Vijay to Release Book on Ambedkar One Month After Party Launch

Vijay to release a book on B R Ambedkar, a guiding figure for his Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam party, just a month after its launch.

on Dec 06, 2024

Vijay to Release Book on Ambedkar One Month After Party Launch | Frontlist

Just over a month after the official launch of his Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK), actor and politician Vijay will unveil a book on Friday focused on B R Ambedkar, India's first law minister. Ambedkar is one of the key inspirations for his new political party, and a prominent Tamil media organization is publishing the book.

The debut of ‘Ambedkar: Leader for All’ is garnering close attention from political analysts in Tamil Nadu, primarily since the release was initially intended to be handled by Thol Thirumavalavan, the leader of the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), a significant Dalit party and a critical ally of both DMK and Congress.

The decision to invite Vijay for the book launch has upset Thirumavalavan, who reportedly was not keen on sharing the platform with the actor-politician. Vijay identified the DMK as his “political enemy” during his party's inaugural state conference on October 27, which is likely why the VCK leader withdrew from the event.

While Vijay will be the one to release the book, which features a compilation of writings on Ambedkar's life and teachings, retired Madras High Court judge Justice K Chandru and activist Anand Teltumbde will also take part in the event. Vijay’s involvement follows his earlier announcement that Ambedkar is one of the “guiding lights” for his TVK as he seeks to attract Dalit voters who have historically supported the DMK-VCK alliance in recent elections.

According to TVK sources, Vijay is expected to express his views on Ambedkar and the importance of his teachings while addressing significant political topics facing the state.

“He is likely to explain why he chose Ambedkar as one of the figures representing his party, alongside K Kamaraj, E V Periyar, and female freedom fighters such as Anjalai Ammal and Velu Nachiyar. He will also discuss the political landscape,” the source noted.

Thirumavalavan, who maintains a cordial relationship with Chief Minister M K Stalin, opted not to share the stage with Vijay, feeling that it would not sit well with their senior alliance partner, DMK. The VCK is already under scrutiny following the party’s “open invitation” to AIADMK for an anti-liquor conference and its ambiguous tweets regarding power-sharing.

Nonetheless, Thirumavalavan has made it clear that the VCK remains part of the DMK alliance and plans to contest the 2026 assembly elections as a Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) member.

The VCK believed that Thirumavalavan was the “right person” to launch the book as a practicing Ambedkarite. It highlighted that the party's general secretary, Aadhav Arjuna, is one of the co-publishers of the book and expressed concerns over Vijay's involvement in the launch.

On Thursday, VCK spokesperson Vanni Arasu stated that Thirumavalavan never claimed he wouldn’t attend the event with Vijay. “All my leader said was that he cannot share the platform with someone (Vijay) who holds the Constitution in one hand and the Bhagavad Gita in the other. How can we align with someone who compromises on their ideology?” he queried.

In addition to Vijay’s opposition to the DMK, the VCK is also apprehensive about losing part of its five “guiding lights.” Being a significant Dalit party with considerable influence in northern Tamil Nadu, the VCK is considered one of the primary vote boosters for the DMK coalition.