Know your MLA

WHO IS OUR MLA? How ACCESSIBLE IS HE?

WHAT HAS HE DONE?
Know your MLA
» Continued/rom page 1

"Most people are usually under emotional

Sudhir Srinivasan
areas like Santhome, Mylapore and Velachery.
Adyar,
There our
are area,
manycomes
MLAsunder Zonethe
around 10, city
alongwhose
with
faces are not easily recognisable. Our MLA isn't one
such. As most of us are probably aware of, our MLA is S
Ve Shekher. Yes, the popular comedian, theatre artiste,
producer and director, has been the MLA for over two
years now. The man's histrionics propelled him to fame
in the 1970s and since then, he has, more or less, been a
household name.
How accessible is he, though? "Very," he says. "I get calls
from residents all the time. Normally, with all the
councillors around, the MLA doesn't have a great scope
to perform. But I have been doing my best."
He elaborates on one particular instance when a poor
family had to shell out RS1,500 for a cremation, and how
he stepped in to ensure that it was done free-of-cost for
them. He adds, ironically, "Not too many people know
that the government has declared that cremations are
free of cost."
trauma and so, don't mind shelling money at
crematoriums and this quality is presently taken
advantage of." The MLA can be held responsible
for many civic issues including road, street-light
and drainage problems. What is politics to him?
"Politics is a platform to engage in social service,"
he says, nobly. "If anybody looks to make money,
it'll show easily."
His rise to political fame is interesting. He
partook in the 1990local elections as an
independent candidate and managed to outscore
the popular MLA of the area, at that time. "I only
spent RS8,OOO on the elections," he beams. "My
popularity went a long way in ensuring that
people voted for me." Two years ago, AlADMK's
head, Dr J Jayalalithaa roped him into the party
and it has been that way since.
This Mandaiveli resident talks about how he
cannot stand violations on the road and how while
he's travelling, he stops and attempts to rectify
such violations. Some violations he talks about
are encroachments, using the road as a parking
spot, deposition of sand and bricks on the road
near a construction site, etc. "We should all
behave conscientiously," he says. "On an average,
one policeman has to manage about 4,000 people.
It's just not practically viable. People should stop
violating for their convenience." MLAs are
allotted about Rs1.5 crores for area maintenance.
What has he done with it? "I used Rs80 lakhs to
build a gas cremation site near the IG office. I also
spent about Rs60 lakhs to build the
Pattinambakkam bus terminus. The indoor
shuttle court in Mandaiveli was built by me too."
He considers having readied the Kapaaleeswarar
temple for seasonal celebrations and having
managed to grant the status of a government
worker to undertakers as his greatest
achievements.
So, residents of zone 10. should you notice
violations of any kind or be bothered by any civic
problems,feelfree to call your MLA S Ve Shekher
on 9841023545.His e-mail address is
mylaporemla@gmail.com. Let us do our best to live
in more sanitary areas. Alternatively, e-mail us
at thetimeso/adyar@1imesgroup.com
•••
 October 18· 24, 2008
CHAT/S.VE.SHEKHER,M~\_~Y_L_AP_OR_E_T_IM_ES _ J, _
R It- h- t You won a tough contest. But officials, engineers and
Does that mean it is time to
qt!it?

e asevere
be Ions dIpScanno
-
Just b ecause you kept as
do much saying that ofyou
an MLA the couldn't[ others along
work in office
withdous.notAn
I have been elected by the people of
the Mylapore constituency so I must
• Opposition. What
I face lots of stops you?
handicaps. The . MLA has
area in ano
Corporation
value, the represent them for the tenure. For me,
my relationships with people are
Some people in my party
d on't I-k
I e me or w hat d0 I I

You seem to have been

They
are more Important.
Corporati~n

.
moreg~tso the
councillors

if they
attention
belong..
to the party which heads
the civic body.. but I
important. we have built them over
many many years. People in cinema
and theatre, business and photography;
social movements and campaif,'Tls..
.these cannot be severed just because
completely sidelined by your party haven't given up. I keep some people in my party don't like me
You see him now? writing letters, sending or what I do.
everywhere. At ' .. For sometime the party has not e-mails and talking
blood donation been communicating to me about its about issues of my You once said even your local
camps and rallies for key meetings. I don't know the reason constituency ... partymen keep away from you ...
community causes. for this. N ow, you have also I am not of much use to them. I
On stage, acting in been sidelined by don't seek commissions on civic
his plays and off it, So is it time to quit? your own party. How projects, I don',t look for 'cuts' and I
felicitating his I will not leave the party. It has to did this happen? p~blicly raise issues like
colleagues in the take that decision. For over a year, I did encroachments and illegal connections
Thamizh theatre not get invitations to key meetings. and don't invite deals. So I am not the
world. Why did you really join the They told me to keep low from public 'right' person for these people in the
That is S. Ve. AIADMK when you were a strong meetings ... these suggestions did not
I party.
Shekher. BJP sympathiser in the first place? come from Jayalalitha but from other
He is also I joined the AIADMK in 2004 after senior people. Then, at a function
@IDi'jJD~~~
represents Mylapore it lost an election. I did it because I Dayanidhi Maran and I were with
in the Tamil Nadu If GOD BE WITH
liked some of the ideas that Jayalalith~ many others on stage .. so they began
Legislative
Assembly. proposed
often .. I had been
on dIfferent ~eetingI am
occaslQns. her qUitj alongside
talking about
DMK how I chose
people .. I to sit
invited US WHO CAH BE
Elected on the
AGAIHST US
AIADMK ticket, felt a pohtIcal
involved platform
.i~ many social would
issues help
and to
I I but she did not
Jayalalitha come.
to my And when
daughter's the
wedding
Shekheras pursue these causes. chief minister came for the wedding of

legislator has had to
work with limitations which come with
being a member of a party in
Opposition.
Now, he finds himself sidelined
even by the AIADMK.
So where does he stand?
Last week, Shekher who was not
invited to a key meeting of the
AIADMK party, spoke to Mylapore
Times rather candidly.
Excerpts from the interview:
fJ
....,.
my sister's daughter, the gossip went
And you got the ticket to that I was getting close to the DMK. 1
content from Mylapore in the
Assembly elections. How did that
This is how people generate a buzz
against you.
.• ~ .
happen?
. I had never asked for the seat. I So do you have bitter feelings
didn't talk about it. I didn't apply for it about joining the AIADMK?
while others had applied and paid a I regret joining the AIADMK. Before
fee. I got to know of my candidature I joined it, my family and I had great
relations with Jayalalitha. After joining
r from a TV news bulletin.
the party, they are strained. I would
prefer to carryon the warm relations
we have had with many people
including J ayalalitha.