TVK Conclave: Nice day for Vijay; Nightmare for Attendees

The V. Salai had the honor of hosting the first state conference of the new political party TVK, serving as the venue for actor-turned-politician and TVK President Vijay's first political speech amidst cheers and enthusiastic attendees in Vikravandi, Villupuram, on Sunday.

 TVK cadres and attendees began arriving even before the event day. The National Highways were lined with TVK banners on either side, greeting Vijay as the "Future CM." However, the excitement of the cadres was short-lived as they reached the Vikravandi Toll. Due to severe traffic congestion, they parked their vehicles along the NH and started walking to the venue, which was approximately five kilometers away.

Severe Traffic snarls at Chennai-Trichy National Highway near Vikravandi toll

The conclave was filled with a thronging crowd even in the early morning. Many attendees waited outside, congested and seemingly dehydrated. None of them could use the internet or make calls since the network was unavailable from Vikravandi Toll. After walking under the scorching sun, they managed to reach the venue. Meanwhile, the TVK conference witnessed 5-6 lakh people on the 85-acre land waiting for their president Vijay's speech, and he made his entry around 4 PM.

 TVK President Vijay paid floral tributes to the photographs of freedom fighters and language martyrs. He walked through the ramp and waved to the cadres and TVK functionaries. Many threw party shawls, and the leader picked up a few and draped them around his neck. He hoisted the party flag on a 100-foot pole installed at the entrance of the venue. Mr. Vijay started his speech in his unique style of storytelling. He said his party was formed on the foundation of their ideology "Pirapokkum Ella Uyirukkum." Their ideological enemy was directly exposed when they laid their ideology, Vijay said. He further referred to his political enemy as a self-serving family group in the mask of social justice. "These corruption-ridden impostors are ruling us now, exploiting the people by using terms like 'Dravidian Model governance' and using Periyar and Anna for personal and political gains," he said.

TVK President Vijay while addressing the crowd 
Picture Courtesy: X 

He mentioned that the party has listed five ideological leaders: Periyar E V Ramasamy for social justice, former Chief Minister K Kamaraj for secular principles and honesty, Father of the Indian Constitution Dr. B.R Ambedkar for equality, freedom fighter Velu Nachiyar for her valor, and Anjalai Ammal for her selfless contributions. However, Vijay said he doesn’t agree with the atheistic principles of Periyar. “Like Aringar Anna, we believe there is only one mankind and one God. We will take forward Periyar’s views on women's education, women's development, social reform, social justice, and rationalist thoughts,” he said. Vijay also mentioned that TVK is the only party to announce women as its ideological leaders. The party also adopted several action plans, including two-language policy, state autonomy, and the preservation of natural resources.

 The whole event ended around 6:30 PM, and the crowd dispersed, leaving behind massive traffic chaos. They again started walking to the Vikravandi Toll since no vehicles could enter the huge crowd. Even ambulances had to wait for a while to make their way. Many two-wheelers hindered the flow of movement, and the police were unable to control the situation. Many were tired and fainted.

Traffic after the conference

"I came solely to see Vijay Anna. Since childhood, I have questioned myself about the political scenarios and poor administration. I believe Vijay Anna will bring change and provide a better society. This is my last hope. Although the conference was equipped with drinking water facilities, I couldn't reach them and remained thirsty. The traffic management and transportation could have been better. Due to poor transport preparations, we were forced to walk, and I have been suffering from severe leg and foot pain because of this," said Joseph Kishore, who hailed from Trichy to attend the conference.

Congestion after the conference

Due to the heavy crowd, a chunk of cadres lost their allies and went missing. They couldn't even call since the mobile networks were unavailable. The vehicles waiting at the toll were confused about whether to wait for the missing ones or leave the road for smooth traffic flow. Many of them slept on the roads, waiting until morning. Eventually, the free flow of traffic resumed after many kilometers from the toll.