An Intriguing Dad-Son Political Spat

 Tamil Nadu: It was termed as unprecedented when Justice N Anand Venkatesh of the Madras High Court summoned PMK party founder S Ramdoss and his son Anbumani Ramadoss to his chambers to find an amicable settlement to their political dispute. The judge was hearing a plea from senior Ramadoss seeking a stay to the general council meeting of the PMK that the son, who was also the president of the party though dad had usurped his powers and demoted him to the position of executive president sometime back, had convened. So when the judge called them for talks, it was seen as an attempt at mediation. But then it could also have been an attempt to simply understand what the father-son political spat was about.

Whatever it was, the spat has assumed the potential to go down in history as an intrigue with a difference. For nobody found any logic or common sense in the feud. Human history might have recorded millions of clashes between fathers and sons in all walks of life, in all cultures. But every fight will have a reason that those close to the persons involved would know. But Ramadoss, who actually started the fight, has not revealed why he was so inimical to his son, whom he has no qualms about disparaging in the open. What he said last was what he said first when the differences came to light. How he could let the party, nurtured by him for four decades, be taken over by Anbumani Ramadoss was all that he had been repeating.

If the veteran leader, who started his political career as a fighter for social justice and strove more for the benefit of his Vanniyar community citing the social and economic backwardness of its members, finds his son unfit to inherit his mantle, legacy and the party now what caused the sudden realization after so many years? So far he has not given any indication on that. All that has emerged from his regular meetings with the media and party leaders is that he vehemently wants to spite his son. For, at the age of 86, he nominates himself as the president of the party by ousting the son from the post.

Ever since Ramadoss started the PMK, way back in 1989, he has not taken any official post other than the ‘founder’ title. In fact when he launched the party he gave an open assurance that no one from his family would get any post in the party or take up any positions in government using the party. But in May 2004, his son Anbumani Ramadoss was made the Union Health Minister in the coalition government supported by the PMK. At that time Anbumani Ramadoss had the distinction of being the youngest Union Minister in the cabinet – he was just 36 years.

Now, more than 20 years later, Ramadoss regrets that decision to hand over the Union Minister post to his son. Of course, he does not seem to rue the fact that he had breached the trust of his supporters by going back on his earlier promise to not give posts to his relatives. Much water has flown down the bridge since then when a much younger senior Ramadoss had even justified the nomination of his son to the Union Ministry that was given to the party for supporting the government. So, he only makes a fool of himself now by regretting what he did then.

But the question is why does he regret it now? That the father has not made that clear despite holding regular media briefings at his Thailapuram house is the main reason for the intrigue. What makes it more intriguing is the fact that Anbumani Ramadoss, who is a qualified doctor, after his induction into the Union Ministry, had only devoted himself to politics completely. Which means he has emerged as the successor of Ramadoss through his work in the party. Of course, the party, too, recognized that by electing him as its president in May 2022 by kicking upstairs its longtime president G K Mani, who was named ‘honorary president.’ So, after all that and when it was resolved that Anbumani would be the successor to his father, why did Ramadoss suddenly strike? Why did he want to become the president at the age of 86 when he had not thought about it at the age of 50 when he had launched the party?

In fact if he now finds his son unfit to inherit his legacy should it have taken such a long time for a man of his political acumen to realize that? It is mind boggling questions like this that add to the intrigue behind the ongoing tussle. In a political party that has been contesting elections regularly, how can the ‘founder’ who has been operating without any official post so long suddenly stake his claim to the leadership officially? Also how does he expect party leaders, functionaries and cadre to have not pledged their loyalty to Anbumani Ramadoss as their official leader when he himself crowned him as the president amidst a hail of criticism?

So when the odds are so heavily pitted against him - even the judge who wanted to mediate has not found a case in favour of the founder - why does Ramadoss painstakingly want to oust his son from the helm of the party? Only Ramadoss can tell us.