News Tamil Nadu

TVK Vijay’s Selective Festival Greetings: Ignores Vinayagar Chaturthi, Wishes For Onam

September 16, 2024
The Commune

Kollywood actor-turned-politician Vijay, leader of the Tamizhaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), has once again shown that his party’s ideology mirrors that of the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK). While he deliberately refrained from acknowledging Tamil and Hindu festivals, the TVK founder chose to extend his greetings for Onam, a festival celebrated by Keralites in the neighbouring state, in a manner similar to the DMK’s approach.

On 15 September 2024, TVK chief Vijay shared Onam wishes on his official X account, stating, “Happy #Onam from the bottom of my heart to all Malayalam relatives! A hearty Onam to my very own Malayali friends.”

This divide and rule approach was apparent in Vijay’s previous political statements, where he supported the DMK’s stance on issues such as NEET and CAA. However, this time, his strategy backfired as netizens harshly criticized him. They pointed out that while Vijay releases his movie on Vinayagar Chaturthi to profit, he does not extend his wishes for the festival, accusing him of being a mere proxy to the DMK. Here are some of the criticisms:

https://twitter.com/KABiLANS7/status/1835204236222566819

https://twitter.com/Dr_Anil_3/status/1835178194833375663

Is Vijay’s TVK Acting As A DMK Proxy? 

Yes, it appears that way. Critics, including political commentators, are pointing out that Vijay’s TVK party and Vijay himself are conspicuously absent from engaging in significant issues in Tamil Nadu. Instead, Vijay seems to be solely focused on issuing congratulatory messages through his social media handles.

Actor Vijay entered into politics with the formation of his party Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam in February 2024 and this move has often been compared to fellow actor and part-time politician Kamal Haasan and his party Makkal Needhi Maiam. This parallel is evident in the strategic moves and statements made by Vijay, which align closely with the ideology of the Dravidian movement and the DMK.

The political landscape of Tamil Nadu, gearing up for the 2026 state legislative assembly elections, will also be witness to yet another cine star namely Vijay, seemingly propelled by the DMK to echo their Dravidian ideology and potentially further divide the votes in the state.

This strategy echoes the historical move where Kamal Haasan entered politics at a time when actor Rajinikanth was contemplating starting his party, with Rajinikanth’s vision leaning towards spiritual politics. To counter this, the DMK strategically supported Kamal Haasan’s political debut to split the votes.

A notable example of Vijay’s alignment with the Dravidian ideology and the DMK is evident in his recent actions. He extended congratulations to the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and its leader Chandra Babu Naidu, along with the Jana Sena Party and its leader Pawan Kalyan, for their significant victory in Andhra Pradesh.

Despite the impending oath-taking ceremony of Naidu as Chief Minister on 12 June 2024, Vijay extended his felicitations. Additionally, he congratulated the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi party and the Naam Tamilar Party for their recognition as state parties in Tamil Nadu. Although indirectly, he also acknowledged the success of the DMK alliance in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

Notably absent from his remarks was any mention of the BJP’s victory at the central level, where a meeting has been convened, and the NDA alliance has unanimously chosen PM Narendra Modi as the Prime Minister of India for a record third time, with the oath-taking ceremony scheduled for 9 June 2024.

 

This wish on Onam isn’t the first time that TVK chief Vijay chose to display his Dravidianist beliefs. Looking back at how Vijay exposed his alignment with the Dravidian ideology, it is noteworthy that on the auspicious occasion of Tamizh Puthandu (Tamil New Year) on 14 April 2024, amidst the festive spirit engulfing Tamil Nadu, Vijay stirred controversy by refraining from extending wishes to the people for the Tamil New Year. Instead, Vijay took to social media to share greetings for Ambedkar Jayanti, which coincidentally falls on the same day. This is the same strategy employed by the DMK on the auspicious occasion of Hindu celebrations and festivals such as Vinayagar Chaturthi, Saraswathi Pooja, and other festive occasions. 

As expected, aligning with the stance of Dravidian parties, Vijay (very ignorantly) expressed opposition to the notification of CAA. His press release read, “Any law like the Indian Citizenship Amendment Act 2019 (CAA) is not acceptable in an environment where all the people of the country are living in social harmony. The rulers should give an assurance that they will not implement this law in Tamil Nadu.”

Based on these observations, it can be inferred that Vijay, a part-time politician and full-time actor, is yet another emerging foster project by the DMK and embodies the principles of Dravidian ideology in Tamil Nadu.

Conclusion

In conclusion, TVK founder Vijay’s choice to wish for Onam while neglecting Tamil and Hindu festivals reflects a strategy similar to that of the DMK. This selective neglect of Hindu festivals has led critics to argue that TVK is a proxy for the ruling Dravidian party. As Tamil Nadu gears up for the 2026 elections, Vijay’s actions will likely be examined for their true political intentions, with many questioning whether his party represents a genuine alternative or merely a continuation of existing Dravidian ideology.

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