The Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi is seeking to present a “joint opposition to Sanatana forces” through a demonstration in Chennai on Tuesday to condemn recent attacks on Muslims and Left party cadres in Tripura.
Party leader Thol. Thirumavalavan had charged that ‘Sangh Parivar forces’ attacked 16 mosques and destroyed the houses of Muslims and Left party cadres.
VCK sources said the party had been trying to build bridges between OBCs, Scheduled Castes and other communities to overcome existing social and political animosity.
The party has been organising ‘social justice communities’ conferences across Tamil Nadu in the last few months (recent one in Ramanathapuram) and such meetings will continue until August next year when Mr.Thirumavalavan will celebrate his 60th birthday. The need for such conferences has increased after right wing forces in the media, social media and entertainment industry began stoking communal tension for electoral rewards, a party source claimed.
A big public rally may be conducted next year, said Sinthanai Selvan, general secretary and MLA from Kattumannarkoil constituency. “As a way of celebrating our party leader’s 60th birthday, we wanted to do something special. Our leader did not want it to be an occasion for celebrating an individual. Instead he wanted the event to promote unity between the ‘social justice communities’ and organise conferences and discussions around it,” he added.
Mr. Selvan said the idea of these events was to speak about social justice in a more holistic manner and go beyond the understanding that it was only about reservations.
Villupuram MP D. Ravikumar said the VCK wanted to create an opposition to ‘Sanatana’ forces and counter the forces that strove to create animosity between communities.
