Chennai: BJP national president J P Nadda on Monday assailed the opposition DMK in Tamil Nadu accusing it of being a “sheltering ground for people not working in the interest of the nation” and “always inciting feelings against national spirit.”
He appealed to his party members to give a befitting reply to the Dravidian party in the Assembly election due next year.
Attacking the M K Stalin-led party, Nadda said DMK has always been “inciting feelings against national spirit” and on a lookout to see to it that “national mainstream assimilation formation is always disrupted.”
Addressing the state BJP’s executive meeting via video conferencing from New Delhi, Nadda alleged the DMK was always “anti-development” and against the interest of the nation.
“In Tamil Nadu, the DMK has been a sheltering ground for people not working in the interest of the nation. You should see to it that we give a befitting reply to the people who are working against the interest of the nation,” he said.
Others too should ensure that the divisive forces do not get strengthened in Tamil Nadu, Nadda added.
Referring to YouTube channel Karuppar Kootam allegedly denigrating ‘Kanda Shashti Kavacham,’ sung in praise of Lord Murugan, Nadda said the enlightened people of Tamil Nadu agitated against the outfit.
Also read: BJP & Cong tribute to ‘hero’ Subhash Chandra Bose, BJP’s Nadda and Hardeep Puri attack Congress
The saffron party’s national president exuded confidence that in the coming times, the BJP will have a substantial share in municipal and Assembly elections in the state, and appealed to the party members to increase the vote share in Tamil Nadu.
“Tamil Nadu is a land of temples, very rich culture, architectural beauty, full of revolutionaries, freedom fighters, legendary administrators and worldwide known entrepreneurs. I bow to the people of Tamil Nadu for the rich culture they have,” he said.
Without mentioning anyone, he said Tamil Nadu which has been talking about Tamil language “for long” should realise that the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 aims to encourage education through one’s mother tongue.
The NEP 2020 has come under attack from political parties including DMK for alleged “imposition of Hindi,” even as the ruling AIADMK has made it clear the state will only follow the two-language system in vogue for years, and not the three-language policy, which includes Hindi, as suggested in the NEP.
“I request you to talk about NEP…in independent India, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s dynamic rule, for the first time the government introduced an education policy which is Bharat Education Policy, reflecting the spirit of India. Do a deeper study of the NEP and see that the people of Tamil Nadu are brought into the national mainstream,” Nadda urged the senior office-bearers.
As per the NEP, the medium of instruction will be in the regional language, endorsing the spirit of Bharat, so that the base of education is stronger.
Exams in the current system are subjective and students memorise things and write them down. But in the NEP, a conceptual and analytical approach will be put in place, he said.
Both the rich and poor will get qualitative and affordable education. Acceptability has also been improved as local languages are set to be used as a mode of education till class VIII, he said.
“The previous education policy came in 1986 and prior to it in 1968. The last time, the policy was just changed in figures and not in terms of content, policy and spirit. Now, we can say, it is for the first time that India has an independent education policy,” Nadda said.
Urging party members to put in place a mechanism to win elections, Nadda advised them to form a WhatsApp group at booth committee level and further strengthen the IT site.
Also read: BJP, JDU & LJP will fight upcoming Bihar elections together & win, says JP Nadda
The speeches of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other leaders of the party and BJP’s achievements could be shared in the WhatsApp and IT groups in the regional language.
Further, the state unit of the BJP should develop good content to counter elements like Karuppar Kootam and disseminate information on the NEP in Tamil.
Thirdly, these groups should discuss national, regional and local issues, the BJP national president said.
“We should emphasise on youth, women, tribal people, Dalits and people at the grassroots and try and bring them to the mainstream,” he said, adding, there should be special efforts and drives for empowering them.
With a grand temple for Lord Ram coming up in Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh and revocation of special status for Jammu and Kashmir, the party members could now highlight that India is one from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, he said.
Recalling the efforts of Modi in leading the nation in the fight against COVID-19, he said the PM took a bold and timely decision to prepare the nation and 130 crore Indians to fight the pandemic, apparently referring to the lockdown in March.
He ensured that 50,000 ventilators were manufactured in India and are in service today. As a result of Modis initiatives, India, today has over 1,500 dedicated COVID hospitals, from zero when the pandemic started.
