Status quo and change were words that marked the speech of veteran Tamil actor Vijay at the much-awaited inaugural State-level conference of his party, the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, or the TVK (Tamil Nadu Victory Federation), on Sunday. Mr. Vijay, who drew a huge crowd, mostly youth, stuck to the treaded path, when it came to issues such as the political concept of “Dravidam”, opposition to communalism, two-language formula, caste-based survey, NEET, women’s empowerment, and the return of education to the State List. For him, “Dravidam” and Tamil nationalism were like two eyes, even though he did not explicitly define the terms. Neither of the two Dravidian majors, the DMK and the AIADMK, have positioned themselves against Tamil nationalism. Instead, the popular impression they have created is the complementarity of the terms. Invoking DMK founder and former Chief Minister C.N. Annadurai’s position of “one community, one god (Ontre Kulam Oruvane Devan”), the TVK leader made it clear that his organisation was not against believers, a position that has gained acceptance among most parties in the State. But, there is no clarity about what he meant by “secular social justice”. He used the term “proportional representation” to mean the concept of proportional reservation in education and employment — a scheme in the erstwhile Madras Presidency till about the early 1950s, and aligned to demands for a caste census, that is gaining currency. In 1970, the A.N. Sattanathan-headed First Backward Classes Commission concluded that caste-based proportional quota “will neither be administratively feasible nor would it be in the interest of social integration….” Likewise, the proposal of having a branch of the Secretariat in Madurai is a watered down demand for having the city as the second capital.
Mr. Vijay, true to his words of “dropping a bombshell”, made an offer of a share in power, a demand the Dravidian majors have refused to concede. This may have been aimed at unsettling the camp led by the ruling DMK, wherein the Congress and the VCK favour the notion of a coalition government. His assurance of not pursuing the politics of hate or being offensive towards adversaries is noteworthy. At the macro level, he pitted himself against the BJP and the DMK, without naming them explicitly. It remains to be seen whether this political attack will help him get into the anti-DMK space and anti-BJP constituency. As optics, the event was impressive but the TVK might face challenges as Tamil Nadu is known for a duopoly in politics, where attempts to create an alternative force have failed. As he spoke in generalities, there is not much to either welcome or condemn the themes he touched upon.
Published – October 30, 2024 12:10 am IST
