Keep calm and twirl the shawl!
Political rallies in Tamil Nadu seem to have found a new crowd ritual — shawl twirling. At recent events in Tiruchy, from the PM’s visit to the DMK and NTK conferences, cadre could be seen energetically twirling party-coloured shawls above their heads amid the blaring of campaign songs.
What was once just a party scarf has now become a full-fledged campaign accessory. The DMK’s black-and-red checked shawl, the AIADMK’s colour variant, NTK tiger flag and BJP’s saffron scarves, have all been spun around in the air at rallies by party cadre and supporters.
Some say the dramatic flourish gained momentum only actor-politician Vijay’s rallies made the gesture something of a signature move. Either way, political gatherings now come with a bit of choreography.
Pearson Lenekar S R
Fitting flashback
During the DMK’s seat-sharing talks, leaders of the Left parties and the VCK expressed concern over reports that more seats may be allotted to the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK), which joined the alliance only recently. Responding to this, some second-rung DMK leaders pointed to the 2016 Assembly election.
They recalled that the Left parties, the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) and the VCK had formed the People’s Welfare Alliance. Later, the Vijayakanth-led DMDK joined the front and was allotted 105 Assembly seats, while the other parties contested a much smaller number of seats. They said that since the DMDK had received a larger share despite being the last entrant then, the Left parties and VCK should accept a similar arrangement if the situation arises.
S Kumaresan