Days after the Centre's rejection of Tamil Nadu's tableau in the upcoming Republic Day parade in New Delhi, the DMK's women wing has on Saturday- January 22 released a video against the Centre in which it has highlighted the sacrifice and courageous leadership of Tamil freedom fighter V O Chidambaranar.

The video has come as DMK's response to hit back at the expert committee of the Union Defence Ministry that rejected Tamil Nadu's tableau and questioned the Tamil freedom fighters. Despite the efforts from the state government to induct the state's tableau in the Republic Day parade at the historical stretch of Rajpath, the Defence committee had denied the ticket for the tableau after which Chief Minister MK Stalin has announced that the rejected tableau will be part of Tamil Nadu's Republic Day celebrations. 

VO Chidambaranar's bust was part of the rejected tableau and the video from the DMK's women wing was made in the fashion of sending a scathing message to the Centre on the sacrifice done by VO Chidambaranar in the freedom struggle and how he trailblazer his agitation against the British rule. The video runs for over two minutes with the brief capturing of Chidambaranar's life and it has described him as the most important of all those who opposed British rule. 

DMK Women wing secretary and Lok Sabha MP Kanimozhi had shared the video on her official Twitter page and wrote, "The name is V.O.Chidambaranar." The video was made with the narration in English with Hindi subtitles for broader reach and better understanding. The video carries a disclaimer that says it was created solely to highlight the significance of Tamil leaders, in English, with Hindi subtitles for broader reach and better understanding. By showcasing VOC's photo at the beginning of the video, it asks 'Are you really not aware who V.O.C is?." 

It then revolves around VOC's legacy in the freedom struggle and highlighting the freedom fighters from Tamil Nadu, starting with Veerapandiya Kattabomman in the 1790s, the video details the contribution of V.O.C to the nation's freedom struggle and how he was considered the most dangerous of all freedom fighters by the British rules. Describing VOC, the video says, "He gave them a taste of their own medicine and shook the foundation of the British tradeverse, deemed the most dangerous man to the British." 

Chidambaranar's participation in the Coral Mill worker's protest of 1908 and his work in demanding class representation is also mentioned. The video further says, "The Swadeshi movement ignited by VOC rose on par with the Non-Cooperation Movement." It talks about the life sentence awarded to VOC on charges of sedition. It has been carved with the visuals of other valiant freedom fighters including Mahakavi Bharathiyar, Kodi Katha Kumaran, and the Maruthu Brothers. 

The video ends with a dialogue from Rajinikanth starring Kaala, in which he can be heard saying "Samjha? Samajlena!" (Understood? You better understand). It was added in a way to make the Centre understand how VOC and other Tamil freedom fighters have valiantly fought against British rule. VOC, who is better known as the Tamil title Kappalotiya Thamizhan, was a member of the Indian National Congress and was one of the driving forces from Tamil Nadu in the freedom struggle. 

As a barrister, VOC had staunchly agitated against British rule and in 1906, he started the Swadeshi Shipping Company to end the trade monopoly enjoyed by the Britishers through the British India Steam Navigation Company. He was later imprisoned and his barrister licence was repealed. Recently, the Union government has rejected Tamil Nadu's tableau from the Republic Day parade that had sparked outrage across Tamil Nadu with several voices slamming the Centre for its decision. 

Earlier, the reports have said that a member from the expert Defence committee, that was tasked to select and finalize the tableaux for the parade, had asked whether VOC was a businessman. The Tamil Nadu government has made a tableau highlighting the Tamil freedom fighters and it also included the figures of Velu Nachiyar, Bharathiyar, and the Maruthu Brothers. The committee has even said to the state that the Maruthu Brothers weren't familiar across the nation. 

After the rejection, MK Stalin has announced that the rejected tableau will be part of Tamil Nadu's Republic Day celebrations and it will tour across the state. Speaking to the Times of India about the video, Kanimozhi has said, "We want to tell people who are not aware of the greatness of VOC. We will soon come up with similar videos on Veeramangai Velunachiyar, the first queen to fight the Britishers, and other freedom fighters." 

The name is V.O.Chidambaranar. #FreedomFighter #TamilLeaders pic.twitter.com/Xi8XgaitQ9

— Kanimozhi (கனிமொழி) (@KanimozhiDMK) January 21, 2022