At Apollo’s gates, priests, prayers and conversations with the faithful
On Greams Lane, the day begins long before dawn breaks. Policemen and journalists who spent the night outside the gates of Apollo Hospital walk to a tea shop on Greams Road that opens at 4 a.m. “There is someone who comes daily to check on the Chief Minister. He is physically handicapped; the AIADMK supporters ignore him. I share with him whatever food the hospital serves us,” said a policeman, striking up a conversation.
Shortly after, the milk arrives. The delivery boy has to pretend this is like any other day: he studiously ignores the barricades that ensure a section of Greams Lane is reserved for police vehicles, he does not make eye contact with the men in khaki as his milk crates scraping the tarmac interrupt the silence. The newspaper vendor, who follows, is almost apologetic about having to deliver two packets of newspapers to the gate.
Restricted entry
The hospital serves tea at 5.15 a.m. These beverages, meals and a handful of plastic chairs are Apollo’s only acknowledgement of the media tripods camped to the right of its main gate round-the-clock. Entry is regulated, with the hospital guards having the final call on whether to wave vehicles through. It rains most evenings. On Friday night, the police refused to let anyone take shelter in the hospital’s Sindoori block. After an argument about saving precious electronic equipment, a few manage to get on to the portico.
Greams Lane wakes up shortly after 5.30 a.m., with Apollo staff arriving for the morning shift. Patients and bystanders too, make an appearance, some walking the 300 metres from Greams Road, without realising the hospital operates a free pick-up-and-drop service. With VIPs accessing the main gate, patients line up outside the entrance to Sindoori. “Patients are allowed from the main entrance as well, if there is a need. There is no problem as such, the treatment and everything else is normal,” said Mohamad Razack, who had come with his 60-year-old mother for a routine check-up.
“We have two shifts. From 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. and 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.,” said a woman constable. There are two breaks, 1-2 p.m. for lunch and 8-8.30 p.m. for dinner. Meanwhile, the Amma Unavagam adjacent the hospital provides brisk service.
First to arrive
Minister for Public Works, Edappadi K. Palaniswami, was the first VIP to arrive on Sunday, at around 7 a.m. By 10.30 a.m., almost all the 32 State Ministers were in the hospital. With Gandhi Jayanthi being celebrated on the day, Ministers joined Governor (in-charge) C. Vidyasagar Rao at the Gandhi statue on Kamarajar Road. Finance Minister O. Paneerselvam arrived shortly after 11 a.m.. Over the past week, a pattern emerged: Paneerselvam arriving past 7 p.m. and usually one of the last to leave, sometimes as late as 11 p.m.. None of the Ministers interact with the media, a tradition which survived on Sunday.
Prayers and pujas are held regularly outside the hospital gates. For instance, early on Friday, Anbarasu, the ‘poojari’ from the Kali Bhagavathy Amman Temple in Porur presented himself outside the main entrance. He created a formation and placed ash gourd (poosanikkai) and coconuts. He then lit camphor kept on them. He picked up the ash gourd and coconuts, circled them a few times and flung them on the ground, smashing them to pieces. On Saturday morning, a priest named Alphonse Raja from Tiruchi offered to apply some oil on the CM’s head to help her recover. Sunday morning saw six individuals lighting candles outside the gate and reading from the Bible, praying for the CM’s health. AIADMK supporters smashed a pumpkin for her shortly after.
Cadres attack rumours
AIADMK cadre gathered outside the gates to keep vigil lash out at the DMK for spreading rumours about the CM’s health. They were barricaded into an enclosure to the left of the gate. With them went the chairs that the journalists had been sitting on, facing the faithful. By evening, they were crying, worrying over the CM’s health; some complained about an AIADMK leader who did not allot them seats in the upcoming local body elections.
“We heard that Karunanidhi has asked for Amma’s photograph, as proof that she is keeping well. He never gave out pictures when Murasoli Maran was in the hospital. She is a woman and is under treatment, they need to show some respect here. Moreover even if we show them a picture they would claim it’s been photoshopped,” said party spokesperson C.R. Saraswathi. “The Governor on Saturday clearly stated that she is recovering. What more evidence do they need,” she said.
“Amma works so hard and does so without ever resting, so it is a good thing she gets to rest for a while,” she said. Later she modified it to, “Amma is still working while at the hospital, but this provides some sort of rest for her.” As night falls and rumour mills go into overdrive, the mosquitoes come out. Individuals in possession of mosquito repellent tubes are much in demand outside Apollo’s gates.
Source: The Hindu
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