Raja’s self asset declaration form to the election commission aptly identified his nature. Together with his father’s name and his grandfather’s, it turned out to be Karupparajan Durairaj Raja (K.D.Raja). And the initials were what most of his enemies and accomplices called him, when they were out of his ear shot. Here too lay a twist of irony for most of his enemies were accomplices and most of his accomplices- enemies, for Raja was a self-made ‘Politician’.
He had always prided himself in being a ‘self-made’ politician and often lashed out against those families which thrived in politics through generations. Right now Raja was ecstatic. He was returning to his strong hold, his place of birth, that 4.7 square kilometer area where he had shown intelligence and thus established his supremacy over the other goons. It was where he displayed his first skills of a politician.
Raja was now an integral part of what governs the state affairs. He was the local M.L.A. He even had a personal follower (who also doubled up as his prime henchman) by name of Mani. Mani looked up to Raja for everything, for he was being taught the tricks, the how to and the lies to live the life of a politician. Raja had gotten up at six that morning and after paying proper ‘morning dues’ to the party leader and the state chief minister, he was at leisure now. The opening ceremony was to be held at ten that morning. He had ample time to get ready to attend in time. But he chose not to. He knew very well that anticipation played an important part in maintaining control and respect.
Mani had heard him say it almost a thousand times over ‘People do not respect a man when he arrives on time. He hardly interests anyone. But look at the late comer; he is always besieged by the crowd.’ Today, he was doing what he preached. To attend an opening ceremony for which he is the presiding guest, Raja left home one hour after it was slated to begin.
As he climbed into his white ambassador with the red siren swirling on its top, he called out to Mani and said, ‘Mani, you travel with me today.’ No one had expected this. Everyone knew that the goon was getting closer to the M.L.A. But the M.L.A had always had the habit of traveling alone on such occasions. This clearly was a sign of how high Mani was growing in M.L.A’s confidence. There were going to be rumblings later on
The sturdy Ambassador blew up a gust of wind and dust as it moved forward. In the back seat sat the M.L.A with Mani. Twenty two minutes later they were beginning to enter the City Center. Raja was becoming more and more overwhelmed at the every day sights that met him on the road.
‘Look the nadar shop is still there’. He said. ‘I think that was the place where I first stole! You know till date, I have never been ever caught for stealing. For other reasons, may be, but not stealing. Including that 1.3 crore last month from that bridge construction project. ‘The M.L.A and Mani had a good laugh.
Five minutes on they were cutting across the railway tracks. ‘Sivamani went down here you know. He was waiting for the train to pass at this same railway gate. I was sitting near him. Just like you do now’. So saying he turned to look away from the window at Mani. Mani’s eyes were gleaming with attention. ‘You don’t mean to do the same do you?’ He said.
‘Sir! No Sir! You are my Guru. Without you where would I go? ’ replied Mani, speaking for the first time since they left.
‘My shirt was all bloody from making such a close shot. Luckily no one even suspected me. They thought that the job was done from another car. No one was even looking. The driver panicked and ran away. It took three days to find him!’
Again, they laughed together. The car was now speeding through what was a line of mid-rise buildings that had black dirt and grease all over them. ‘Kumaresan Street! How can I forget Kumaresan Street? Chopped off kumar’s right hand in the middle of the crowd with a sickle! I think it was because he had signed a complaint against thalaivar (leader). After chopping it off, I ran into Rani amma’s house, which laid around the corner, dug in her back yard and hid it there’ He was sober now.
‘I bet its still there if they try to find it.’ Once again they laughed.
By now, the car was slowing down and what was once a stream of people walking down the down, now became a throng of people shouting the M.L.A’s name and wishing him good luck and life. ‘Paid ones. No doubt.’ He knew the public hated him. ‘Mani is doing well these days. Where ever does he find money to arrange all this?’ He thought to himself.
Someone inside the crowd shouted ‘M.L.A K.D.Raja Vazhga (Long live M.L.A. K.D.Raja)’. Raja immediately beckoned to Mani. ‘Smart ass is he? Find out who that is and make him meet me in the outhouse’. The M.L.A’s outhouse was infamous for it usually did not do well to the visitor’s health.
