- V. Gopalswamy
V. Gopalsamy ( _ta. வை. கோபாலசாமி), also known as Vaiko, is a prominent politician in
Tamil Nadu , in southIndia . He was born in Kallingappatti,Tirunelveli district inTamil Nadu in 1944. He is the founder of theMDMK , a political party that espouses the cause of theTamil people andTamil nationalism . He is a well knownorator , known for his fiery political speeches. He embraced the Tamil nation and championed its cause.Political career
Vaiko was formerly seen as the ideological protege of
DMK co-founder and presentChief Minister of Tamil Nadu,M. Karunanidhi . He formed MDMK in 1993 after he was expelled from DMK. [ [http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl1617/16170180.htm Hurdles in Tamil Nadu] ]He is well-known for his unequivocal support for the LTTE and other organizations fighting for Tamil nationhood in
Sri Lanka . [ [http://us.rediff.com/news/2000/may/26vaiko.htm 'Indians must celebrate if Jaffna falls'] ] In 2002, he was arrested by the Government of Tamil Nadu for making a speech supporting the LTTE, under a controversial law calledPrevention of Terrorist Activities Act (POTA) [ [http://www.expressindia.com/news/fullstory.php?newsid=12546 Vaiko arrested from Chennai airport] ] and spent 18 months in prison. [ [http://in.rediff.com/election/2004/feb/07mdmk.htm Vaiko released from prison] ]In the following election in 2004, the MDMK split from the
BJP -ledNational Democratic Alliance that it was part of since 1999, and joined a coalition led by theIndian National Congress . [ [http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2003/12/31/stories/2003123100010800.htm Unfolding political alliances in Tamil Nadu] ] After an emphatic win in the polls, and the subsequent repeal of POTA, Vaiko was released from prison. [ [http://in.rediff.com/news/2004/sep/18spec1.htm POTA repeal] ] He contested the 2006 assembly elections withAll India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam led by J. Jayalalitha. [ [http://www.newindpress.com/election/2006/News.asp?Topic=-443&Title=TAMIL+NADU&ID=IEL20060304024219&nDate=3/5/2006&Sub=& MDMK inks pact with AIADMK, gets 35 seats] ] But AIADMK alliance lost in the 2006 Assembly elections and Vaiko's party could get only 6 seats.Social work
He ran a blood donors club which is run by the MDMK party with the name 'Blood Donors' Club'. Till date, more than 80,000 units of blood has been donated to the poor people. [ [http://www.hindu.com/2006/02/23/stories/2006022307350400.htm Here is the example of the Club's work] ]
He launched a 3 day 'Tank Desilting Program' in his Village, with the participation of villagers. Along with the villagers, he took clay soil in baskets and loaded it in tractors when the work began under the scorching sun. [ [http://www.hindu.com/2004/10/13/stories/2004101305610500.htm More about Tank Desilting Program] ] He has undergone a month long padayatra in Tamil Nadu, to establish communal harmony, to prevent caste clashes and to create awakening for the interlinking of inter state rivers in India. [ [http://www.hinduonnet.com/2004/10/18/stories/2004101813620400.htm Padayatra boosted MDMK's
] ] He has conducted free medical camps for physically challenged for years and has been instrumental in bringing a welcome change to their lives.
Books
He is also a prolific writer. The book he wrote from prison titled 'From the Portals of a Prison' was released by the Prime Minister Dr
Manmohan Singh .He is also writing a book called "Yes, We Can" onObama ,US presidential candidate. On 12 July 2008, he met Obama during a brief meeting inChicago and described to him about the book. [ [http://us.rediff.com/news/2008/jul/12vaiko.htm MDMK leader Vaiko meets Obama] ]References
External links
* [http://www.vaiko-mdmk.com Mr.V.Gopalsamy (vaiko), General Secretary of MDMK] Official Web site
* [http://www.mdmk.org.in Official website of MDMK]
* [http://www.sangoli.org/ Online version of Sangoli (weekly)] Official magazine of MDMK party.
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