JUST SPAMMING | The Bizarre Turns That Politics Has Taken
In other words, following someone in hot pursuit is nothing but stalking for no political follower gains anything from his political icon by going behind the vehicle. So that raises questions about the future of the State’s politics and how the younger generation sees its leader as someone to chase in a vehicle on the road and not as someone whose principles and ideals need to be followed in public life
Healthy politics should sharply focus on the future - of the people, society and country - and hence there should be no room or scope for nostalgia in it. But some modern day developments are so absurd that they evoke nostalgia about bygone days and make people wonder where the bizarre turns that parties are taking would lead to. One curiosity of old timers, who have seen and experienced enough political whirls to have at least a shallow understanding of parties, is over the functioning of the nascent Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam, founded by actor Vijay, and behaviour of its followers.
Since the party founder now meets people every Saturday at various locations, identified by the police and other authorities in the places of the party honchos’ choice, one particular set of instructions is being issued on a regular basis to cadre. Of course there is nothing wrong in organizers listing the ‘do’s and don’ts’ to be followed by participants of an event. But in the case of the TVK, what is being repeatedly told on the eve of every meeting, which presumably means that the instructions were not followed in earlier occasions, point to the party acknowledging not just the juvenility of its supporters but also their anticipation of unruly behavior.
To give an example of a standard diktat, issued more on the lines of a standard operating procedure, is ‘do not follow the leader’s (Vijay’s) vehicle on motorcycles or other vehicles.’ Why should someone chase the vehicle of a political leader when he either arrives or leaves the venue of a political meeting if the purpose of their participation in the meeting is to listen to him and know about the party’s avowed ideology, principles, objectives and vision? India has a long political tradition of jamborees attended by large swathes of people gathering at a venue to listen to their leaders, starting from the independence movement.
In Tamil Nadu, too, leaders of all hues address public meetings on a regular basis to persuade people to pursue their ideologies and support their parties and causes but were never worried about the two-wheelers or cars in hot pursuit of them on the road. So does the concern of followers literally following the leader’s vehicle even on the roads portend the dawn of a new era in politics? We all know that the paparazzi has the habit of chasing celebrities and even causing accidents like the one that killed British princess Diana in the Pont de l’Alma tunnel in Paris, way back in 1997 and they had been subjected to public scorn for that.
In other words, following someone in hot pursuit is nothing but stalking for no political follower gains anything from his political icon by going behind the vehicle. So that raises questions about the future of the State’s politics and how the younger generation sees its leader as someone to chase in a vehicle on the road and not as someone whose principles and ideals need to be followed in public life. Another alarm raised every time Vijay comes out of his home to meet people is the possibility of accidents caused by electrocution, a blaze ignited by the lighting of fire crackers and irresponsible riding and parking of vehicles on the roads.
The point is that most of these concerns that the political party leaders raise every weekend sound ridiculous because they are primarily the fears that boggle the minds of elders dealing with children, say like school authorities, caretakers and parents who worry whenever children step on the road. So the question is if the party believes that its cadre cannot take care of themselves by keeping a safe distance from electrical installations like transformers something that even school going children are aware of, how will it galvanize their energy into a political force.
If those repeated instructions sound ridiculous, a certain silence by senior leaders of another national political party over the denigration of its State leader was rather intriguing. When the Tamil Nadu president of the Congress party was verbally attacked by the general secretary of the AIADMK, who suggested that he was shameless and was waiting at the gates of the DMK headquarters, none of the top honchos in the party opened their mouths. Normally those leaders would be up in arms if anyone at the national level was denigrated. But when they kept mum after their own State leader was disparaged, it raised questions about their politics.
For, A Raja, a leader of the alliance partner, DMK, only went for the defense of Selvaperunthagai, who was also forced to reply to the allegations against him. Unlike the TVK, where the juveniles might not know how to reply to charges against their leaders and might also feel restrained by earlier diktats from party leadership about keeping mum, the Congress leaders are seasoned politicians with a reputation for articulating their views. Comparing the TVK cadre with Congress leaders or seeing them in the same light might be inappropriate. Yet, both the trends point to politics in Tamil Nadu turning to a theatre of the absurd. No one is clear as to what is happening and what will happen if such trends continue. At one end we have juveniles - even their leaders don’t sound mature - making a mockery of political gatherings and at another level seasoned politicians let their leaders down.
