Mamallapuram: Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) president Vijay, whereas taking part within the Christmas celebrations organised by his social gathering Monday, stated that celebrating all festivals collectively was the custom “of our land”.

“Religion in God” has develop into certainly one of his social gathering’s ideas, as a result of religion sows the seeds of unity, he stated.

These gestures have gained consideration as a result of they arrive alongside repeated assertions that secularism and religion in God can coexist as ideas, an argument Vijay has more and more advocated in public speeches.

Vijay narrated the parable of Joseph, who was forged into an empty properly by his brothers, but
overcame all obstacles to develop into the nation’s ruler. Along with saving the nation, he additionally saved his brothers who had betrayed him. The viewers applauded as Vijay stated, “I don’t have to inform whose story that is, you realize what the story conveys.”

Vijay’s private identification has added a further layer of that means to this outreach. Identified
formally as Joseph Vijay, he has publicly embraced this title in instances of political and
ideological scrutiny when his minority identification was highlighted by critics.

By invoking biblical narratives—the story of Joseph—with out explicitly naming himself, Vijay has subtly mixed private expertise, religion, and political messaging. This selective but unapologetic acknowledgment of his Christian identification, mixed together with his acknowledged admiration for Ambedkar and Periyar and his emphasis on inclusive Tamil traditions, has helped contextualise his Christmas message as greater than a festive tackle.

However, Vijay assured folks that TVK would shield spiritual concord as a result of the social gathering believed in secularism.

“Love and compassion are the inspiration of every thing. A mom’s coronary heart possesses the unwavering power of each. Our Tamil Nadu has a motherly coronary heart. For a mom, all kids are equal, aren’t they? That’s the reason our Tamil Nadu is a spot the place all festivals like Pongal, Diwali, Eid, and Christmas are celebrated collectively. Though our existence and methods of worship could differ, we’re all brothers and sisters,” he stated on the occasion Monday.

On 18 December, the TVK, led by actor-politician Vijay, staged a large public assembly in Erode. This was Vijay’s first large-scale out of doors public engagement for the reason that stampede that resulted in 41 deaths throughout his rally in Karur in September.

Referring to Vijay’s speech at a public assembly in Erode, the place he described his social gathering
as a “pure pressure” and the DMK as an “evil pressure”, AIADMK chief Okay.P. Munusamy asserted
that Vijay can’t consult with himself a pure pressure till his social gathering was elected by the individuals of Tamil Nadu. After the Erode public assembly, an ‘inclusive’ Christmas pageant was held by TVK during which the important thing representatives from all religions participated.

When requested at a press meet about Okay. P. Munusamy’s assault on Vijay, Nirmal Kumar, a former joint secretary of the AIADMK who joined the TVK on 31 January stated, “It’s amusing that AIADMK members are responding to our chief’s statements in opposition to the DMK. Most AIADMK members don’t converse in regards to the DMK ministers of their respective areas, equivalent to Gandhi, Durai Murugan, or Sekar Babu, or about their corruption.

“When Jayalalithaa Amma was alive, they opposed the DMK, however now they’ve deserted that stance, and that’s the reason the individuals have misplaced religion in them. When our chief speaks in regards to the DMK, I don’t perceive why AIADMK persons are defending them.”

On alliances, Nirmal Kumar emphasised that solely people who shared the identical beliefs and supported Vijay’s candidacy for chief minister might kind an alliance with TVK.

About TVK’s stance on the removing of Gandhi’s title from MNREGA, he stated TVK strongly condemned it and that the scheme must be improved somewhat than renamed.

On reservations for Dalit Christians, he stated the social gathering’s place can be detailed in its election manifesto. To date the social gathering has not stated categorically the place it stands on the difficulty past its normal emphasis on social justice and equality.

In Tamil Nadu, a piece of Christian Dalit advocacy teams are demanding that the state authorities present Dalit Christians an inner reservation of 4.6 % within the present Backward Class (BC) quota to alleviate Dalit Christians’ marginalisation somewhat than a proposal for a brand new, impartial quota outdoors of the state reservation system.

Even when they have been from SC backgrounds earlier than conversion, Dalit Christians are at the moment ineligible for Scheduled Caste advantages below the prevailing framework. For that reason, a selected 4.6 % requirement throughout the BC quota is being advised.

(Edited by Viny Mishra)

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