Thousands pay homage to Vijayakant at Island Grounds

Celebrities & thousands of fans pay last respects to actor & DMDK founder Vijayakant at Island Grounds, Chennai.

Generosity, hard work and kindness were the words that were repeatedly heard at Island Grounds here on Friday where many famous personalities and thousands of his fans and party cadres paid their last respects to actor and DMDK founder Vijayakant.

Soon after his mortal remains were brought from his party headquarters in Koyambedu to Island Grounds early in the morning, crowd started swelling on Anna Salai near the entrance to the venue. Police had made elaborate arrangements to ensure that there was no overcrowding. Cadres and fans not only from Chennai and nearby areas, but from other places in Tamil Nadu had also come in large numbers.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who paid her last respects at Island Grounds, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had asked her to be present as a representative of the Union government. “Vijayakant worked so much for the people and his cadres and ensured that no one who came to visit him left hungry. He is a gentle-hearted human being. He took efforts to see that everyone around him got the same facilities that he got. To be humane was his way of life and it is hard to find a politician like him. We lost a good leader today,” she said.

Actor Rajnikanth said Vijayakant was a courageous person and an exemplary friend. Pointing out that the late actor was always ready to offer his help, Rajinikanth recalled how Vijayakant cleared the crowd in no time when it became difficult to manage the crowd during his hospitalisation once. “Then, when we went to Singapore and Malaysia for a show, as we were winding up, everyone had entered the bus. But I got delayed as there was a huge crowd of fans and media persons. Even then, he got me out in no time,” he recalled.

Actor and Makkal Needhi Maiam founder Kamal Hassan said Vijayakant was humble and didn’t let fame affect him. “What I like about him is that he has as much humility as he has righteous anger. It feels lonely to have lost honest people like him,” he said.

Naam Tamilar Katchi co-ordinator Seeman said, Vijayakant accomplished everything through sheer hard work. “So many thousands of people have come down to see and it shows how much love and affection he has earned,” he said.

Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi paid his last respects to the actor at Island Grounds. Other famous personalities who paid their respects included former Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam, Tamil Maanila Congress president G.K. Vasan, Tamizhaga Vazhvurimai Katchi president T. Velmurugan, Kongunadu Makkal Desiya Katchi general secretary E.R. Eswaran, National Commission for Women Member Khushbu Sundar, director and actor and director K. Bhagyaraj and R. Parthiban.