MADRAS is still abuzz with the J. Jayalalitha saga. Conversations in bars, buses and living rooms inevitably centre on the latest scandal Sasikala. And soon enough it becomes clear that she has emerged as the city's premier tourist attraction. The visitor is advised to start his Jayalalitha tour with a morning outside her house to catch a glimpse of the cloaked lady as she drives out from her house. Poes Garden, the street on which she lives, reflects her fall from power. In Jayalalitha's chief minister days, entry to the area was banned for ordinary mortals. Now the security barricades which monitored traffic have been removed and there are no policemen to note down your name, address and licence number even as you turn into the street.Adding to Poes Garden's touristy appeal is her bete noire Rajnikant's residence nearby.
The itinerary I was recommended was hot filter coffee at the Woodlands Drive-In, a stroll down Poes Garden and the morning darshan of Rajnikant. While I decided to skip the filmstar, I did catch a glimpse of Jayalalitha. There is always a motley crew of AIADMK workers waiting at her gate to see their leader. The mood is predictably sombre. Some are visibly upset that Jayalalitha has not done anything to refurbish the image of the party, others are worried about possible twists and turns in the Sasikala case. But for her part, Jayalalitha still manages to look unruffled. The Z-category security is still there, but the pomp and fanfare are missing. Traffic constables, I am told, take vicarious pleasure in stopping her motorcade at intersections. A senior police officer tells me that this is a good way to remind Jayalalitha that she is not above the law. The former chief minister who during her term in office went out of her way to pamper the police with sops and awards has few friends in the force now. Even her trusted advisers have deserted her and now openly declare their commitment to the new government. The lonely lady of Poes Garden is how Jayalalitha is referred to in the cocktail circuit.
