DMK observed the birthday of youth wing secretary M K Stalin as ‘Youth Awakening Day’ on Sunday. (PTI)
The peck on the cheek he got from father M Karunanidhi on his birthday, March 1, left M K Stalin looking sheepish. But he must have enjoyed the other gift bestowed on him. The DMK observed the birthday of its youth wing’s 62-year-old secretary as ‘Youth Awakening Day’.
The same day there was a statement from Jayalalithaa’s residence, a few kilometres away, that the AIADMK would hold “massive” youth resurgence rallies across the state on March 7.
As Tamil Nadu begins countdown to the 2016 Assembly polls, its leading political parties, none of whom has a second-level mass leader, are focusing on the youth vote.
The PMK too has organised half a dozen youth gatherings and recently named 46-year old Anbumani Ramadoss as its chief ministerial candidate.
Stalin has been recently surfacing at events likely to attract youth eyeballs, including closely fought cricket matches and celebrations to mark the win of a local athlete. A week ago, he tweeted a picture of himself watching an IPL cricket match along with his wife and at least six grandchildren.
DMK leader T K S Elangovan said the party’s youth wing has over 20 lakh members and Stalin had been its leader since the beginning. “It was Stalin who attracted a large number of youth into our party,” he said.
However, he admitted that the number of youth cadres had shown a decline. “This is a problem that almost all parties are facing. In the absence of critical social issues and movements, life of the average Tamil youth is about building on aspirations and a lucrative career,” Elangovan said.
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The AIADMK’s “Ilangyar Pasarai” and “Ilampengal Pasarai”, youth wings for women and men cadres respectively, were set up in 2008. A senior party leader said all AIADMK ministers, MLAs and MPs will be involved in preparations for the forthcoming youth rallies to mark their formation.
While in the battle for the youth vote, Stalin has the advantage of being on Twitter, unlike the reclusive Jayalalithaa, a senior AIADMK leader said they had a database of over 15 lakh WhatsApp users and that a custom-made software sent them updates on party events and brief statements.
The AIADMK has also introduced a single-click membership system on its website. “Ours is the only Dravidian party with such an option. Over 3.5 lakh people have joined thus,” a senior leader said, saying the process takes three minutes.
Arun Janardhanan is an experienced and authoritative Tamil Nadu correspondent for The Indian Express. Based in the state, his reporting combines ground-level access with long-form clarity, offering readers a nuanced understanding of South India’s political, judicial, and cultural life - work that reflects both depth of expertise and sustained authority.
Expertise
Geographic Focus: As Tamil Nadu Correspondent focused on politics, crime, faith and disputes, Janardhanan has been also reporting extensively on Sri Lanka, producing a decade-long body of work on its elections, governance, and the aftermath of the Easter Sunday bombings through detailed stories and interviews.
Key Coverage Areas:
State Politics and Governance: Close reporting on the DMK and AIADMK, the emergence of new political actors such as actor Vijay’s TVK, internal party churn, Centre–State tensions, and the role of the Governor.
Legal and Judicial Affairs: Consistent coverage of the Madras High Court, including religion-linked disputes and cases involving state authority and civil liberties.
Investigations: Deep-dive series on landmark cases and unresolved questions, including the Tirupati encounter and the Rajiv Gandhi assassination, alongside multiple investigative series from Tamil Nadu.
Culture, Society, and Crisis: Reporting on cultural organisations, language debates, and disaster coverage—from cyclones to prolonged monsoon emergencies—anchored in on-the-ground detail.
His reporting has been recognised with the Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism.
Beyond journalism, Janardhanan is also a screenwriter; his Malayalam feature film Aarkkariyam was released in 2021. ... Read More
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DMK observed the birthday of youth wing secretary M K Stalin as ‘Youth Awakening Day’ on Sunday. (PTI)
