Character Sketch and Giveaway: Surpanakha by Hariharan Iyer
Educated, young, no-nonsense bearing, able administrator—these are the qualities that won Sesha the loyalties of the people after three years of rule as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. An allegation that he was the mastermind behind the murder of 73 Kannadigas threatens to bring him down but he is miraculously saved in the 11th hour.
Even before he can relish his victory, Sesha is slapped with the charge of sexually offending a young nurse. This time round, the case is strong and his supporters are uncertain. Worse, his teenage daughter calls him ‘vile’ and walks out of the house. While Mythili, his wife promises her full support, her secretive activities—undertaken with the help of a retired cop—is a cause of concern for Sesha.
Will Zarina, the human-rights activist, succeed in bringing him down? What about the insinuations of a celebrity lawyer that he is casteist and antiminorities? When the young nurse is found dead, the case becomes even more complex. Who is innocent? Who is guilty? And who is the mastermind?
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acquisitions, valuation, EBIDTA-multiple—these were the words in his vocabulary
till he met Ramanamurthy, the ailing Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu at Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York in
2007. A meeting that would change the course of his life from that of a
successful investment banker to the most controversial Chief Minister of Tamil
Nadu.
Ramanamurthy offered him the job of an advisor, no one took offence. When he
inducted Sesha in his cabinet, there were a few murmurs. But when he chose
Sesha as his successor, all hell broke loose.
was a silent revolt against him in the party. He was not in the race at all. He
had all the disqualifications: Brahmin; no political experience; no support
from the party; too young.
did not take his entry lightly. For them, he was an outsider. To make matters
worse, he did not even make an attempt to befriend them. He did not throw
lavish late night parties nor did he shower state courtesies on them. He was
very different from the Dravidian politicians the media had been used to. He
was too young compared to all his predecessors; he wore smart casuals instead
of the typical white full-sleeved shirt and dhoti that were the trademark of
Tamil Nadu politicians; he was not an atheist with a particular dislike only
for Hindu Gods as had become fashionable among Dravidian politicians. As a
result, the more charitable among the journalists felt he was indifferent while
others concluded that he was downright arrogant.
then the people of Tamil Nadu did not have any preconceptions. They judged him
by his achievements. And he had no dearth of achievements—better roads, 24×7
power, water for every village, improved health facilities…
he becomes the darling of the masses. And continues to be so. Till the Cauvery
water dispute blows up.
defies a court verdict and stops releasing water. His wife Mythili meets with a
serious accident and undergoes a major surgery when mindless retaliatory
violence in Chennai leaves 73 Kannadigas working in a chain of Udupi
restaurants dead.
who was a witness to the killing of a group of Kannadigas, charges him with
complicity in the massacre. After a protracted legal battle, the court declares
him innocent. But before he could heave a sigh of relief…
sexual harassment charge surfaces.
nurse who took care of Mythili two years ago alleges molestation by Sesha.
Zarina fights her case. Media teams up with her. His own supporters desert him.
The chorus for his resignation gets louder. Evidence against him piles up.
is isolated.
he ever be able to prove his innocence? Who is with him this time?
Hariharan Iyer is a finance professional based in Dar es Salaam. Not content with just a rewarding corporate job, he took to writing a couple of years back. He blogged on media and current affairs for a year at valadyviews.blogspot.com before hitting on the idea for this novel. An idea so powerful that it convinced the accountant in him that he could put together not just a balance sheet but an intriguing political thriller as well. He has definite views on politics, NGOs and media ethics and has tried to package them in the form of an interesting novel.
Hariharan lives with his wife in Dar es Salaam while his two sons are pursuing their ambitions in India.
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