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‘Va Thalaiva’: How a large protest was organised to ask Rajini to join politics

Rajinikanth’s supporters began converging at the spot as early as 7 am, despite Rajini Makkal Mandram warning them against holding a demonstration.

Sunday morning saw Chennai’s Valluvar Kottam thronged by thousands of men and women as loud music serenading actor Rajinikanth filled the air. The event, a rally to convince the actor to join electoral politics, was meant to begin at 10 am but by 7 am in the morning bus-loads of supporters had arrived from across the state. And as the crowds grew, so did the force behind their slogan – ‘Va Thalaiva Va’ (Come leader come).

This was unlike any other political rally the state had seen before. The gathering itself was an act of defiance against the Rajini Makkal Mandram (RMM) which had prohibited any demonstration. It was also a clear sign of non-acceptance of the decision announced by the actor, who had stated through a three page statement on December 29 that he will stay away from politics for health reasons. Infact, all district secretaries were told by top RMM leaders to prevent rallies from taking place and were warned that they would be stripped of their position if they took part in any demonstration. Participants at the rally tell TNM that his warning was conveyed to members across Tamil Nadu through social media groups. So then, who organised this large protest and how did thousands manage to assemble in support of a leader who has refused to enter the political ring?

“The decision to hold this rally was born soon after Thalaivar’s announcement was made on December 29. We just couldn’t sleep after he announced he won’t enter politics,” says K Venkatesh, an RMM associate secretary from Madhavaram in North Chennai. “On December 31, a group of us from Chennai and Thiruvallur district began protesting outside his residence at Poes Garden, demanding that he join electoral politics. We were stopped and then detained by the police. While we were being held, the cops we met told us that if we had taken permission and had an organised protest rally, there would have been no problem,” he adds.

Following this, the Chennai chapter of RMM according to Venkatesh, consulted other members and began contacting their counterparts from various districts. Most of the effort, including getting permission from the city police was carried out by Ramdass, a joint secretary of RMM from Chennai (South) and a member of RMM’s disciplinary committee. Other leaders from Cheanni and surrounding districts who spearheaded the rally included amongst several others – North Chennai office bearer AM Raja from Madhavaram, Poonganagar’s district vice secretary Ezhil, Chetpet office bearer Ravi. Soon after, calls and feelers were sent out to get a sense of the support they could expect. Zone and ward level leaders began sending out messages on Whatsapp and Facebook groups informing members of the rally to be held in Chennai. These are some of the posters that were shared on social media from January 4:

“Initially we were planning to hold the rally in Madurai on January 8 but then decided that Chennai should be the first location as it was the city Thalaivar lives in and he is bound to notice,” says Venkatesh. “All the districts appointed one person unofficially as part of the committee to organise this demonstration. They then started circulating messages which were then organically shared,” he reveals.

While district secretaries were bound by orders to not participate in the rally, they did not stop other office bearers from attending. Several  office bearers from across the state were present at the venue and were managing amenities including water, mask distribution and sanitiser stands.

41-year-old Jayakumar, a divisional secretary of the party from Coimbatore district, had brought members of the ward he manages with him to the rally.

“Our district secretary told us that we cannot force people to come but did not stop us from attending this gathering. If they come they will be stripped of their posts. But we are low-level office bearers, members and fans. We are not in Rajini Makkal Mandram for any position or power. We have come to ask our leader to enter the political ring, only that matters to us,” he explains.

For several of these members who have no aspiration to become secretaries or gain power through their roles in RMM, the venue was merely a place to display their loyalty and belief in the actor. While they say they understand the health risks Rajinikanth faces if he enters electoral politics, they are willing to compromise on his actual physical presence.

What do the fans want?

Over the last three years, since the actor announced his political ambition in 2017, several members and fans have doled out money from their own pockets to build RMM’s infrastructure at the ground level.

“We were satisfied with him as just an actor but he was the one who promised a political entry in 2017,” says Venkatesh. “Since then, we have been working tirelessly to create party infrastructure on par with the DMK and AIADMK. We have started 22 booth committees in every single ward, with 33 people part of a single booth. We have been campaigning and gathering support for three years now and we don’t want it to go to waste,” he adds.

The actor’s supporters all unanimously agreed that Rajinikanth’s health was important but they pointed out that political change can be brought ‘only now or never’.

“He doesn’t have to do a thing. He just needs to point to whom we should support within RMM and we will do the rest. He can just campaign via video conferencing from his residence. That is all we expect of him,” several members told TNM at the venue.

45-year-old Pichaimurugan, a member from Dindigul district who was present at the venue, explained that affluent supporters of the actor, over the years, have spent a lot of money to build good will in their communities.

“From distributing food on his birthday to celebrating every movie release through service, we have always chosen to serve people as Thalaivar wanted,” he says. “And now we are waiting for him to join politics and create the change that he promised us.”

Source: The News Minute