Letters: Self-made politician

With reference to Aditi Phadnis’ article, “Jayalalithaa: Tamil Nadu’s mercurial pharaoh” (December 6), although MGR facilitated her entry into politics, he did not groom her as his successor. In that sense, J Jayalalithaa was a self-made politician.
 
Economists might have frowned upon the slew of populist schemes launched by her, but several of them did benefit the common man in the state. She also focused on attracting investments to the state. In terms of administration, she took several bold decisions, keeping the interests of the state in mind, not going by narrow electoral calculations. This includes the stand she took against the LTTE after Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination, the firmness with which she handled the state government employees’ strike and the action she took against criminals and anti-socials.
 
The law and order situation was perceived to be better whenever she was chief minister. There was Jayalalithaa Amma; will there be another like her?
 
               V Jayaraman   Chennai
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