Wednesday was one such day when fatigued members were energized by a Minister’s singing skills. Already exhausted by members’ lengthy debate on demand for grants for Agriculture, Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairy Development Ministry, the MLAs were further lulled by the informative reply of Dairy Minister Nassar.
Taking over from his cabinet colleague in the post-lunch session on a hot afternoon, state Fisheries Minister Anitha Radhakrishnan put his vocal cords to the test to keep the legislators interested. Anitha sang a couple of old numbers of MGR from the movie Padakotti (Sailor - MGR plays a fisherman in the movie).
The disinterested members lent their ears after the minister sang “Orunaal povaar, orunaal varuvar, ovovoru naalum thuyaram,” in his husky voice. Reacting to some innocuous comment from the Opposition, the Fisheries Minister said, “He (MGR) was the treasurer of the DMK then.” Speaker M Appavu did not mind acknowledging the Minister’s smart thinking as he said, “Everyone was sleeping. You have energised them,” leaving the House in splits.