Raja went up to the stands and made a bow. The crowd below him looked at him warily. There was a short speech in which he denounced the opposition party and the advantages it took with the police the two years ago. ‘I now declare the new Police station open!’ He quipped beckoning at the small building behind him.
Proceeding to the entrance, he cut the ceremonial red ribbon and smiled slyly at the inspector who saluted him. ‘Bastards. They always turn again you when the government changes. No sense of loyalty at all.’ With glee he remembered what he had did to the Police Inspector who had arrested him two years back. When Raja’s party had come to power; his first act was to transfer the inspector and burn down the police station in which he was once locked up. Now, in the same grounds stood a new one, for which he was the presiding guest of the opening ceremony.
Raja strode in royally to inspect the station. It was simple in lay out two cells next to each other and a third room which served to house the desk of the inspector. The last time he was last in a police station, he was in clothes that were tattered from the beating he had took. Now he was wearing a white spotless shirt and dothi. With an air of officialdom, he whirled about.
The inspector stood at the doorway.
‘Crime is pretty high in these areas inspector. Do not show any sign of kindness or weakness in you duty’ he preached. ‘Pity those fools who are to enter these cells’ he muttered to himself. He was still afraid of police stations.
‘Sure Sir.’ Replied the young inspector. It was pinned with a white badge that identified the wearer to be Rahunathan. ‘We are going to make a perfect example of our very first inmate.’
‘Yeah Yeah . I know that idiotic one handed Kumar again. He never learns does he?’
‘Wrong sir!’, the inspector replied. ’Its you!’
‘ME? ARE YOU MAD? WHAT HAVE I DONE?’ the M.L.A was screaming at the top of his voice.
‘No sir , I am not mad. We have sufficient proof of all your crimes.’
‘WHAT DO YOU KNOW? DO YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO THE LAST INSPECTOR WHO STOOD AGAINST ME? ’
Raja was now venting and breathing hard. ‘THAT’S IT. MANI! MANI! WHERE ARE YOU?’
The inspector finally said, ‘Sir, it was Mani who tape recorded all your conversations for us during the past few days. He says there is a particularly juicy bits about which you talked to him while on way here.’
No one moved. Mani was standing at the door step. Raja was clutching the edge of the inspector’s wooden desk. Raja knew from the look in his eye that he wasn’t going to come out alive from the cells this time. The future M.L.A smiled slyly before walking off.
He had always prided himself in being a ‘self-made’ politician and often lashed out against those families which thrived in politics through generations. Right now Raja was ecstatic. He was returning to his strong hold, his place of birth, that 4.7 square kilometer area where he had shown intelligence and thus established his supremacy over the other goons. It was where he displayed his first skills of a politician.
Raja was now an integral part of what governs the state affairs. He was the local M.L.A. He even had a personal follower (who also doubled up as his prime henchman) by name of Mani. Mani looked up to Raja for everything, for he was being taught the tricks, the how to and the lies to live the life of a politician. Raja had gotten up at six that morning and after paying proper ‘morning dues’ to the party leader and the state chief minister, he was at leisure now. The opening ceremony was to be held at ten that morning. He had ample time to get ready to attend in time. But he chose not to. He knew very well that anticipation played an important part in maintaining control and respect.
Mani had heard him say it almost a thousand times over ‘People do not respect a man when he arrives on time. He hardly interests anyone. But look at the late comer; he is always besieged by the crowd.’ Today, he was doing what he preached. To attend an opening ceremony for which he is the presiding guest, Raja left home one hour after it was slated to begin.
As he climbed into his white ambassador with the red siren swirling on its top, he called out to Mani and said, ‘Mani, you travel with me today.’ No one had expected this. Everyone knew that the goon was getting closer to the M.L.A. But the M.L.A had always had the habit of traveling alone on such occasions. This clearly was a sign of how high Mani was growing in M.L.A’s confidence. There were going to be rumblings later on
The sturdy Ambassador blew up a gust of wind and dust as it moved forward. In the back seat sat the M.L.A with Mani. Twenty two minutes later they were beginning to enter the City Center. Raja was becoming more and more overwhelmed at the every day sights that met him on the road.
‘Look the nadar shop is still there’. He said. ‘I think that was the place where I first stole! You know till date, I have never been ever caught for stealing. For other reasons, may be, but not stealing. Including that 1.3 crore last month from that bridge construction project. ‘The M.L.A and Mani had a good laugh.
