Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), which is seen as a mere offshoot of the DMK, has begun to attract those who previously peddled narratives for the DMK during the AIADMK’s rule. In this context, part-time politician and TVK chief Vijay has appointed YouTuber A Rajmohan as the party’s propaganda secretary. Rajmohan, known for his WhatsApp University-style approach, is a prime example of someone who pushes specific narratives with his somewhat basic Tamil diction. Despite the lack of nuance in his propaganda, the party has announced that new office-bearers are being appointed to strengthen its organizational framework and prepare for a more robust election campaign.
How He Started
Rajmohan rose to fame after winning the Tamil Pechu Engal Moochu reality show on Star Vijay in 2008-09, but his success has largely been built on superficial rhetoric rather than substance. Though he gained attention for his Tamil oratory skills, he has since positioned himself as a self-styled Dravidian propagandist, aligning with DMK’s ideological narratives rather than objective discourse.
As the channel director of Put Chutney, he used political satire as a tool for biased storytelling, often pushing one-sided Dravidianist DMK’s narratives on issues like Sabarimala, Pollachi issue, and propaganda against the then Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami. His coverage of the 2018 Tamil Nadu-Karnataka Kaveri water dispute was a classic example of oversimplification and blame-shifting, catering to the DMK’s political narratives
During the COVID-19 pandemic, he rebranded himself as an activist, launching a YouTube channel supposedly for students, but it ultimately became another platform for his ideological preaching rather than genuine educational support.
YouTuber Rajmohan was previously seen spreading anti-establishment rhetoric against several initiatives introduced by the Narendra Modi-led Central Government in crucial sectors like infrastructure, education, and others. The country was already losing opportunities for job creation and new business ventures due to outdated, restrictive laws that were not conducive to a business-friendly environment. The lack of robust infrastructure led global companies to shift operations to countries like China, Vietnam, and Bangladesh. During this time, the Modi-led government targeted these redundant laws, aiming to remove barriers that were impeding benefits to ordinary citizens, whether in agriculture (the backbone of the country), education, or infrastructure.
However, despite these efforts, Dravidianists consistently opposed these reforms, pushing their own narratives without fully understanding the facts. And Rajmohan was one such Dravidianist.
Anti-Development Propaganda
EIA 2020
On 12 March 2020, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change released the draft Environmental Impact Assessment Notification 2020 (EIA 2020) for public comments, aiming to replace the existing EIA 2006. The Ministry invited suggestions and objections to the draft by 11 August, after which it would be finalized. During this period, a wave of opposition emerged, with various propagandists voicing concerns about the draft. While the changes were primarily intended to attract investment for exploring untapped natural resources, one notable critic was YouTuber Rajmohan, who claimed that the new guidelines would lead to rampant destruction of the environment and natural resources. Ironically, he advocates for enjoying the luxuries of modern life, which often rely on the very resources he criticizes.
The central government’s intent behind the changes was to curb the influence of communist and so-called environmentalists who, with ulterior motives, oppose businesses and projects before they even begin, often launching strategic protests to disrupt economic growth. A prime example is the case of the Sterlite Copper plant in Thoothukudi, which faced severe opposition for alleged environmental degradation. However, scientific assessments showed no environmental harm caused by the plant, and it was shut down in 2018. More recently, protests erupted against a proposed tungsten mining project in Madurai after Hindustan Zinc Limited won the auction, despite no prior controversies surrounding the project.
The primary aim of the EIA 2020 was to tackle such opposition and promote economic growth. However, figures like Rajmohan continue to spread narratives that hinder progress, all while enjoying the comforts of modern life without acknowledging the exploitation of natural resources required to sustain these conveniences.
8 Lane Expressway Project
Similar to his opposition to the EIA 2020, Rajmohan also voiced strong opposition to the Chennai-Salem Expressway, an ambitious eight-lane, access-controlled greenfield expressway project. In his video, he questioned, “They are saying that we can go fast, so fast and very fast, but by going that fast, where are we going? Who are we destroying?” His rhetoric, while catchy, fails to address the broader economic context.
What Rajmohan and other propagandists fail to understand is that countries like India, with a large population and a growing skilled labor force, need substantial investments to make these resources valuable. Without attracting foreign investments and business, these resources remain underutilized. Investors primarily look for reliable infrastructure, skilled labor, and favorable business conditions. When these elements are in place, they bring in investments that create businesses, which in turn create jobs and utilize the country’s human resources.
