Vijay encouraged students to fact check every information they come across to be able to comprehend social injustices.
Actor and TVK founder Vijay. (X)
Speaking at a special event organised to recognise and celebrate students who scored top ranks in the recent 10th and 12th-grade exams, actor and Tamizhaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) leader ‘Thalapathy’ Vijay on Friday, 28 June criticised the DMK government for its “failure” to manage the drug issue in the state.
He said that in the backdrop of the recent Kallakurichi hooch tragedy that killed over 60 people.
The event, the first of the two organised by the party to honour students, took place at the Ramachandra Convention Center in Chennai’s Thiruvanmiyur. The second event is scheduled for 3 July.
Alleging that there is an alarming rise in drug use among youngsters in Tamil Nadu, he said it worries him as a parent and political leader. He also slammed the DMK government for being unsuccessful in controlling the drug menace.
“As a political leader and a parent, this worries me deeply. It can be argued that the government must control drug usage and protect the youth. Unfortunately, the current ruling government has been unsuccessful in fulfilling this responsibility,” he said.
However, the actor went on to clarify that he wasn’t there to discuss those issues. Stressing the importance of personal responsibility over the government’s actions, he urged the students to repeat after him, “Say no to drugs. Say no to temporary pleasure. Take this as an oath.”
While advising students to avoid negative influence from peers, Vijay urged young people to steer clear of vices and unethical behaviour.
Speaking further, Vijay emphasised on the importance of having strong leadership qualities, and said that leaders with good education could certainly bring valuable perspectives to politics.
“We require competent leaders, not necessarily in a political context. Whatever endeavour you pursue, possessing leadership qualities is essential. Don’t lose your identity at any cost,” he observed.
Encouraging students to verify all information they come across, Vijay said, “Social media channels and mainstream media disseminate many things. Take in everything, but critically evaluate what is accurate and what isn’t.”
Elaborating on the importance of fact check, the actor explained, “Only then can you grasp the true challenges our nation and people are facing and comprehend social injustices. By gaining this understanding independent of political biases and false propaganda, you’ll develop a global perspective to elect capable leaders. This transcends politics.”
Vijay concluded his speech by encouraging those who did not pass the exams not to lose heart, emphasising that success is continuous and failure is not permanent.
After visiting the victims of Kallakurichi hooch tragedy on 20 June, Vijay had posted on ‘X’ that a repeat of such an incident shows the government’s indifference. He was referring to the last year’s Villupuram hooch tragedy which killed over 20 people.
He said, “The fact that such an incident has occurred again shows the indifference of the government administration when it has not yet fully recovered from the tragedy of losing many lives due to the same incident last year.”
He also requested that “the Tamil Nadu government take strict precautionary measures to prevent such incidents from happening in the future.”
Additionally, Tamizhaga Vettri Kazhagam general secretary had said in a statement, that Vijay has asked the cadre to avoid celebrating his birthday, which falls on 22 June.
On the acting front, Vijay awaits the release of The Greatest of All Time (GOAT), directed by Venkat Prabhu. The film, bankrolled under the AGS Entertainment banner, is scheduled to hit theatres on 5 September, this year.
During the audio launch of his previous film, Leo (2023), Vijay urged people to view movies only as entertainment and not get influenced by them.
(Edited by Neena with inputs from S Subhakeerthana)
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