Ever since the Corporation election results were announced I had planned to write this brief article. I was held back only because I could not locate the photo of Kamakshi Jayaraman, the second woman mayor of Madras. I knew I had squirrelled it away somewhere when I wrote the history of the Corporation of Chennai, a book that never saw the light of the day. Finally, I found it yesterday at the bottom of a book cupboard.
Considering that ours is the oldest city corporation in the country, we do have many interesting records apart from being the first of course. The mayors themselves would each merit a detailed study, considering that most of them were outstanding, one way or the other. Some were very colourful characters as well. But this year what is of interest is that we have a mayor who has set a record by way of being the youngest to assume this office. She also happens to be only the third woman to hold this office. The first was Tara Cherian, champion hockey player, social worker, and holder of another unique record as Mayor – she and her husband Dr PV Cherian are the only husband and wife duo to have held office as Mayors, he in 1949/1950 and she in 1957/1958.
The second woman Mayor was Kamakshi Jayaraman, who was in office from 1971-1972. By then elections to the Corporation were fought on party lines and she was elected as a DMK candidate.
The present incumbent Ms R Priya too is from the same party. We wish her well in her endeavours.
The present Mayor, seemed to have an uphill task of just repeating the swearing-in Oath of Office in Tamil. It seemed to be demanding something way beyond her abilities when one would have assumed it to be a rank minimum for someone worthy of the position. In these days of providing representation to women, she checks the box but there are questions about her eligibility to claim a reserved seat while having adopted a religion other than Hinduism – is the allegiance to Hinduism only to claim reservation benefits while in reality and practice, the other religion that seems to be a Plus ?
Hence, is it a case of having the cakeand eating it too, cooking a snook at law and propreity ? Is it making a mockery of law and other people who care to follow it in letter and spirit ? Persons availing reservation benefits should sign a sworn Affidavit confirming allegiance to Hinduism based on which such benefits become eligible and if found to be violating it, should be prosecuted under law.