Chennai: Noted film comedian and character artiste Karunas gave his most memorable performance on Tuesday. The AIADMK legislator from Thiruvadanai in Ramanathapuram moved a few in the Assembly to tears, even as the usually restive Opposition members listened with rapt attention, as he narrated how he had struggled in life sharing sleep space with dogs at the MLAs hostel before finding recognition in Kollywood.
“And now Amma has elevated this ordinary man from a very small village in backward Ramanathapuram district to occupy a 9th floor apartment at the MLAs quarters,” he said in choked voice.
He spoke extempore while reeling out his constituency statistics before his seniors in the Assembly. Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, who was present in the House, was an appreciative listener.
Reminiscing his days as a jobless youth in 1990s when he came to Chennai with the hope of landing a job, Karunas said he would sneak into the old MLAs hostel a little after 11 pm after the watchman slept and pushed the dogs away for some space to spread out and get out by dawn.
From sleeping on the pavement outside the tall buildings - obviously hoping for a bit of shade in the concrete jungle - to now having a flat in the MLA hostel -this was possible only because of “Amma” who has bestowed such a “big recognition” on an ordinary man, Karunas said in his maiden speech in the House.
“If there was one leader liked by people of all sections, it was Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar and after him MGR could get everyone on to his side. But the AIADMK did not contest in 234 seats even under MGR's leadership, whereas did that and scored such a huge achievement,” he said drawing huge applause from the treasury benches.
Listing out the problems of his coastal Thiruvadanai constituency, such as acute water crisis, Karunas pleaded for CM's intervention to solve them. Though he belonged to a particular community, he got votes from people from all religions, “which only proved that the support I had got in the election was for Amma”, he said.
