By Anjana Sankar, Senior Reporter
The Tamilian community in the UAE was on the edge as contradictory reports about their ailing chief minister’s health poured in from Indian media.
Many news websites and television channels falsely broke news the 68-year-old Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalitha Jayaraman is no more, which was minutes later rubbished by Apollo Hospital in Chennai, where she is admitted. The hospital said in a press release she was still on life support.
There has been an outpouring of grief and hope among the expat community in the UAE after it was reported that Jayalalitha’s health had sunk to critical condition since Sunday.
“I cannot even begin to imagine a Tamil Nadu without Amma. She has done so much for the poor and downtrodden people. She is irreplaceable,” said Sumathy.
The 68-year old actor-turned politician from the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu has been under treatment at the Apollo hospital in Chennai for the last two months.
Ending weeks of speculation about her condition, the hospital announced Amma (mother) — as she is popularly known)- had a cardiac arrest on Sunday and is critical.
Many in the community were holding special prayers at home. On WhatsApp groups, many shared their prayers and wishes for Amma.
The All India Anna Dravida Munetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) leader, who has a cultlike following, is serving as chief minister of Tamil Nadu for the fourth time.
She had acted in more than 150 movies before becoming a stalwart figure in Tamil Nadu politics.
Echoing the sentiments of thousands of her followers in India who have thronged the Apollo Hospital since Sunday, nearly 300,000 strong Tamilian community in the UAE are also nervously anxious about their Amma’s health.
“There are special pujas (prayers) in every home in the UAE for her speedy recovery. My mother in Tamil Nadu had a special prayer meeting at my home for Jayalalitha. People are really worried,” said Ramesh Vishwanathan, Founding President of UAE Tamil Sangam, a voluntary social group.
He said people the nearly 22,000 people on his what’s app group are constantly updating each other on their leader’s health and exchanging wishes of speedy recovery.
“Some have even put Jayalalitha’s picture as their profile photo on WhatsApp,” he added.
Sundar Rajan, 55, who runs a business in Dubai said they are glued to TV sets and are constantly in touch with their relatives in Chennai for updates on Jayalalitha’s condition.
‘Me and my wife were awake at 3am on Sunday to listen to the health updates on TV. It feels like a close family member is fighting for life in the hospital and we are sleepless too,” said Rajan.
