குறிஞ்சி மலர்

Actor Vijay addressing a public meeting to express solidarity with the

fisherfolk in Nagapattinam on Tuesday(22-02-2011).

NAGAPATTINAM: It was mob frenzy writ large at the public meeting organised by the Vijay Makkal Iyakkam of actor Vijay in ‘solidarity' with the fisherfolk, here on Tuesday.

While cautioning against giving a political hue to his public meeting, Vijay described his presence as an act of ‘social consciousness,' in support of his ‘brethren subject to attacks by the Sri Lankans.'

The actor urged his fans to send in telegrams to the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister demanding action against recurrent “Sri Lankan attacks.”

An address laced with rhetoric, Vijay called upon the powers that be to not construe the “silence of the Tamils as cowardice.”

A mild lathi charge followed after fans attempted to ransack the stage.

A crowd, whose strength was touted to have crossed about 20,000, braved the lashing rains to listen to the brief speech.

Vijay handed over a solatium of Rs.2 lakh to the family of the Pushpavanam-based fisherman allegedly killed in a Sri Lankan naval attack.

The gathering also observed a minute's silence over the demise of Parvathy, mother of slain LTTE leader Prabakaran.