Sunday, 20 August 2017

Thousands converge in Trichy to urge Rajinikanth to take political plunge



If Rajinikanth were a politician, just what would one of his rallies look like? A massive meeting of fans scheduled to take place this evening in Tamil Nadu’s Trichy is expected to provide a little foretaste of what may be in store.


Gandhiya Makkal Iyakkam (Gandhian People’s Movement) founder Tamilaruvi Manian, who has organised the meet, has great expectations.


He compares Rajinikanth’s fan base to former Chief Minister MG Ramachandran’s, and thinks tonight’s event will offer a telling glimpse of the kind of support ‘Thalaiva’ (leader, in Tamil) enjoys in Tamil Nadu.


“Today, I am expecting a lot of people to be present and it is all for him. If he were to do a meeting like this, there would be a sea of humanity,” Manian told India Today earlier today. As of 5:45 pm, as many as 4,000 people have already reached the venue.


The meeting’s goal is to spell out why ‘Superstar’ should finally enter politics.


READ | Rajinikanth in politics: Why Thalaiva should brace for bitter criticism




A poster made ahead of today’s meeting


 


DEMI -GOD STATUS


One of India’s most commercially successful actors, Rajinikanth has never contested an election in a state where he enjoys demi-god status, and which has been led by former matinee idols before. The late J Jayalalithaa and her political mentor, MG Ramachandran, were iconic actors before they became deified party leaders and chief ministers.


Tamilaruvi Manian says Rajinikanth looks up to Annadurai and Kamaraj, two other political giants in Tamil Nadu’s history. “He wants to run a party like that, as they – like him – led a simple life,” Manian explains.


This May, Rajinikanth sparked a frenzy of speculation when he told fans he would consider taking the political plunge if it was “God’s will.” He later said he was “yet to take a decision” and that he would inform the press once he did. For months now, the media has closely scrutinised his every move, especially his meetings with prominent political leaders or party representatives.


Rajinikanth does have one prominent critic in BJP MP Subramanian Swamy, who in June told India Today’s Rahul Kanwal that the actor was “unfit for any political work.” In a surprise move, Swamy claimed that if the actor “comes (to politics), there will be many things that will tumble out which will be harmful to him.”


BJP President Amit Shah’s stance – which he revealed in May – could  not have been more different. When asked about Rajinikanth, he said obliquely that as far as his party was concerned, “every good person is open to join politics.” At the same time, it’s up to the actor to take a decision about becoming a politician, Shah said. 


But Tamilaruvi Manian today emphasized that Rajinikanth would not be a part of the BJP, or a coalition in which the BJP had an upper hand.


READ | Rajinikanth has committed financial fraud: Subramanian Swamy tells India Today


SOCIAL MEDIA FRENZY



The crowd at the event venue in Trichy (Video courtesy: Shabbir Ahmed/Twitter)


Messages published by fans on social media ahead of today’s meet evinced a jubilant and hopeful mood.


Some uploaded photographs taken at and near the venue, Trichy’s Ulavar Sandhai. 



One of the myriad hashtags on display was “Thiruchchiyil Thiruppumunai Maanadu,” or “A turning-point-conference in Trichy.”


A digital poster created for the occasion read “There exists a crowd of ‘true’ individuals to spill their blood by your side.”



Rajinikanth, who tweets rarely, has himself said nothing about the event on his Twitter handle.


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