Five minutes on they were cutting across the railway tracks. ‘Sivamani went down here you know. He was waiting for the train to pass at this same railway gate. I was sitting near him. Just like you do now’. So saying he turned to look away from the window at Mani. Mani’s eyes were gleaming with attention. ‘You don’t mean to do the same do you?’ He said.
‘Sir! No Sir! You are my Guru. Without you where would I go? ’ replied Mani, speaking for the first time since they left.
‘My shirt was all bloody from making such a close shot. Luckily no one even suspected me. They thought that the job was done from another car. No one was even looking. The driver panicked and ran away. It took three days to find him!’
Again, they laughed together. The car was now speeding through what was a line of mid-rise buildings that had black dirt and grease all over them. ‘Kumaresan Street! How can I forget Kumaresan Street? Chopped off kumar’s right hand in the middle of the crowd with a sickle! I think it was because he had signed a complaint against thalaivar (leader). After chopping it off, I ran into Rani amma’s house, which laid around the corner, dug in her back yard and hid it there’ He was sober now.
‘I bet its still there if they try to find it.’ Once again they laughed.
By now, the car was slowing down and what was once a stream of people walking down the down, now became a throng of people shouting the M.L.A’s name and wishing him good luck and life. ‘Paid ones. No doubt.’ He knew the public hated him. ‘Mani is doing well these days. Where ever does he find money to arrange all this?’ He thought to himself.
Someone inside the crowd shouted ‘M.L.A K.D.Raja Vazhga (Long live M.L.A. K.D.Raja)’. Raja immediately beckoned to Mani. ‘Smart ass is he? Find out who that is and make him meet me in the outhouse’. The M.L.A’s outhouse was infamous for it usually did not do well to the visitor’s health.
Raja went up to the stands and made a bow. The crowd below him looked at him warily. There was a short speech in which he denounced the opposition party and the advantages it took with the police the two years ago. ‘I now declare the new Police station open!’ He quipped beckoning at the small building behind him.
Proceeding to the entrance, he cut the ceremonial red ribbon and smiled slyly at the inspector who saluted him. ‘Bastards. They always turn again you when the government changes. No sense of loyalty at all.’ With glee he remembered what he had did to the Police Inspector who had arrested him two years back. When Raja’s party had come to power; his first act was to transfer the inspector and burn down the police station in which he was once locked up. Now, in the same grounds stood a new one, for which he was the presiding guest of the opening ceremony.
Raja strode in royally to inspect the station. It was simple in lay out two cells next to each other and a third room which served to house the desk of the inspector. The last time he was last in a police station, he was in clothes that were tattered from the beating he had took. Now he was wearing a white spotless shirt and dothi. With an air of officialdom, he whirled about.
The inspector stood at the doorway.
‘Crime is pretty high in these areas inspector. Do not show any sign of kindness or weakness in you duty’ he preached. ‘Pity those fools who are to enter these cells’ he muttered to himself. He was still afraid of police stations.
‘Sure Sir.’ Replied the young inspector. It was pinned with a white badge that identified the wearer to be Rahunathan. ‘We are going to make a perfect example of our very first inmate.’
‘Yeah Yeah . I know that idiotic one handed Kumar again. He never learns does he?’
‘Wrong sir!’, the inspector replied. ’Its you!’
‘ME? ARE YOU MAD? WHAT HAVE I DONE?’ the M.L.A was screaming at the top of his voice.
‘No sir , I am not mad. We have sufficient proof of all your crimes.’
‘WHAT DO YOU KNOW? DO YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO THE LAST INSPECTOR WHO STOOD AGAINST ME? ’
Raja was now venting and breathing hard. ‘THAT’S IT. MANI! MANI! WHERE ARE YOU?’
The inspector finally said, ‘Sir, it was Mani who tape recorded all your conversations for us during the past few days. He says there is a particularly juicy bits about which you talked to him while on way here.’
No one moved. Mani was standing at the door step. Raja was clutching the edge of the inspector’s wooden desk. Raja knew from the look in his eye that he wasn’t going to come out alive from the cells this time. The future M.L.A smiled slyly before walking off.