Over 12.5 lakh COVID dedicated beds are also available today.
“India had no facility to make PPE kits and by encouraging local entrepreneurs, we are producing five lakh PPE kits daily,” he said.
He claimed that the lockdown was practically a lockdown for political parties but for the BJP in Tamil Nadu it continued to work for the needy and ensured that everyone got what they needed.
Also read: Congress-led UDF moves no-confidence motion against Pinarayi Vijayan govt in Kerala
The former Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader and former Tamilnadu CM M.Karunanidhi, was reported to be a Brahmin hater. That is what he projected in public. He also talked about Brahmins being Aryans and having suppressed the Dravidians, who were the non Brahmin communities of the State, for thousands of years. This myth was originated in the colonial ‘Aryan Dravidian’ theory and is now exposed as a myth by reputed western historians like Dr David Frawley of USA. Many DMK members in private, did notice pitfalls in this theory and never believed in it in depth. Many DMK members were and are upper caste Hindus with a feudal outlook. Dalits and weaker sections have little place in that party. But abusing Brahmins come in handy for diverting attention. Karunanidhi was no exception. Karunanidhi also gave an impression of harbouring deep hatred for Hinduism. He publicly called himself an atheist. But what was the reality of his personal life? His wives used to perform pujas regularly. For these pujas, Karunanidhi used to insist on the presence of only senior qualified Brahmins, who had a more than average knowledge of Sanskrit. Any run on the mill Brahmin Purohit will not do. The concerned pujaris will have to recite the mantras loudly, so that Karunanidhi can hear it, as he apparently loved to hear the sound of Vedic chants. Karunanidhi also insisted on seeing the Krishna idol at a temple close to his residence, before going anywhere on official or political jaunts. So, Karunanidhi’s personal life was far removed from the public facade he liked to project of himself. So why this charade? Well, abusing Hinduism was a profitable proposition at that time, not only in Tamilnadu, but also to an extent at the pan India level. Despite partition, 1000 years of hostile foreign rule, had numbed the Hindus to a great extent. When the British left India, they handed over power to an Indian elite, significant sections of whom were ashamed of their heritage. The ‘silent majority’ of the elite never mustered the guts to assert themselves in any meaningful manner at that time. So, selective abuse of Hinduism coupled with lavish praise for Christianity and Islam, was an accepted facet of the dominant narrative. Those who did not fit in this line of thinking, were branded as ‘primitive’. The Cold War also had an impact on cultural renaissance not blossoming in the country to its fullest potential. Even devout Hindus in the helm had to indulge in ‘tight rope walking’ so as to not attract attention from any of the then superpowers. And despite the Second Vatican Council decisions taken by 1965, sections of groups affiliated to all the mainstream Christian churches were engaged in evangelisation. People like Karunanidhi who were engaged in de-Hinduisation programmes, profited significantly from these groups. Karunanidhi came to Chennai a pauper and died a triillionaire.
One of the myths propagated by the Dravidian parties and incorporated in Tamilnadu books post 1967, is the role of E.V.Ramaswami Naicker in ensuring temple entry for the Scheduled Castes in Kerala and Tamilnadu. Nothing could be more false. The Vaikom Satyagraha which resulted in temple entry for the weaker sections in Kerala was led by T.K.Madhavan, an upper caste Keralite. Many upper caste Hindus from Kerala, Tamilnadu and other parts of the country also supported Madhavan. In undivided Madras State, which included Tamilnadu and most parts of present day Andhra Pradesh, it was C.Rajagopalachari, who was the then Old Congress CM, who was instrumental in bringing legislation for facilitating entry of SCs into Hindu temples. Nevertheless, an agitation was necessitated and this agitation, as far as entry into the famous Madurai Meenakshi Amman temple was concerned, was led by A.Vaidyanatha Aiyar and U.Muthuramalings Thevar, both freedom fighters. One was a Tamil Brahmin and the other a Tamil Thevar, both of who stood up against the orthodox sections of their own communities and ensured temple entry for SCs into Meenakshi Amman temple in 1939. This had a cascading effect in other parts of the undivided Madras Presidency and many upper caste Hindus, both Telugu and Tamil speaking and mostly members of the Old Congress Party ensured entry for SCs in other temples. EVR in fact, criticised the Madurai incident. As far as revival of Tamil classics is concerned, it was U.V.Swaminatha Iyer and Salem Ramaswamy Mudaliar, two upper caste Tamil Hindus, who were instrumental in reviving their glory. Here also, EVR had no role to play. Very few people of today’s Tamilnadu, know about the role of the other persons mentioned above. In Tamilnadu, EVR alone is being projected in State Government circles as Vaikom hero, but in the concerned state of Kerala, EVR has no relevance. It was on the request of former Tamilnadu CM J.Jayalalithaa, that EVR statue was erected in Vaikom at Tamilnadu State Government expense, with upkeep being the responsibility of Tamilnadu Government. There are many more myths about EVR being propagated in Tamilnadu, which need to be exposed in the interests of truth and justice.