Investors often rely on the Logistics Performance Index (LPI), which assesses the efficiency of a country’s logistics infrastructure. A nation’s ability to provide seamless connectivity via rail, road, and air is crucial in attracting such investments. Yet, despite understanding all this, Rajmohan and his supporters opposed the eight-lane expressway, citing environmental concerns, without fully appreciating the broader economic benefits.
Meanwhile, other states like Maharashtra and Gujarat have moved forward with similar projects, reaping the benefits of improved infrastructure. Ironically, the same individuals who opposed these projects are now quick to praise foreign countries for their progress, blaming the government for India’s lack of similar growth.
Anti-NEET Propaganda
Similar to the DMK’s opposition to the NEET medical entrance exam, which gained momentum after the tragic suicides of students like Anitha and Subashree, the resistance to the exam began in 2017. Initially, the central government allowed time for students to adapt to the new system before making it compulsory. Critics, including the DMK, argued that Tamil-medium government school students would be at a disadvantage. However, the central government responded by introducing Tamil-language questions and addressing other concerns step by step. Despite these efforts, medical college lobbies, which were profiting from the previous system, resisted NEET, using toolkits to rally against the exam. Rajmohan, among others, was vocal in highlighting student suicides and advocating for a ban on NEET, rather than focusing on how to help students adapt to it.
However, in contrast to the initial propaganda, NEET has now gained widespread acceptance among both parents and students. Many government school students are excelling in the exam through their hard work, appreciating how it has provided them a fair opportunity to pursue medical studies without the old, money-driven practices of medical lobbies that once sold seats, even to capable students, for a price.
Sympathizing With Terrorists Who Killed Indian Prime Minister
Rajmohan was among the Dravidianists who advocated for the release of Perarivalan, who had been convicted by the special TADA court in 1991 for supplying two 9-volt batteries used in the bomb that killed former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. The assassination, carried out by an LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) suicide bomber during an election rally in Sriperumbudur, Chennai, shocked the nation. In his video, Rajmohan argued that Perarivalan was innocent and should be released due to his health issues. He portrayed him as a man who merely assisted with the battery supply and had an ailing mother, using a sentimental appeal for his release. However, the true story was much more complex, and a wide range of people voiced their opposition to his release, including Anusuya Daisy Ernest, a retired police officer who was in charge of security the night Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated.
Anusuya strongly criticized those celebrating Perarivalan’s release, describing him as a convicted murderer, terrorist, and “blood-thirsty” individual. In a telephonic interview with Zee News Tamil, she questioned why so many people were supporting him, pointing out that he had killed the Prime Minister and caused the deaths of nine police officers and others. Anusuya, who herself had been severely injured in the bombing, with shrapnel still lodged in her body, condemned Perarivalan’s actions, calling him a “bloody terrorist” and a “blood-thirsty murderer.” She emphasized that Perarivalan’s release should not be mistaken for an act of mercy, stating that life imprisonment meant serving time for life. She further criticized the media for giving him excessive attention and feared that his release would encourage other terrorists and criminals to demand their own freedom.
Anusuya Daisy also raised concerns that the release of someone convicted for such a serious crime could lead to a dangerous precedent, asking why those convicted for other bombings, such as the Coimbatore bombings, were still in prison and questioning why Perarivalan, simply because he had killed a Prime Minister, was considered a “VIP convict.” But this two-bit Dravidian propagandist who claims to stand on the side of victims never spoke for real victims like Anusuya and many others who lost their lives in the tragic bomb blast that killed an Indian Prime Minister.
Peddling Propaganda Against Sterlite
Rajmohan peddled DMK’s propaganda against Sterlite Copper factory saying, “Copper for you, Cancer for us?“. He made insinuations about Sterlite’s corporate social responsibility work asking whether the government is ruling the state or Sterlite.
He also parroted the same points of controversial Christian missionary-funded leftist ‘activist’ Nityanand Jayaraman.
TVK chief Vijay has once again proved that his party is nothing but a glossier DMK. If DMK had appointed a beautician YouTuber like Padma Priya as its IT Wing Deputy Secretary, TVK has appointed someone of the same league as its propaganda secretary.
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