary Clinton first and then the Republicans aside on his march to the White House. Closer home, our matinee idol, Chiranjeevi adopted Obama’s lingo, tried to play the underdog and uttered the magic word “CHANGE”, as he promised to arrive as a viable alternative to both the Congress  and the TDP. Besides sections of his fans and his community voting for him, the magic word change had an effect on the neutral vote (the actual deciding vote in any election) which ensured that his party received 18% of the total votes polled.

The rhetoric of change coupled with “social justice” (plus fan clubs and community vote) ensured that the Megastar’s Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) had polled more than 70 lakh votes. The party won in 18 seats. The party’s performance at General Elections in 2009 was neither a blockbuster nor a flop. Bad performance in elections is not a crime and PRP’s performance was not as dismal as it was made out to be. In matured democracies which have adopted proportional representation, Chiru with his 18% votes could have emerged as a potent political force. It is a tragedy that in our first past the post kind of democracy he was relegated to the backbenches.

The fighter that he is on the screen, Chiranjeevi should have used his popularity his 18% votes and 18 MLAs to strive for electoral reforms and usher in change. It is a travesty that he has sold his popularity and the trust of voters as he merged his party with the Congress. Only this afternoon Chiranjeevi was briefing the press of his supposed role in the Grand Old Party. He seemed pretty excited of campaigning in Tamil Nadu elections, as directed by his Madam. The new found exuberance seems ill-founded. After all wasn’t PRP supposed to dislodge the Congress? Didn’t Chiru accuse the Congress (and also the TDP/ BJP et al.) of political corruption and nepotism? Wasn’t PRP formed to seep out the old and the bad?

Chiranjeevi as a film personality is (some might argue was) a demi-god in Andhra Pradesh. I am not aware of his popularity in Tamil Nadu. The leaders of the dominant political formations Karunanidhi, Jayalalitha, Vijay Kanth are all legends of Tamil Cinema. Each of them is a seasoned politician too. In 2004 Rajnikanth had to eat the proverbial humble pie as his fans rejected his direction to vote for the AIADMK& BJP. So what effect would Chiru’s appeal to vote for the Congress-DMK combine have on the Tamil Nadu electorate? Nobody would grudge Chiranjeevi campaigning for his party, but to express childish happiness and exuberance at an invitation (or order) from Madam to campaign in a neighboring state is to undermine himself and demean the voters who reposed their faith in him.

Marx emphasized that “History repeats itself, first as a tragedy, then as a farce.” The adage seems apt for Chiranjeevi, who is now relegated to being one of the many MLAs of Congress in the State. In the next elections (2011, 2012 or 2014 is anybody’s guess) Chiranjeevi might emerge as one of the faces of the Congress. But that is a big might, for he might even end up as the proverbial “has been”.

Democracy is bigger than personalities and parties and if personalities and parties betray people and do not strive to bring in change, people will take it upon themselves and bring it. Events that occurred in the Arab world over the last couple of months testify the same. Chiranjeevi the “champion of change” has let us down, but the strength of change will prevail. However, to bring in change one needs to have diligence and patience which Chiranjeevi the Megastar had in abundance in the film world. Sadly, for all of us he seemed to have lost them as he shifted into politics.


Editorial by: J.Christopher