The Hindu : National : Pit stops and a promise of change

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Apr 13, 2006

National

National

Pit stops and a promise of change

Sudhish Kamath

"If I wanted to make money, I would trade suitcases for alliances"

Chidambaram

A few kilometres outside Chidambaram, the locals have lined up along the road. `Captain' Vijaykant is due any minute now. There is a sense of anticipation; a little boy bursts a cracker; another has a `wardrobe' malfunction: he hitches up his button-less trousers as the convoy approaches.

The first car asks people to clear the road. "We don't have permission to stop here. Please forgive us but you can see Captain sitting up here," says the speaker from the Tempo Traveller, the third vehicle in the convoy. Seated next to him, Vijaykant waves.

The convoy consists of six vehicles. "We have told party workers not to join the convoy. We don't want to flout election rules. We told them that if they follow, we will not stop the police from seizing their vehicles," says his aide.

A few metres away, there's a big group of people who want him to stop. Captain gets out and tells them they do not have permission to stop, apologises and makes a quick one-line request with folded hands: "I promise you change; help me."

10.20 a.m. After a long stretch of battered roads, the convoy stops. The first stop of the day, Kumarachi.

Hundreds of people surround the convoy as Vijaykant emerges from the vehicle. "This is my first time here and what good roads you have," he says. The sarcasm goes down well with the crowd, which cheers. "I heard the roads have been this way for 15 years. This road, a short-cut connecting Chidambaram to Tiruchi, has been like this for years and you keep voting for the same people?"

"Think for a moment. Do you have roads? Do you get good ration rice? Do you get water? I have not been idle since September. I've been talking to people to understand your problems. Your problems can be solved with the inter-linking of local water bodies. You have five classrooms and two teachers. How is this a `Porkaalam' [golden time]," he asks, as a party worker goes around with a dictaphone asking them if the Captain's speech is reason enough to vote.

"Why would you vote now for Captain when you've been voting for the big two parties all these years," he asks. "For change," answer the youth.

As Vijaykant winds up the show, a woman asks him to name her baby. He demurs, saying, "It's not my job to name babies." The woman insists. Embarrassed, but unwilling to disappoint her, he names her Vijayalakshmi and gets into the vehicle.

The next stop is a Muslim-dominated neighbourhood. Vijaykant emerges with a Muslim cap and says it feels like homecoming. "If I wanted to make money, I would trade suitcases for alliances. Please vote for my brave decision to go it alone. ... We will not discriminate on the basis of caste or religion," he says at Lalpettai, his second pit stop.

At Kattumannarkoil, he is thronged again. "I'm coming here alone without any alliances. The DMK and the AIADMK have money power. I've come here hoping to win through people power. Don't let me down," he beseeches.

At Srimushnam temple, there's again a big crowd. Vijaykant refrains from personal attacks or even naming any leader. He sticks to criticism of the Government and parties. "The DMK says they will give you rice for two rupees. They were in power the last term. Why couldn't they give it then? I don't want to lure you with such false promises. I only promise basic amenities. I will get my symbol only on April 20. But I believe that even if I get it only a day before the elections, you will remember it," he says.

As the convoy makes its way into his constituency Vriddhachalam, party workers set off crackers. This draws a reprimand from Vijaykant (don't waste money on crackers, he says). There is a band playing and the town has come alive with people crowding the roads just to get a glimpse of the man. Suddenly over a dozen cars are added to the convoy. The roads are clogged with people and vehicles.

"I've come here to release my election manifesto in front of the temple. It will speak for itself. I will spend at least five or six days here to talk to you. People asked me why I didn't contest from Madurai and chose Vriddhachalam. It is because I believe you are my own people, just like my people in Madurai."

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