Friday, Aug 06, 2004
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Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Tamil Nadu
By R. K. Radhakrishnan
TIRUNELVELI, AUG. 5. Braving intermittent showers, volunteers of the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK), led by their leader, Vaiko, embarked on a 42-day renaissance walk from here to Chennai. Mr. Vaiko and the volunteers, who were in a black-and-red uniform, will cover 1,025 km spread over 19 districts, spreading the message of peace and communal harmony and the need to abstain from violence; pressing for interlinking of rivers; inculcating nationalism in youth and in the cause of the farmer who is facing distress caused by a truant monsoon.
Focus on larger themes
``It would have been easy for us to target the Jayalalithaa Government and make that the focus of our walk,'' Mr. Vaiko told supporters ahead of the commencement of the programme from the heart of the city. ``But the defeat of the AIADMK in the next elections is a foregone conclusion. The need now is to look towards the future. The future of our youth, our people and our nation.'' The walk focussed on these larger themes. This is the second time Mr. Vaiko has undertaken a walk to Chennai. The Erode district secretary, Ganesamurthy, who along with him was detained under the Prevention of Terrorism Act for more than 19 months, said the last time Mr. Vaiko undertook a walk there was a change on the political scene in the State. He was referring to Mr. Vaiko's 1,600 km, 52-day walk from Kanyakumari to Chennai ahead of the 1996 Assembly elections. This event would also entail a political change, he said.
Mass contact
In Mr. Vaiko's view, it was an important mass contact programme: one that the late Chief Minister, C.N. Annadurai, often advocated to his partymen. ``Anna said: `go to the people. Live among them. Learn from them. Love them, serve them, plan with them. Start with what they know. Build with what they have. ``I am merely following that path,'' Mr. Vaiko said. Today's walk ended with a public meeting at Gangaikondan, about 20 km from here. ``I have kept the distance short for the first three days. Otherwise, the volunteers may not be able to take it. After that there are days when we will walk 30 and 35 km,'' Mr. Vaiko said. He intended addressing people every day until the rally reached Chennai on September 15. There would be no hindrance to traffic, assured Mr. Vaiko. It will touch major towns including Virudhunagar, Madurai, Karaikudi, Pudukottai, Tiruchi, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Chidambaram, Cuddalore, Tindivanam, Kancheepuram and Chengalpattu. Local leaders of the Democratic Progressive Alliance (DPA) gathered at the venue to see off the MDMK leader and his volunteers. A representative each from a local mosque and a church and a priest blessed them. Mr. Vaiko said the DMK president, M. Karunanidhi, had telephoned him in the morning to wish him well. All DPA leaders conveyed their wishes, he added. The former DMK Minister and former MP, Aladi Aruna, was among those who wished the programme success.
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