If repartee were a performing art form, M Karunanidhi was an absolute master of the genre. Spontaneous and succinct, scathing at times, just joshing at others, he could elevate this virtuosity to devastating effect to render opponents speechless, win over reluctant allies and keep his legions of admirers in thrall.
Politicians, bureaucrats, businessmen, journalists, friends and foes — there were few his lightning quick intellect did not dazzle; there was no one near his match. A keen awareness of this last fact, no doubt, allowed him to even stoop to conquer. The legislative assembly, as main performance venue, was the site of some alltime hits.
In the late 1990s, when Karunanidhi was chief minister, an MLA with ally Tamil Maanila Congress launched into a speech on the need to create the right environment for the software and hardware industry to thrive. He went on and on till Karunanidhi intervened.
“Your speech about software and hardware reminded me of the old days when I went to watch English movies. Whenever the audience laughed, I too laughed so the others wouldn’t know that my English was so poor,” he quipped, trial houses to adopt neighbourhood government hospitals as part of a scheme to improve their upkeep. Officials invited chiefs of these firms to a meeting that Karunanidhi chaired.
One by one, each company head offered to either maintain a hospital or donate a few crore rupees to the scheme. When his turn came, the MD of Titan Industries (located in Hosur, then part of Dharmapuri district) offered ₹50 lakh. “You are from Dharmapuri. Your district is Dharuma-puri (being generous),” Karunanidhi responded. The sarcasm bit deep.
Once a journalist asked Karunanidhi if he would have permitted, if he were the chief minister, the arrest of the Kanchi Shankaracharya for alleged murder. “If I were the chief minister, the murder may not have happened,” Karunanidhi retorted.
After Bill Gates called on him at his Gopalapuram residence, journalists were keen to know what he had discussed with the Microsoft founder. “We discussed the possibility of partnering in a business,” Karunanidhi told the bemused reporters.
On the rare occasion that he needed to get out of a fix, Karunanidhi could count on the skill that became one of his hallmarks. This one, again from the assembly, remains one of the best. After Ra- gave birth to Kanimozhi, a rt stated that she had given ame as the father. The opposiemanded to know if Rajathi is “second wife”. Karunanipoker-faced, replied: “She is other of my child.”
M Karunanidhi
