Vaiko

Vaiko(Mr. V.Gopalswamy) is a prominent politician in Tamil Nadu, in south India.Born in Kallingappatti, Distt. Tirunelveli (Tamil Nadu) in 1944, he is the founder of the MDMK, a political party that espouses the cause of the Tamil people and Tamil nationalism. He is a wel known orator, known for his fiery political speeches. Though hailing from the telugu community, he has eschewed this identity and embraced Tamil nation and and championed its cause.

Vaiko was formerly seen as the idealogical protege of DMK co-founder and past Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, M. Karunanidhi. He was a rising member of the DMK, but split to create the MDMK in 1992, alleging nepotism within the DMK and the rise of Karunanidhi's son M.K. Stalin. He is Sethu Samudira Nayakan

Vaiko is well-known for his unequivocal support for the LTTE and other organizations fighting for Tamil nationhood in Sri Lanka. Since the LTTE is legally a banned terrorist organization in India, and it is illegal to publicly support it ideologically or financially, Vaiko has often been at odds with the law. In 2001, Vaiko was arrested by the Government of the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu at that time, J. Jayalalitha, for making a speech supporting the LTTE, under a controversial law called Prevention of Terrorist Activities Act. Vaiko refused to back down, and spent two years in prison. It is interesting that his party, the MDMK, was a member of the ruling coalition at that time.

In the following election in 2004, the MDMK split from the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance that it was part of since 1999, and joined a coalition led by the Indian National Congress. After an emphatic win in the polls, and the subsequent repeal of POTA, Vaiko was released from prison. He is currently actively engaged in strengthening his party and preparing for the next Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.

Vaiko has never sought the post of a minister, though he was as instrumental in being the king maker, making his colleagues cabinet ministers and minsters of state. He is a thorough well bred politicians who toes on the lines of the great tamil leader of yesteryears - Periyar.