On Valentine’s day This present year, as much as fifty people in the fresh Indian People Group put down when you look at the brief groups for three shores into the Chennai. Supporting the brand new group flag-a pink, lime and eco-friendly tri-along with, on what the latest Taj Mahal appears into the a center intricate into the the same colors, having an enthusiastic arrow owing to it-it roamed Marina Beach, Besant Nagar Beach and you will Fantastic Beach, remaining check out more personal people. Kumar Sri Sri, an old makeup musician additionally the party’s inventor and you can president, was at , he told you, the guy saw people in old-fashioned Hindu organizations “run protests, tear greeting cards, and amuse themselves because of the beautiful uruguayan women carrying out puppy marriages prior to the Gandhi sculpture, far with the pity out of couples revealing a moment with the beach.” Some thing only got even worse, the guy told you, “in the event the police showed up, and you will began bothering [couples] to have public display screen regarding affection.”
Beside the ILP’s election symbol-a glass of strawberry freeze-cream-the latest poster also carried this new party’s slogan, “People around the world, unite
As a result, you to exact same 12 months Kumar shaped the fresh ILP to advocate having “new politics out-of love.” He registered a great PIL on the Madras High Legal, looking to ban governmental and you may religious organizations off bothering couples. Regardless of if you to definitely instance continues to be pending, into Valentine’s yearly as the 2008, new ILP’s “lovers”-while the party’s users phone call on their own-possess patrolled the fresh new shores, while also publishing chocolate and you can campaigning to your people.
These are generally a free concert tour of your own “love memorial Taj Mahal for everybody lovers,” and you can claims off support for partners trying to get ilies otherwise groups
This current year, the ILP’s perform had extra urgency-Kumar, today 30-six years of age, is actually standing just like the an independent candidate throughout the Chennai South constituency throughout the then Lok Sabha elections. To your Marina Beach, pink prints fluttered on sand, proving an excellent beaming Kupaign claims. ”
“Most of the evils of community will be eradicated with the help of like marriage ceremonies,” Kumar informed me a short time afterwards in his office, a rented space off a maze regarding narrow lanes regarding domestic neighborhood out of Kodambakkam. The latest wall space have been plastered that have pink posters bearing lifetime-proportions images out-of Kumar, and you will dated mattresses, data and you will pc screens was indeed stacked in one single corner. Kumar didn’t show one data regarding team strength, however, reported “anybody who loves” because an enthusiastic ILP representative. He also told you this new team had aided wed fifty-five couples to date. The new ILP’s efforts are financed off a rely on to the and this all the these lovers are required in order to lead, as well as which they are all users, also from the benefits off “fans.” The newest party’s manifesto, established solidly to your “ideology out-of like,” boasts ideas on everything from impoverishment and you will terrorism to caste reservations and international home heating.
Kumar try upbeat regarding the his possibility regarding the then elections, and you can believed that like are problematic “which inquiries the fresh young people of the country.” “In the event the there are as much as 14 lakh voters in the southern Chennai, however need to have regarding that lakh of one’s votes,” the guy told you. That might be an enormous improve towards the their just early in the day election outing; throughout the 2011 county elections, he won 2.cuatro percent of the choose into the southern area Chennai’s Thyagaraja Nagar constituency, dropping of the good margin off 56 % so you’re able to Vp Kalaira party, and therefore now guidelines Tamil Nadu. Kumar wished this particular date around however enjoy the help of brand new partners. “There are numerous other events-Dravidar Kazhagam, Communist Party from Asia, and you can Telangana Rashtra Samithi-that supporting my people when you look at the Chennai,” he told you. “I could constantly represent problems that is actually a common area of interest for everybody these types of parties.”
However, Vice president Kalairajan wasn’t concerned about Kumar’s difficulty for the AIADMK. Speaking over the telephone, the guy disregarded brand new ILP because a great “frivolous musing perhaps not really worth [my] big date.” “He is maybe not carrying out whatever has never already been offered to possess by our bodies,” the guy told you. “Amma”-AIADMK chief and Tamil Nadu captain minister Jayalalithaa-“donates more 3 or 4 crore toward eager on her birthday every year.” To that, he asked, “how much does [the ILP] need to offer?”
Kumar, although not, looked unfazed of the severe specifics of electoral politics. “We stand for the reason behind like, that’s not the sole mission of any one party,” the guy told you.