A progress report card on the performance of the 1-month-old Joseph Vijay administration – Hits & Misses! Joseph Vijay recently completed 1 month as the @CMOTamilnadu of Tamil Nadu. Let us evaluate how the government has performed so far with a keen sense of impartiality. Positives! • The government appears serious about women’s safety, and the Singapenn Special Task Force is a commendable initiative. Crimes against continue and but the government is determined to take action swiftly. • The removal of TASMAC bars near schools, colleges, hospitals, and places of worship deserves special appreciation. • TASMAC reforms aimed at increasing government revenue while plugging leakages are path-breaking moves that depart from the corrupt practices allegedly followed in the past. • The decision to refurbish Amma Canteens has been welcomed by people across political lines. • The order to desilt 40,000 lakes and ponds to preserve rainwater is a superlative decision and cannot be applauded enough. • The cabinet reflects a sense of genuine social justice, with opportunities being given to many common people to serve the public. • Inducting alliance partners into the cabinet and forming a coalition government for the first time in Tamil Nadu’s political history is, in many ways, a victory for democracy. • Unlike the previous government, which often spewed unadulterated venom against PM Modi, the current government appears to be maintaining a far more friendly, mature, and pragmatic relationship with Delhi which is undoubtedly a positive sign. Negatives! • The appointment of a controversial and allegedly corrupt officer as the DVAC head raises doubts about whether the government is truly serious about its promise to curb corruption and act against allegedly corrupt former ministers. • The government’s stand on the NEP, which does not impose Hindi, appears irresponsible and archaic. • Opposition to the Waqf Bill and the stand taken on Thiruparankundram create the impression that the government continues to indulge in old-fashioned minority appeasement politics. • The perception that a contentious figure like Aadhav Arjuna, who allegedly has a dubious background, has emerged as a power centre within the government is uninspiring for a nascent administration, especially after the Chief Minister declared during his May 10 speech that he alone would remain the ultimate decision-making authority (please check the appended video). • Excessive sycophancy and cult worship are becoming an eyesore and raise concerns about possible autocratic tendencies. Overall Assessment! By and large, this has been a 55:45 government so far, with the positives slightly outweighing the negatives. It is still a new government led by relatively inexperienced administrators, so perhaps they deserve more time before a firmer conclusion is drawn. Maybe we should revisit this assessment after the government completes 100 days and then again after 6 months. It is always healthy to periodically evaluate a government so that it can course-correct, improve governance, and strengthen itself further. As I have mentioned many times before, @TVKPartyHQ secured 107 seats and a 34.9% vote share for a party that is barely two years old. This was not merely because fans of @actorvijay voted for @TVKVijayHQ. It evolved into a broader people’s movement where many educated citizens (cutting across caste, creed, language and religion) including scholars, teachers, professors, scientists, journalists, and professionals contributed to what eventually became a phenomenally unprecedented mandate. I sincerely hope @CMOTamilnadu rectifies the shortcomings and delivers the kind of government that his supporters expected when they voted for him. All the very best! @CMOTamilnadu @TVKVijayHQ @TVKPartyHQ @TVKHQITWingOffl