Clamour grows for Sagayam to enter politics
The punch dialogue for the youth was - “Dare to fight against injustice.”
By : DC Correspondent
Update: 2016-01-04 06:15 GMT
Madurai: ‘Sagayam 2016’, a youth awakening conference, held here on Sunday is yet another attempt to represent IAS officer U. Sagayam as a demigod who could bring political transformation in Tamil Nadu with youth participation. The punch dialogue for the youth was - “Dare to fight against injustice.”
“Some political forces are repeatedly attempting to give caste and religious affiliation to Sagayam sir, but we will not believe it. We all will fight under one identity as Tamilians to bring political change under the leadership of Sagayam,” said Syed Omer Muckthar, general secretary of ‘Ilakku’, a Tiruchy-based voluntary organisation, which organised the conference with the support of likeminded youth.
A small gathering not exceeding 600 people gathered in an open ground near Ring Road and raised their voice in unison when Muckthar mentioned the word ‘Tamilian’.
Though the names of former President APJ Abdul Kalam and Sagayam have often been repeated by youth speakers to strike a chord with the crowd, the eagerness for political change in the state brought unity among them.
“All the political parties are swindling the people’s money and doing injustice to us. Unless the youth wakes up now, nobody can save Tamil Nadu,” said Santosh Kumar, a volunteer who had come from Villupuram for the conference.
Santosh had known members of the ‘Ilakku’ only through his Facebook, but his vision to bring political change in the state brought him here. “I have spent nearly Rs 2,000 from my pocket to put up posters for Sagayam sir in my town to create awareness among the public,” he said. Many differently-abled persons, who received benefits from Sagayam during his tenure from Madurai, participated in the event. They also blindly believe Sagayam along can bring change to the political system in the state. They have no answer to a question over whether Sagayam would accept the leadership and if he doesn’t whom are they going to look up to?
However, the organisers are aware of it. “If Sagayam refuses, they have a plan B to build an umbrella alliance with the social activists and NGOs in next few years to bring the political change,” claims a youth, who participated in their internal meeting. The participation of women and youth from Madurai was less in the meet.
Download the all new Deccan Chronicle app for Android and iOS to stay up-to-date with latest headlines and news stories in politics, entertainment, sports, technology, business and much more from India and around the world.