The curtains to the illustrious career of J Jayalalithaa came down on Monday when the 68-year-old chief minister passed away after battling for her life for over two months at Apollo Hospital in Chennai.
Condolences poured in from every corner of India, starting from her bereaved supporters to the political class cutting across party lines.
Deputy chariman of Rajya Sabha PJ Kurien has vivid memories of Jayalalithaa’s maiden speech in the Parliament in 1984 which he says was a big spectacle.
Here is how he remembers it:
When J Jayalalithaa made her maiden speech in the Rajya Sabha, even the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi came to the House to hear her.
I was a Lok Sabha member then, and I remember it was like an event here (Parliament).
The gallery was full and when she finished speaking, everyone was praising her articulation, content and language.
It made news that day.
Perhaps she came from the film world and no body thought she can give such a serious speech.If you judge her, she is a leader who lives in the hearts of the poor.
Her decision were keeping in mind the poorest of the poor. She took a number of decisions for women empowerment. She is loved by people.