Dedicate ‘State party’ tag to party cadre who faced poll violence in Chidambaram in 1999: Thirumavalavan

Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi founder and Chidambaram M.P., Thol. Thirumavalavan, on Friday recalled the arduous journey of steering the party through the transition from being a radical organisation whose slogan was ‘Adanga Maru, Aththu Meeru, Thimiri Ezhu, Thiruppi Adi’ (Don’t bow down, disobey, rise up and hit back) to become an important cog in the wheel of electoral politics in Tamil Nadu today as VCK, with four MLAs and two MPs, is set to be recognised by the Election Commission of India as a ‘state party’.

Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi founder and Chidambaram M.P., Thol. Thirumavalavan, on Friday recalled the arduous journey of steering the party through the transition from being a radical organisation whose slogan was ‘Adanga Maru, Aththu Meeru, Thimiri Ezhu, Thiruppi Adi’ (Don’t bow down, disobey, rise up and hit back) to become an important cog in the wheel of electoral politics in Tamil Nadu today as VCK, with four MLAs and two MPs, is set to be recognised by the Election Commission of India as a ‘state party’.

Flanked by VCK’s second line leaders, general secretary and Villupuram M.P., D. Ravikumar, MLAs - Sinthanai Selvan, Aloor Shanavas, S.S. Balaji, Mr. Thirumavalavan celebrated the party’s steady growth at the party’s headquarters in Chennai by dedicating the feat to party cadres who still ‘bear the scars of the wounds’ that were inflicted during the poll violence against Dalits in Chidambaram constituency in 1999.

“We had no intention to contest in elections. It was the Melavalavu caste murders in 1997 that changed the position of the organisation regarding participating in elections,” he said.

Mr. Thirumavalavan said important leaders of VCK were arrested in Goondas Act “even when we were discussing whether we should contest in elections”. This changed the position further.

“We joined the third front headed by G.K. Moopanar (Tamil Manila Congress). He offered us five parliamentarly constituencies but I returned three constituencies to him because I did not know the importance of contesting in more seats,” he said.

He added, “I have never seen such enthusiasm after what I saw in Chidambaram in 1999 Lok Sabha elections. Moopanar told me when he attended a public meeting that he has never seen such a huge crowd after MGR held one in Chidambaram 30 years ago.”

Mr. Thirumavalavan said a planned spate of large scale violence unfolded on polling day.