CHENNAI: The Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) has formed a dedicated volunteers’ wing, Thondar Ani, to ensure effective crowd management during public events and party campaigns. Taking a cue from the DMK and MDMK, which have similar internal wings to manage large gatherings, the TVK aims to handle crowd control and public safety at its events without depending entirely on police personnel.
According to party sources, the decision was taken in response to widespread criticism that the absence of trained volunteers had contributed to the chaos during Vijay’s roadshow in Veluswamypuram. The Thondar Ani will now be tasked with maintaining order, regulating the movement of people, and providing first-response assistance in emergencies during large public gatherings.
To prepare the team, seven retired police officers — VA Ravikumar, IPS (ADGP, Retd.), P Ashokan (ASP, Retd.), Sabibulla (Ex-DSP); Thillainayagam (DSP, Retd.), R Sivalingam (DSP, Retd.), R Lakshminarayanan (DSP, Retd.), and R Mathiarasu (DSP, Retd.) — conducted training sessions for selected TVK functionaries. The sessions focused on crowd psychology, public safety protocols, coordination with law enforcement, and emergency response techniques. Party insiders said the initiative is part of Vijay’s broader efforts to professionalise TVK’s organisational structure ahead of the 2026 election.
On Monday, the TVK also appointed office-bearers for its students’, women’s, and volunteers’ wings across 65 district units, signalling a structured expansion of the party’s grassroots network.
All-party meet on November 6 to draft guidelines
CHENNAI: The state government has convened an all-party meeting on November 6 to frame guidelines for conducting public meetings and poll campaigns. The meeting, to be held at the secretariate, will be chaired by senior ministers. It is being organised in accordance with the directions of the Madras High Court in the aftermath of the Karur stampede.
