Recently, in Coimbatore district, J. Krishnapuram Panchayat, the President K. Sarita was insulted for her caste and threatened with death. Immediately, “Is there no security for anyone in this regime? Protect Sarita and bring the intimidators to justice! “tweeted DMK leader M. K. Stalin.
Contrast this with a much worse incident that was played out in Tiruvallur district, Athupakkam panchayat, panchayat President Amritham, who was prevented from hoisting the flag on Independence Day and abused by former President, Haridoss and his group said to belong DMK party. This is not the first time she is facing such a disgraceful treatment. Earlier, this year on Republic day also she was not allowed to unfurl the National Flag by the same group. What is interesting here to note is the deafening silence of the leaders of DMK and its alliance partner Tirumavalavan of Viduthalai Chiruttaikal Katchi who project themselves as champions of Scheduled Caste /Tribe causes!
Pettimudi hills at Rajamala in Munnar, Idukki district, 60 plus lives were lost due to landslide. All were from underprivileged sections of Hindu society. The tragedy was so cruel that in two or three families, all the members have died and no one is left behind to receive the government compensation. Pinarayi Vijayan led Left front government’s disaster recovery management was also said to be slow and shoddy. Once again, the so-called Crusaders of SC/ST welfare remained tight lipped.
We can list out more such instances to show how they are double tongued and double faced. Though their lips pronounce high decibel sound bites for public consumption, their hearts bear no sympathy for Harijans. Even worse is their contempt and condescending attitude displayed in private conversations and many times in public platforms too.
We will see some recent Freudian slips of the leaders of DMK. On Feb 14 2020, R S Bharathy said that it was their (DMK’s) alms due to which scheduled caste people could become judges as though they do not deserve on their own merit. What could be a greater denigration of those judges?
DMK party MPs Dayanidhi Maran and T.R. Baalu met Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary K. Shanmugam on May 13, 2020 to discuss the party’s Covid-19 relief initiative, Ondrinaivom Vaa (Let us come together campaign). After the meeting, they alleged that Shanmugam had treated them like “third-class people”. “We were treated like oppressed people,” Maran told reporters. “People like you—are we oppressed people?” It evidences Maran’s mind. Doesn’t he mean that it is all right to treat the oppressed people in a lowly manner?
V P Duraisamy, who left DMK and joined BJP recently laid bare the DMK’s castiest attitude and how they treat different communities differently.
Those who have researched on the Dravidian politics say the problem is deep rooted and goes back to Justice Party times, that is more than 100 years. However, even staunch supporters of E V Ramasamy (EVR) and his ideology specifically point out late M Karunanidhi, who became Chief Minister in 1969 and ruled the state for almost two decades over 5 times for encouraging caste-based political parties, exploiting the differences, splitting the caste associations, pitting one against the other, and there by entrenching themselves in the State and Centre.
We will consider some of the utterances of personalities well known for their EVR and Left leanings. First one, ‘Institutionalisation of caste in Tamil Nadu politics was solely due to DMK chief Karunanidhi’ says Tho Paramasivan, better known as Tho Pa, the 65-year-old writer, retired Professor of Tamil at Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, researcher of temples for three decades and a staunch Periyarist. (Ref. 1)
Karthigesu Sivathamby, an Emeritus Professor of Tamil in the University of Jaffna, states that DMK has moved away from it’s stated objective of protecting the Dalit rights by compromising for electoral gains. (Ref.2)
‘The DMK Has Been Two-Faced in Its Commitment Towards Social Justice’ is the direct charge by Karthikeyan Damodaran and Hugo Gorringe in their article in The Wire web magazine.
Starting from Keezhavenmani carnage- burning alive of Dalit agrarian women and children in 1969 to shoot out on poor tea estate workers (Manjolai) in Tirunelveli in 1999 DMK government did not deliver justice to the depressed sections of Hindu Societies. On the other hand, by naming the districts after dominant caste leaders Vizhuppuram Ramasamy Padaiyaachiar, Tiruvannamalai Sambuvarayar and Dindigul Kaide Millat (thus had a communal angle too), giving fillip to caste politics by forming alliance with several caste outfits in 2001 Assembly elections and pandering to reservation demands of dominant castes such as PMK and Muslims.
To sum up, listen to Stalin Rajangam, Dalit studies expert and author. “Dravidian parties can never be inclusive and break the caste system. Only power matters to them now. They used to speak of social justice at one time but they never delivered,” he said. (Ref.4)
References:
- https://www.firstpost.com/india/the-institutionalisation-of-caste-in-tamil-nadu-politics-was-solely-due-to-dmk-chief-karunanidhi-2520758.html
- 2. https://frontline.thehindu.com/other/article30246513.ece
`De-ideologisation of politics is the tragedy of Tamil Nadu’
Print edition: November 08, 2002
Interview with Karthigesu Sivathamby.
- https://thewire.in/politics/dmk-karunanidhi-tamil-nadu-caste-politics – The DMK Has Been Two-Faced in Its Commitment Towards Social Justice
Karthikeyan Damodaran and Hugo Gorringe - https://scroll.in/article/804885/why-caste-is-as-important-to-tamil-nadu-politics-as-amma-vs-karunanidhi