Chennai: Tamil Nadu Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs and son of Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, Udhayanidhi, recently made a statement that Sanatana Dharma has to be eradicated from the state just like mosquitoes, dengue, malaria and corona.
The statement sent shockwaves across the political class of the country with senior BJP leaders Amit Shah and JP Nadda responding to it. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also learned to have spoken to his council of ministers that they should give fitting replies to Udhayanidhi Stalin for his statement.
In Tamil Nadu, the DMK is the most dominant political party with an ideological base of Dravidianism and a leader of the stature of Udhayanidhi Stalin calling for eradication of Sanatana Dharma has its reverberations across the state.
The founder of the Dravidian ideology, EVS Ramasamy Periyar or ‘Thanthai’ Periyar had always taken a position against Brahminism and Brahminical ideologies and after several years, Udhayanidhi is mouthing the same line..
Udhayanidhi’s statement had academics, intellectuals, the political leadership and the media discussing it threadbare. The attack on Sanatana Dharma by Udhayanidhi is construed as a shrewd political move to have a discussion on Dravidianism and the Dravidian ideology of equality for all and is aimed at stalling the moves of the BJP- AIADMK combine.
While the DMK is on the positive path regarding Dravidianism and the attack on Sanatana Dharma, the AIADMK, another Dravidian major, will have to defend itself on the issue.
Social scientist and Director, Centre for Social and Development Studies Dr Manojkumar told IANS that “Udhayanidhi has brought out Dravidianism to the centrestage of Tamil Nadu politics and maybe at the national level also. With the top political party of the state, the DMK taking up the issue it will have its resonance across all political parties in the state. They will either have to be on the same page as the DMK or have to oppose it.”
With the 2024 Lok Sabha elections around the corner the DMK has deliberately brought in Sanatana Dharma as a point of discussion.
A senior DMK leader who did not want to be named told IANS that the “DMK has never shied away from propagating our ideology and it is against Sanatana Dharma and Brahminism and we want to bring to the forefront what differences the two ideologies have and when a debate is opened up in the state, it will be clear that Dravidianism is a much better ideology for the betterment of the people.”
He added that no political party in Tamil Nadu can shut its eyes to the statement of Udhayanidhi as the Dravidian ideology was rooted in the state.
The allies of the DMK supported the statement of Udhayanidhi but the Congress shied away from making an open statement as the party knows that an anti Sanatana Dharma statement will lead to a backlash against it in the north Indian states.
However, the AIADMK which is presently aligned with the BJP in Tamil Nadu, has its own reservations about the statement and has also been cautious in its response.
With this one statement against Sanatana Dharma, Udhayanidhi has endeared himself to the masses of Tamil Nadu who are supportive of the ideals of Periyar and Dravidianism.
(IANS)
