DCP A Myilvaganan – The silver-tongued cop who inspired millions during the Jallikattu protests. An Exclusive
By Sanjay Pinto

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It’s not his lathi or service revolver or tear gas or striking force that is A.Myilvaganan’s most potent weapon. It’s his silver tongue. Minutes after this young Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Trichy, set it in motion, before anguished students at the pro Jallikattu crusade, the video went viral, catapulting him to youtube stardom.

In a soul stirring speech, Myilvaganan appealed to the students to disperse peacefully, after the ordinance allowing jallikattu had been promulgated, in keeping with their dignified protest all along. In a stentorian voice, he thundered: “We did whatever you wanted us to do. We gave you  protection. When you were drenched in the rain, so were we. When you were shivering in the biting cold, so were we. When you were scorched by the blazing sun, so were we. If you are truly espousing the Tamil cause and if you trust the police, the good students here will accept this victory and disperse.” It had the ingredients of a good speech – the right choice of words, voice modulation, body language, eye contact and even the use of the anaphora. There’s a vast difference between playing ‘Big Brother’ by ordering people and giving advice like an elder brother. Myilvaganan did the latter. But this wasn’t his first speech to the students during the protest. “I had addressed them on two earlier occasions. This third speech was recorded by someone”. And it took the internet by storm. Recognition for his tact was quick to follow. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O.Paneerselvam invited him to the Secretariat  and gave him a pat on the back. His picture with the CM posted on facebook by an Inspector K.Ambethkar, another social media star, notched up more than two thousand Likes in an hour. At the time of writing this column, it has eight thousand six hundred Likes, about a thousand comments and four thousand shares.

SILVER - TONGUED COP A.Myilvaganan, DCP (1)
(Pic: A.Myilvaganan, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Trichy)

The DCP’s professional journey is just as inspirational as his speech. As a small town boy from Mettur in Salem, he had witnessed first hand how goons used to hold sway at Kangaroo Courts. “My father was also a victim of such intimidation and strong arm tactics. It sparked a fire in my heart and motivated me to don the khakhi uniform one day.” With a height of 6 feet, Myilvaganan took to working out at the gym regularly right from his mid teens. After graduating in Computer Science from Sri Vasagi College in Erode, he completed a Masters in the same subject at PSG, Coimbatore. The Civil Services Examination was his next step, for which he headed to  Delhi  to prepare with History and Geography as his optional papers. “I cleared the Prelims but didn’t get past that.” Not the type to brood, he stuck to his Khakhi dream and opted for the next best thing. Instead of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), Myilvaganan put his hand up for the  Deputy Superintendent of Police recruitment through the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC) and breezed through in 2003.

After his training in Theni, the idealistic officer was posted as DSP in Tenkasi, where he handled communal tension with dexterity. During his stint as the Additional SP in Madurai, Myilvaganan cracked a sensational case in which 7 people were charred to death, triggering a Law & Order issue and also investigated high profile granite cases.   Drafted into Chennai City as a Deputy Commissioner of Police, the young cop had by now earned a reputation of handling sensitive assignments. As DCP Ambattur, he solved the murder of a Hindu Munnani leader and was also the “first responder” in the Moulivakkam building collapse. “We were able to save many lives by arriving on the spot early.”  A seven month tenure as DCP Pulianthope propelled  him to take on rowdyism and conduct raids to bust narcotics rackets. The ongoing DCP Trichy posting will be etched in our memory for a long time, thanks to that viral speech.

“I would attribute my success to the values instilled in me by my parents – R. Andiappan and Angammal. We have been a closely knit family. All my 3 sisters – Poongothai, Annalakshmi and Tamilarasi are married.” Inspired by the fiery speeches of Swami Vivekananda, Myilvaganan also loves listening to talks by Infinitheism Founder Mahatria Ra.

SILVER - TONGUED COP A.Myilvaganan, DCP

The heartthrob cop gave his heart away to Vanathi, who is also in government service and posted as a Deputy Registrar in Madurai. The couple’s son Arvind, a sixth standard student at Lakshmi School proudly surfs the net to admire his dad’s viral speech.

“Fitness is my top priority. I’m very passionate about body building. I do weight training and seldom miss my sessions at the gym. I used to be in my college cricket and football team but now I think I’ve almost forgotten cricket!” During his training period, Myilvaganan was the Cadet Commander and shouting during parades came naturally to him. An athlete to boot, our Mr. Tamil Nadu cop was adept at both track and field events. “ I used to clock 100 metres in under 12 seconds.”

For all his achievements at a fairly young age, Myilvaganan’s humility comes through very clearly. Not keen to bask in the euphoria of  being the talk of the State, he makes it a point to dedicate his  internet fan following to “the students and my department.” Striking a chord. The Myilvaganan Method.

sanjaypinto

(Sanjay Pinto is a Lawyer at the Madras High Court, Columnist, Political Commentator, Author, Public Speaking Mentor & Former Resident Editor – NDTV 24×7)

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