Archbishop Anthony Arulappa was head of the Madras Catholic Archdiocese from 1966 till 1987. Arulappa was keen on spreading Christianity, particularly the Catholic faith in the State and as nearly 90% of Tamilnadu population comprised (and even now comprises) Hindus, this was a daunting task. Arulappa felt that Hinduism was deeply ingrained in the Tamil psyche and this has to be uprooted first before any evangelisation can take roots. State support was necessary in this regard. Prior to independence, the British created a positive environment for evangelisation, though their success rate was very limited. The British created an Indian elite which took over the Government after independence. This elite comprised a large battalion of persons who were ashamed of their past. Despite this segment being a minority, the majority of the elite were conditioned to not protesting much against such denigration by fellow Indians, who were also referred to as “Brown skinned sahibs”. Fortunately however, post independence and more particularly after the promulgation of the Indian Republic, the silent majority, began to slowly assert themselves. This was done in various ways including the manner of dress. Unlike in some other countries, Indian politicians wear traditional Indian dress. At local level, several Old Congress personnel tried to bring Indian culture at the official level. Most Old Congress personnel were also devout Hindus, who , while fighting for the causes of the weaker sections of society and women, also ensured that latent Hinduism reassert itself in a positive way. This was a threat to people like Arulappa. In 1967, when Dravidian parties came to power, Arulappa felt elated. But he got practically no support from the first Dravidian CM, C.N.Anandurai. When Annadurai died in 1969, contrary to expectations, M.Karunanidhi came to power. Karunanidhi’s coming to power was due to various factors and had no bearing on his perceived abilities. Karunanidhi was willing to play ball. Then came another hurdle. Most Catholic clergymen of that period, were staunch nationalists who were unwilling to countenance abuse of Hinduism, as they considered Hindu deities as worshipped by their forefathers with great respect. Arulappa was an exception and as some Catholic clergymen later commented, he was a black sheep among’st them. But Arulappa felt that if de-Hinduisation succeeds to an extent, then many sections of Hindu society will then be vulnerable to conversion. He therefore tried to take support from Protestant groups and he achieved greater success here. During the first spell of Karunanidhi’s rule from 1969 to 1976, was the golden period for Arulappa and his cohorts. Hindu deities were abused and insulted. Selectively, incidents in Hinduism was quoted to justify abuse of the religion. Non Brahmins were told that Hinduism was a religion only for Brahmins. Many other efforts took place and poison was injected slowly.
