Come September 17, DMK turns 70. It's important to ask questions. This year is crucial because of the magnitude of changes at home and also at the national level. And also because all the heroes have finally died and we are allowed to face reality as it is. The personalities have left us, even though we cling to them.
Hero (nayaka) worship has always had a tight grip on tamils. Maybe it stems from people's need. Need to look upon a single person as a saviour (from what?) and build more than a cult around him/her. To pour one's aspirations and fears and reactions onto an image. Or maybe out of fear, to feel secure under a person's protection. Tamizhagam's first nayaka in recent times was a nayakar in reality too. Erode Venkatappa Ramasamy Naicker, the last Scion of the glorious clan of the balija naidus, the clan that led the nayakas of madurai. Chennai derives it's name from Damarla Chennappa Naicker, who, in all probabilities was a balija too. Wikipedia says that erode came under British EIC influence in 1799. The importance of balija's can therefore not be ignored in Tamil Nadu's history books. Not just from 1920's, but much long before that.
Strangely, not much has been passed on about periyar's ancestors or line, even though it is fairly certain that the family influence played no mean role in enabling him do what he did, or act as a channel. He has said this himself. He could afford to say a lot of things which others could not express, on account of being balija. King, after all. However, this fact of family/caste equation is rarely pointed out when discussing periyar even the details are scarce. Maybe he knew that it is easy to keep tamils busy for centuries discussing and fighting about inessentials and irrelevant stuff. Maybe the common man picks up topics and attitudes and ideas only from his higher ups, and the higher ups all tend to cluster near the influential people, who tend to be placed near the king. Basically the king radiates his orders and ideas via channels, which are time tested.
Anyways, this Tamil weakness for idol worship has created a பெரியார்,அறிஞர்,மக்கள் திலகம், கலைஞர் and a புரட்சி தலைவி. Joseph Stalin would be ashamed. We are at the moment of silence between two waves and this is the time to be awake. DMK's தாரக மந்திரங்கள்- சமூக நீதி, சாதி ஒழிப்பு. Apparently, like they nowadays say, they don't do கடவுள் மறுப்பு and மூட நம்பிக்கை ஒழிப்பு seriously because they don't want to scare people. If people choose to be fooled, they don't mind. அதெல்லாம் தி.க. காரங்க பாத்துப்பாங்களாம். திமுக தேருதலில் போட்டியிடும் வெகுஜன கட்சியாம். சமரசங்கள் செய்தால்தான் மக்களை சென்றடைய முடியுமாம். ஆயிரம் பொய் சொல்லி ஒரு கல்யாணத்தை செய்யலாம் என்று சொல்லுவார்களே, அது போல தி.க., பேரியார் கொள்கைகளிலிருந்து இரங்கி வந்து மக்களை சந்திக்குமாம். பிறகு வெற்றி பெற்று 5 ஆண்டுகள் மக்களுக்கு சுய மரியாதை, சமூக நீதி, சாதி ஒழிப்பு பற்றி சொல்லி குடுப்பாங்ளாம். This is what they say. We need to ask "what has DMK done"? Has சாதி ஒழிப்பு happened? Has கடவுள் நம்பிக்கை reduced? பார்ப்பனரல்லாதாரிடம் இருக்கும் பார்ப்பனீயம் குறைந்து விட்டதா? பெரியாரும் திமுக வும் இல்லையென்றால் இன்னைக்கு யாருமே சட்ட போட்டிருக்க மாட்டாற்களா? படிப்பறிவு இல்லாமல் இருந்திருப்பார்களா? Or was it all a natural result of democracy and modernization that happened with time?? After all, last century saw more prolific changes in human life than ever before. Technology, medicine, population, information...
1. DMK bought amendment for inheritance laws. Women got equal rights over "ancestral" property only, and this has been enacted by 2 other South Indian states before TN. Besides, men were generally the breadwinners and naturally inherited more, so the cycle could repeat.
2. Justice party asked for non Brahmin representation for 5 groups:- balija naidus (!!!), chettiyars, pillai's, mudhaliyars, and harijans. They were greatly helped by indo-british association, who had business interests, and T.M.Nair did a lot of தில்லாலங்கடி in UK. So, இட ஒதுக்கீடு was strictly speaking not a dravidian movement initiative. Dr. Ambedkar's reservation policy was different. Even Edwin montagu noted that the people clamoring for adequate representation could in no way deemed to be "backward".
3. Nobody gives a hoot about samathuvapuram.
4. Hand pulled rickshaws, ok.
என்ன தான் செய்தது திமுக???
திமுக பெரியாரிய கொள்கைகள் (அப்புடீன்னு ஒன்னு இருக்குன்னே வெச்சுப்போம்) லிரிந்து நிறய சமரசம் செய்து தான் செயல்படுகிறது என்றால், திமுக வுக்கும் மற்ற சராசரியாக சாதி பார்க்கும் கட்சிகளுக்கும் என்ன வித்தியாசம்????
It's hard to make the new generation question the *big people* because, after all, tamilnadu is in brilliant shape today. Education, industries, IT, GDP, infant mortality, etc. It has to be seen whether this was all because of சமூக நீதி or because the Indian government favoured investments in the south, or, more possibly, whether the presence of the British government has led to all these changes. They entered India via north Madras. The foundation forTN's culture, education, modernization and medicine was laid by the British.
Point is, for the noise that they make, and for all the brahmins-are-the-reason-for-everything that they talk, have they delivered? Brahmin bashing was done by the balija because he was the king. The subjects are still fighting the Kings' war, after 100 years. Wow!! As responsible citizens, and as the awakened people witnessing reality in it's pure form in the silence between two waves, we have to read history. Read about justice party. About the madurai nayaka rule. Ask questions. Discuss.
என்ன செய்தது திமுக...
தொடரும்.
