A section of the public in Tamil Nadu has expressed anger toward the Election Commission of India following the allotment of an election symbol to actor-turned-politician Vijay’s political party, Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK). The discontent is not related to allegations of electoral malpractice but to the consequences of the symbol chosen for the party.
The Commission is understood to have acted within its mandate while allocating symbols to newly registered political parties. However, the impact of the decision has resulted in public inconvenience in several parts of the state.
TVK was recently allotted the whistle symbol, one of the options sought by the party. Soon after the announcement, complaints began to surface alleging that party supporters had started using whistles aggressively in public spaces. However, the symbol has encouraged excessive noise-making during political mobilisation, particularly in crowded areas.
Residents have reported that whistle-blowing by party cadres has disrupted public movement, with elderly people, women, and daily commuters being particularly affected. It has been alleged that supporters blow whistles at close range while chanting Vijay’s name, creating discomfort and panic in some cases. These actions have been cited as contributing to public frustration directed at the Election Commission’s decision.
A young lady shared a video of the harassment and disturbance TVK cadre were causing to the public. She says, “TVK has been given the whistle symbol and already they are stopping/obstructing buses blowing whistles continuously. I can’t even talk; the whistle sound is so overpowering and loud. They (TVK cadre) are stopping every bus and creating a disturbance”
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This conduct was being justified by party supporters as part of taking the election symbol “to the people.”
The chief of Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam, Vijay, seems to have failed to instill basic discipline among the cadres. Over time, one thing is becoming clear, the party has become a recurring public nuisance, if we take into account the past instances of disorder at public meetings, including damage to public infrastructure, climbing electric poles, and incidents of crowd mismanagement in Karur that resulted in injuries and deaths.
The whistle symbol has intensified these problems, with supporters reportedly using it indiscriminately in public spaces. The party has come to be viewed as a source of persistent disturbance due to the inconvenience caused to the public – Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam becomes Thalaivali Vettri Kazhagam.
One can reminisce a song from the Tamil film Manavan, written by lyricist Vaali and sung by P Susheela and TM Soundararajan – they lyrics of which caricatured the behaviour of fan groups who engage in disruptive conduct a long time ago. The song fits the bill perfectly for the current conduct of TVK supporters.
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