Vijay cannot be ignored

Vijay cannot be ignored

His speech has drawn admiration and criticism in equal measure

T. Ramakrishnan

ramakrishnan.t@thehindu.co.in  31.10.2024

state of play

The response that Tamil film actor Vijay received for his speech at the inaugural State-level conference of his party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), in Vikravandi on October 27 was mostly on expected lines. Mr. Vijay’s indirect attack on the ruling DMK government in Tamil Nadu and the BJP-led Central government and his statement on power sharing have become talking points among the political parties of the State. While the DMK, a couple of its allies, and the BJP did not take his speech kindly, the AIADMK, the principal Opposition party, viewed it favourably in view of the perception that Mr. Vijay did not target it. If reactions on social media are any indication, the TVK leader’s words created an impact on the people. Some admired the speech, while others criticised him for being vague on many serious issues.

As he laid down the broad contours of his party’s policies and action plans in the already cluttered political landscape of Tamil Nadu, it became clear that Mr. Vijay was adopting the general line of thinking seen in his films. By and large, his films belong to the ‘masala movie’ genre. They offer nothing different either in terms of plot or narration from other movies in the same genre. In many of his films, the protagonist, played by Mr. Vijay, represents subaltern communities or identifies with them.

The manner in which he spoke at Vikravandi, the contents of his speech, and the way the conference was organised indicated that the actor may want to follow a similar formula in politics too: nothing radically new; and in support of social justice.

He did differ from other politicians in some aspects, however. He spoke simple and direct Tamil and liberally used English words and punchlines. He did not wear a crisp, white dhoti, the uniform of politicians in the State, but instead chose trousers and a shirt. The conference began with some of the State’s traditional dance forms — Paraiyattam, Mayilattam, Devarattam, and Vallikummi. He also announced that he would be open not only to forming an alliance with other parties, but also giving a share in power in the event of victory in the 2026 Assembly polls.

Even though the film star-turned-politician did not name the DMK and the BJP in his attack, the leaders of the two parties were quick to find fault with him. Alluding to Mr. Vijay’s observation that the TVK was neither the “A team” nor the “B team” of any other party, the State Law Minister, S. Regupathy, labelled the latest entrant the “C team” of the BJP, while Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting and former State president of the BJP, L. Murugan, contended that Mr. Vijay’s speech lacked clarity. To substantiate his point, he referred to the TVK leader calling Dravidam and Tamil nationalism as “two eyes” and said the two concepts were contradictory to each other.

The DMK’s allies were not attracted by Mr. Vijay’s offer of power sharing. The principal secretary of the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Durai Vaiko, said it would create confusion. The leader of the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, Thol Thirumavalavan, who defended the demand for a share in power not too long ago, said Mr. Vijay’s “offer” was an attempt to pre-empt the AIADMK. The Congress’s State unit chief, K. Selvaperunthagai, said his party would “wait and watch” even as he welcomed Mr. Vijay’s position.

The AIADMK was the only major party which seemed to support Mr. Vijay. Referring to the actor’s observation that certain parties took an “anti-fascism” position but had “underground dealings” with the same forces, the general secretary of the AIADMK, Edappadi K. Palaniswami, said others too were echoing what his party had been saying all along — that the DMK and the BJP shared a “tacit understanding.” He did not want to get drawn into any debate on the issue of power sharing and simply said, “Each party has its own policy...It would not be proper for me to comment on whether his [Mr. Vijay’s] stand is right or wrong.” When asked whether he would agree to a proposal of power sharing where he would be Chief Minister and the TVK leader, the Deputy Chief Minister, in the event of a victory in the elections, the AIADMK leader said that his party was functioning according to the policies set by its previous leaders.

While debates continue on how long the TVK leader will remain in the field, the reactions to his speech have made one thing clear: no one is ignoring Mr. Vijay.