One myth being propagated is that Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam Government in Tamilnadu, then headed by M.Karunanidhi, opposed the Internal Emergency imposed by late PM Indira Gandhi from June 1975 to March 1977. Though an opposition party then, DMK never opposed the Emergency. In fact, post declaration of Emergency, Karunanidhi toned down his criticism of the Central Government and Indira. In fact, for his son M.K.Stalin’s marriage, the then President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed personally attended and graced the occasion. The real climax occurred on January 31, 1976. That day was known as Thai Amavasya in Tamilnadu, also known as Mouni Amavasya in North India and an important day all over the country for honouring one’s departed ancestors. That day, Karunanidhi sent his police to the famous Tiruttani Murugan (Lord Skanda) temple, located about 60 kms from Chennai. There was a famous ratham (chariot) in that temple, where idol of Lord Muruga used to be taken on procession on important festival days. A couple of days post Thai Amavasya was to be the festival of Ratha Saptami, an extremely important day for Hindus all over India. Karunanidhi ordered the police force to bring the ratham at the temple to Chennai the next day. That day happened to be Saturday. Karunanidhi wanted the ratham at the Valluvar Kottom in Chennai by Sunday evening, so that he could showcase it at Valluvar Kottam on the ensuing Monday, i.e., two days after that year’s Thai Amavasya. The temple authorities were aghast and initially refused. The police warned them that the temple was the property of the Government. The temple authorities pointed out that this was not the case as the Government was merely the custodian in lieu of a private trust and that was all. But the police were adamant and the temple authorities had no choice. Anger and despair filled people who were working in the temple right upto the security personnel. That night however, the police left abruptly without intimating the temple staff. The temple staff were puzzled. Later, they got to hear the radio news, repeated in Doordarshan, that Karunanidhi Government had been dismissed and the State Assembly dissolved. Everyone heaved a sign of relief. In the subsequent Lok Sabha elections held in March 1977, while Indira lost the elections and suffered reverses in many states, she won in Tamilnadu because of the deep hatred people had developed for the DMK. Karunanidhi could not lift his head for the next 13 years.
Has Mr Nadda ever visited Tamilnadu. The state is far more developed than Gurjarat and under whose CMship did it happen.
Repetitive and predictable narrative
Bharatiya Janata Party President J P Nadda is right on mark. He should not retract his statement or modify it. It does not matter if BJP does not make any inroad in present day Tamilnadu. Tamilnadu is not South India, leave alone India. Present day Tamilnadu post 1967 is a significant disconnect with what it was earlier. Anyway, Nadda has only talked about Dravidian parties, not Tamilians. If some Tamilians feel angered by reference to Dravidian icons, others don’t have to care for it. The founder of Dravida Kazhagam E V Ramaswamy Naicker garlanded Lord Rama’s photo with chappals in 1971 in Salem. He justified it on the alleged grounds that non Brahmins in the South are Dravidians and are branded as ‘Shudras’ in Hindu texts. He further alleged that the term ‘Shudra’ meant a person born to an impure women. Practically no non Brahmin Telugu, Kannadiga or Malayalee, who also qualify to be Dravidians, endorsed the above statement of EVR. Post 1967, systematic efforts were taken by EVR and his cohorts, in conjunction with the then Tamilnadu CM, M.Karunanidhi , the then Archbishop of Madras Archdiocese Anthony Arulappa and a few other Catholic and Protestant pastors, to de Hinduise the State. This exercise was started in 1969. Subsequent CMs of the State, did not endorse Karunanidhi’s actions, but made no effort at correcting the wrongs done by him. Temple management was literally in party hands and temple funds are looted every year and proceeds financed for Haj pilgrimage and building new churches. No new temple was built during Dravidian era with temple funds. Dravidian parties have opposed restoration of the original Tamil script, which had been modified in the medieval ages to the present abridged script. During Karunanidhi’s time, Mahabharata characters were deliberately pronounced wrongly. The eldest Pandava was no longer referred to as ‘Yudhishthira’ but as ‘Dharma’ or ‘Tharma’. The Dravidian protoganists stated that it was difficult for a Tamilian to pronounce difficult names like Yudhishthira. Nakula was deliberately pronounced as ‘Nagulan’ and Sahadeva pronounced as either ‘Sahaadevan’ or’ Sagaadevan’. Krishna’s father’s name was mis pronounced as ‘Vaasudeva’, instead of ‘Vasudeva’, which is what it actually is. ‘Vaasudeva’ is another name for Lord Krishna, as he was Vasudeva’s son. ‘Ravana Leela’ was encouraged and on Dushehra day, effigies of Lord Rama, Lakshmana and Devi Sita used to be burnt near Rama temple in Mylapore. The above are only illustrative of anti Hindu actions of the Dravidian parties and not exhaustive. Other actions which directly qualify as being anti national shall be indicated in due course separately.
Not working in the interest of Hindi imposition is not anti-national. Mr Chadda should take off the Chaddi blinding his vision and see the diversity of India beyond just the cow dung belt. In fact he and his party men and women are the real separatists in this country, trying to establish a colonial rule of upper caste north Indians and destabilising the nation.