The first state conference of Thalapathy Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam successfully unfolded in Vikravandi yesterday. The massive event saw more than 10 lakh people in attendance. The party’s administrators, including Vijay, revealed their ideologies, action plans, and political rivals. TVK will follow the secular social justice ideology. Here’s what Vijay said about the ideological leaders of TVK:
“To achieve political success, a powerful initial force must be our core foundation. For this, we need strong principles—principles that become the discipline guiding our political journey. A clear and deep understanding should steer us along this journey, serving as our support and guide. With this clarity, we have chosen our guiding leaders: the rationalist beacon, Thanthai Periyar; the pure Tamil icon, Perunthalaivar Kamarajar; the eminent constitutional expert, Annal Ambedkar; the warrior queen, Rani Velu Nachiyar; and the people’s champion, Anjalai Ammal. I will explain why each of these five figures has been chosen as our ideological leaders and on what basis.
Some might associate Thanthai Periyar solely with atheism. We don’t share that view and want to make it clear that we, too, respect the belief in God. Our stance is to be a stronghold for the protection of all religions and beliefs, grounded in a commitment to balance. We chose Periyar as a guiding leader for his advocacy of women’s liberation, women’s education, social reform, and social justice.
Next, our ideological leader is Perunthalaivar Kamarajar. A visionary who, even back in his day, thought deeply about education and industrial development. He played a pivotal role in establishing secularism in this land, and even today, Kamarajar remains the singular example of honesty and administrative skill. Therefore, we proudly declare him as our guiding light for the principles of governance.
Our third ideological leader is the great jurist Annal Ambedkar, the architect of India’s constitution. Due to his commitment to social justice, we recognize him as one of our ideological leaders.
Our next guide is the mighty warrior queen from Sivagangai, Rani Velu Nachiyar. Despite losing her husband, she took up arms to protect this land, becoming the first female freedom fighter. Her life demonstrates that, regardless of the enemy’s strength, victory can be ours with the right timing and strategy. Not only did she maintain unity across communities, but she also had cordial relations with her Muslim brothers during that era.
Lastly, we have chosen Anjalai Amma from Cuddalore, a passionate fighter for community upliftment who, even in her full-term pregnancy, courageously took part in protests without hesitation and was even jailed. She served as an MLA as well. Until now, no political movement has officially recognized women as ideological leaders and guides. For the first time, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam proudly establishes this precedent.
With these five leaders as our ideological pillars and guides, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam steps onto the field to achieve victory in Tamil Nadu politics, committed to standing firm in our principles without compromise. For the success of Tamil Nadu, we will create a new, progressive path.â€
