Jayalalithaa:
It was Emily Dickinson who said: I
measure every grief I meet with narrow probing eyes – I wonder if it weighs
like mine – or has an easier size. In the context of grief it may judgemental
to draw fences and decide how one should react or respond in an hour of grief.
Stiff upper lip? Loud and wailing. To each his own. However the death of Tamil
supremo Amma Jayalalitha brings us back to a worrying trend when people in
large numbers not only get hysterical but begin to take law into their own
hands.
We have in the past been witness to arson and rioting in the name of sorrow and
this becomes worrisome in a society so full of flux. Even at death came
knocking and not so subtly to Poes Garden Chennai – nay Tamil Nadu was holding
its breath. School and retail outlets were willing to have their shutters down
more out of concern than out of grief. This does the leader injustice. The mass
frenzy is often an outcome of the larger than life image we have of these
leaders. And do we have many!!
When the Mahatma died an estimated crowd of 2 million came for the funeral. In
the case of his political heir, then adored and loved now dulled by the wisdom
of the new generation, saw a whopping 1.5 million. Elsewhere in the world when
Diana passed away in a ghastly road accident 5 million came to pay their
respects or quench their thirst – any which way you see with the lenses of
distance, when the racing driver Ayrton Senna breathed his last, there were 3
million. John Paul II Pope – 2 to 4 million and in the case of President Nasser
a whopping 4 million. These figures tell the story of the popularity of the
great persona. Interestingly recently a large crowd turned up to voice their
grief at the passing away of Kim Jong II. While the world may see the North
Korean leader differently he had his followers surely. In any event the death
bed is no place to put the report card of a public personality and at least in
our country we are known to being polite to the dead. Remember the tribute
Vajpayee paid to Sanjay Gandhi!!
South India and particularly Tamil Nadu has a track record of erupting
violence. Before we see Tamil Nadu we cannot forget the drama that went with
the night of the death of Rajiv Gandhi in Hyderabad and much more of it with
the death of Indira Gandhi in Delhi and other parts of North India. The state
also saw anxious moments and persons committing suicide on nearing of the death
of YSR. In Tamil Nadu personal tragedy followed the death of Annadurai and MGR.
Suicides by followers of the heroes showed up reflecting a disturbing trend. Be
it farmers committing suicide because of poverty or students because of exams
or stalking, or party followers on the death of their leader’s precious life is
at stake. Dr G Prasad Rao Indian Psychiatric Society would see this mass
hysteria as a group grief reaction. He was part of a study with Dr VK Varma and
Dr Kishore Chandi when incidents of violence occurred following the death of
Mrs. Indira Gandhi (and not the victims of the riot!!). They saw a pattern in
this human failing to maintain a sense of balance when a near or dear one passes
away. Why specially, in Tamil Nadu? Well, here everything is larger than life.
Where else would we have a temple for a heroine and where else would fans
display unabashed frenzy for the matinee idol. Loud to a fault this larger than
life image first cultivated stays back to take its victims. So great is the
worship of stars and leaders in this part, that the reaction to their death too
is disproportionate by our standards of judgment the cautious doctor, adds.
Mass hysteria and suicides is a product of the personality cult, he says and
adds that such persons do require proper counselling. He refers to the
30-patient study done by the team and finds that intensity of love can be
counterproductive.
Dr Viraja a psychiatrist working with a government hospital would state that
this is a product of acute stress because of adoration. The named leaders
invariably are those with larger than life images. Some even do it to gain
recognition and are a prey to a personality disorder. Also, sometimes the
violence, also a form of personality disorder, is planned by anti-social
elements, Dr Viraja believes.
Talking long distance from USA a GP Dr Madhu Menon would point out that this is
not an exclusive phenomenon with India. He says that recently even though the
last rites of the departed leader Fidel Castro was finished with lightning
speed, lakhs of people would queue up for days on end to see his urns and pay
respects. There are religious groups that fan up such frenzy and group suicides
is not uncommon, he says. He also pointed to how we pray and make demi Gods of
stars – a la pouring litres of milk on cardboard cut outs of film stars. He
said that such an incident is also reported about the President elect of USA
Trump. The violence or the tragedies are because its perpetrators give to the
leader (or star) a large than life- any a near God like image and would thus
like to associate with them in tragedy. The problem is psychological and not
necessarily physiological Dr Madhu Menon clarifies.
Fortunately the frenzy was well handled in the context of the recent tragedy
and those who came to pay homage with tears did it in the right manner and to
the right person.
L. Ravichander.