Parties students’ wing not in line with new age media

Be it the ear-jarring slogans or the memes, the ‘networked’ protesters have kept everything at twitter length, 140 characters and even less at the protest venues and online. That hip hop Tamizha’s 12-minute theme video takkaru takkaru has had over five million views in six months and RJ Balaji’s speech at Marina last night has been described ‘historic’ on Facebook by many would sufficiently explain as to how politicians speak in a language alien to the youths who mostly do not belong to any school of political thought. 

Even a veteran like DMK principal secretary Duraimurugan had subtly acknowledged the efficacy of their political lingo or the lack of it by saying in the party’s fast on Saturday that, “We (Dravidian parties) have spoken more Tamil literature, grammar and culture than anyone else. We have spoken about Tamil pride more than others, but you needed a jallikattu now.”

As much as the language, the youth’s glaring aversion towards politicians has also raised some serious questions about the efficacy of the students wings of political parties. The thin presence of youth in the DMK fast at Valluvar Kottam speaks volumes about it. 

“The new gen is not as politically conscious as the students of the 1960s and 1980s. Now-a-days they have very less time to read or discuss politics and hence they channelled all their anger more towards PETA instead of the Centre and state governments,” said political commentator professor A Marx. “Trapped in a semester system that thrives on campus placements, these students hardly get a chance to connect with the old-school politicians,” he adds.

“Our student wing members also took part in the protests across the state. DMK has not been kept at a bay while all other political parties were,” argued DMK youth wing secretary Cuddalore Pugalendi. “Our members are active on Facebook and Twitter and they do communicate in the language of the present youth,” he countered Marx.

The Opposition DMK on Saturday observed a day-long fast in the city demanding the Centre to de-notify bulls from the list of performing animals and ensure that jallikattu event was held in future during Pongal festival without any hitch. 

DMK working president MK Stalin personally led the fast in front of Valluvar Kottam in the city, in which Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi, MPs, MLAs, senior leaders and former Ministers participated.

Asserting that the DMK would continue to raise its voice in support of the sport, Stalin said Chief Minister O Panneerselvam’s announcement that an Ordinance would be promulgated for conduct of jallikattu was a victory for the students’ protests at Marina, where more than two lakh youth, women, students and children were demonstrating for the last five days. “Had the Centre or the state promulgated the Ordinance in advance, jallikattu could have been conducted during the traditional Pongal festival,” Stalin, who is also the Leader of Opposition, said.