Spectacular ‘Vijay’, but the road ahead likely to be littered with challenges for the commander

Fantastic. Historic. Spectacular. Stunning. You can use any of these words or all of them together in describing how Chandrasekaran Joseph Vijay emerged the victor in the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections and how, on debut, he galvanized his team and supporters into action, enabling him to cross the century mark, fighting several odds along the way (who can forget the Karur stampede at the start of his campaign that brought ominous dark clouds overhead). Many were skeptical about his chances of winning, saying that a megastar’s fans are really not the common voters and that the extraordinarily large number of fans appearing on his campaign trails and election hustings cheering wildly for Thalapathy (commander or leader) did not mean that such adulation would transform into votes. The crowds were there to see their hero, not a political leader, they said, and that becoming another MGR or even a Jayalalithaa was simply not on.

On May 4, however, Vijay and his party, the TVK (Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam), proved them all wrong and they scaled heights nobody ever expected. I wonder if Vijay did too! Not only did he better MGR’s debut record (30 per cent of the votes in 1977) by amassing 35 per cent, he also managed the feat in a far shorter period. While MGR took about five years to come to the fore in politics as he did in 1977, Vijay took just about two years or less. We often see records being broken in sports, especially in cricket which has a huge fan following in India, but breaking records in politics is not easy and the way Vijay accomplished it is something quite extraordinary.

For all that, judging by the many reports and articles that have appeared in newspapers, it is clear that Vijay had a social and political bend of mind early. His fan clubs (numbering over 80,000, according to one report) doubled up as welfare organisations that took care of the elderly, children, ran canteens and conducted blood donation camps. Whether he selected films based on his ideology, it is difficult to say, but several of the roles he essayed reflect social consciousness – Thamizhan (legal rights), Thalaivaa (unity in diversity), Kaththi (farmers being exploited), Mersal (corruption), Sarkar (electoral manipulation), Bigil (women’s empowerment)… When Jana Nayagan is released, we will know its message, most likely a fight for people’s rights.

As I write this, Vijay has met the Tamil Nadu Governor to stake his claim to form the government. The Congress with five seats has assured him support. He needs many more seats. The first big challenge will, therefore, lie in being able to get the numbers to form a stable government at least for the short term, biding time to find further support. Then, of course, there will be many challenges ahead. Buoyed by TVK’s victory, Gen Z, which contributed in large measure to the party’s success, will watch closely. Youngsters have so many aspirations and patience is hard to come by these days. People my age who fall in the senior citizen category still look for better days, while reminiscing about the ‘good old days’.

Here are some issues that come to mind right away, which the administration must work on a priority basis:

• ·        Ensure a clean and efficient administration with zero tolerance for corruption; ensure that all government departments function well and that officers and staff treat people with respect
• ·        Try to reduce the cost of living, especially for the benefit of low-income and poor sections of society, as well as the elderly who have no means of income
• ·        Ensure that all children, especially from low-income, poor and marginalised sections, have access to quality education
• ·        Ensure that all schools and colleges, especially those run by the government or aided by it, have airy classrooms, clean toilets and separate washrooms and facilities for girls
• ·        Ensure that all schools and colleges, especially those run by the government or aided by it, have adequate number of teachers/ faculty and administrative staff
• ·        Ensure that the state police, with support from the Narcotics Control Bureau, crack down on drug pedalling and bring a stop to the drug menace that is affecting so many, especially children and adolescents
• ·        Open the gateway to jobs and employment opportunities by encouraging and supporting the primary (extraction of raw material), secondary (manufacturing) and tertiary (service) sectors  
• ·        Encourage those who wish to become entrepreneurs by creating a healthy climate for small businesses with no room for corrupt practices by government departments, and give a boost to small and medium enterprises
• ·        Make healthcare a priority such that decent facilities are available for all, especially for those who cannot afford the high costs of hospitalisation and private medical care
• ·        Ensure that all primary health centres have adequate staff and doctors and nurses to take care of patients, and also the basic infrastructure in place
• ·        Ensure that security for girls, women and children is taken care of on a priority basis and that those found guilty of sexual harassment and exploitation are dealt with an iron hand
• ·        Ensure that the elderly and the disabled are looked after well by the state and that at all public spaces, venues, hotels, hospitals etc, are disabled-friendly
• ·        Provide good roads with adequate lighting and ensure strictly that traffic rules are followed, and deal with those flouting rules according to law
• ·        Ensure that lack of clean drinking water and sanitation is no longer a major problem across the state
• ·        Remove encroachments across the major cities and provide housing to those displaced and the vulnerable
• ·        Make it a point not to allow high rises in congested city areas and suburbs and those found violating building rules and regulations must be made to pay the consequences
• ·        Clear all waterways and canals and prosecute those who flout rules and allow sewage to drain into them
• ·        Ensure that the environment is well protected, that trees are not willy-nilly chopped to make space for buildings and construction
• ·        Ensure that heritage buildings are well protected and that conservation matches required high standards, taking views of conservation experts

Finally, now that the elections and campaigns and sloganeering are over, Vijay, it is time to pause and reflect. Showing respect to all political leaders, especially your predecessor who left office with dignity, will stand you in good stead. Be humble and let your work speak louder than words.  Gopalkrishna Gandhi has written an open letter to you (published in The Hindu) with advice about good governance and statesmanship. Try and follow what he has said.

I wish you Godspeed on your long journey ahead, a journey you have chosen, leaving a career that gave you so much – to help  people who are not privileged and to tell everybody, whether they are your fans or supporters or not, that under your reign they will feel cared for and well looked after. Your performance will determine whether you are indeed this generation’s MGR, a leader you idolize and whose legacy you have invoked to “wipe away the tears” of the people.

 

Picture courtesy, The Hindu. Photo credit: R. Ragu.