CHENNAI: It was not just the usual serious, mature faces that were in attendance at the TVK’s meeting in Mahabalipuram; there were many children, giggling, laughing and occasionally babbling.
The faces lit up when Vijay, after the conclusion of the meeting, lifted a toddler, Ilam Siddharth from Madurai, in his arms and engaged in a baby talk.
Many said they feel the presence of kids testifies the recent unconfirmed reports on the party starting a children’s wing.
Waving party flags and badges, the children were running around the venue with party shawls around their neck. As only the functionaries having passes issued by the party high command attended the meeting, the crowd was largely contained inside the venue barring a few scuffles when more tried to gain entry.
Women accounted for almost half of the audience. Siddharth’s father P Chandru was over the moon when his son was picked up by the actor. “I brought him to see our leader. My son is a ‘born Vijay fan’. He enjoys watching his movies and can say some of his movie dialogues and will even mimic Vijay’s stylish moves,” said the father of the toddler who was donning a dhoti that had stripes on its border in party flag’s colours.
S Janshi Rani from Erode, who brought her three-year-old daughter, said, “All my family members are in the party now. I am running Vijay Payilagam (Tuition), teaching poor children. I brought my daughter as she was interested in seeing her favourite actor.”
Another woman functionary V Mohana from Dindigul had also brought her toddler daughter, who had a shawl in the party colours around her neck. She said, “There are a lot of expectations among women from our leader Vijay. In the membership drive, many women are coming forward to join the party. I’ll raise my daughter as a party cadre.”
Speaking to TNIE, party’s spokesperson Loyola Mani said, “The children’s wing is being misunderstood as a wing with children as members. Intead, it is formed to protect the children’s rights and to deal with child-related issues.”
He further said, “There could be family situations because of which some functionaries are forced to bring their kids. Even I brought my daughter.”