News Special Reports Tamil Nadu

Did Dravidian Ideologue EVR Really Say What Was Quoted By DMK MP Abdulla In Rajya Sabha?

December 14, 2023
The Commune

On the day the Supreme Court of India upheld the abrogation of Article 370, DMK MP MM Abdulla stirred controversy in the Rajya Sabha by quoting Dravidianist anti-Hindu demagogue EV Ramasamy Naicker (hailed as ‘Periyar’ by his followers), advocating for Kashmir’s “right to self-determination” on racial grounds.

The Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar, lambasted the DMK MP for his remarks and expunged them. 

The DMK MP’s remarks had triggered national outrage with its I.N.D.I. Ally Congress once again distancing itself in soup.

How MK Stalin And His Son Udhayanidhi Reacted

However, DMK President and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin along with his Minister son Udhayanidhi Stalin rallied behind Pudukottai DMK MP MM Abdulla. 

CM Stalin objected to expunging Periyar’s quote, stating that they were “strangling” freedom of expression in Parliament. 

“When DMK MP Abdulla was speaking, he quoted Periyar which was opposed by the BJP. Periyar’s name too has been expunged. Freedom of speech and expression has been strangled in the Parliament itself! It is shame that Periyar’s name has been removed from the Parliament where once former PM VP Singh mentioned that Periyar was reason for Mandal Commission. Let us use Father Periyar’s name, which remains in people’s minds and threatens the communalists even today, anywhere – always – in any context! Everyone use it!“, MK Stalin wrote in his social media.

His son Udhayanidhi Stalin said “Quoting the opinion of the rational Pagalavan Father Periyar, the Rajya Sabha member of DMK Abdulla spoke in the Parliament which has jittered the fascists. Father Periyar’s name and quote from Abdullah’s speech have been removed from the parliamentary notes. We strongly condemn this. Father Periyar’s name can only be removed from their memory, and his name can never be removed from the memory of the people. Let us soon put an end to these fascist atrocities against parliamentary democracy and freedom of expression.”

What EVR Actually Said On Kashmir

But did EVR say those words? Was that his stand on Kashmir? Upon digging deeper, it has been brought to light that the words quoted by Abdulla were never uttered by EVR himself. A BBC Tamil article dated 2019 states that EVR did not explicitly comment on Kashmir. Instead, the ‘Viduthalai’ published from the Dravidian stable, in an editorial dated 12 October 1951, addresses Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s resignation over the Hindu Constitution Bill while making passing reference on Kashmir.

Ambedkar’s reasons for resignation included dissatisfaction with Nehru government’s policies – the abandonment of the Hindu Code Bill, concerns about the Kashmir issue, and obstacles in India’s foreign policy.

While Viduthalai accepted the first two reasons, it rejected Ambedkar’s views on Kashmir and India’s foreign policy. The editorial emphasised leaving the decision on Kashmir to the people of Kashmir, advocating the withdrawal of both India and Pakistan from the region.

Image Source: BBC Tamil

In the said editorial, the text states, “Regarding the Kashmir issue, “Next, we cannot accept the idea that he will say about Kashmir. We should leave the matter of deciding about Kashmir to the people of Kashmir. India, which has entered Kashmir, should also leave. Pakistan should also leave. This is justice for the people of Kashmir.” 

Image Source: BBC Tamil

And guess what? The editorial was not written by EV Ramasamy Naicker but Kuthoosi Sa. Gurusamy, another Dravidian ideologue.

The BBC article states “This is the Dravidar Kazhagam’s official position on the Kashmir issue. But this editorial was not written by Periyar. The editorial was written by Kuthoosi Sa. Guruswamy – this is stated in the book ‘Periyar: August 15’ edited by S V Rajadurai.”

It is essential to note that this official position of the Dravidar Kazhagam on the Kashmir issue is derived from the editorial in Viduthalai and not likely from separate statements by Periyar. 

The BBC article also states that this is the only record available on Dravidar Kazhagam’s position on Kashmir and that no other comment made by EVR could be found.

Yuma Jaharo also known as ‘France Thamizhachi‘ or ‘Thamizhachi Author’, an avowed ‘Periyarist’ also took to social media to say that the Dravidian ideologue never said any such thing on Kashmir what the DMK is claiming.

Netizens Slam DMK For Concocting Facts

One person wrote “If in this digital age, they are able to peddle filtered lies, imagine what they would’ve done in the 1960s. The only capital that this thieving Dravidian group has is to peddle lies and mask it as truth.”

Another user Devi Uvacha wrote “What Abdulla said is wrong it seems! And for this, tThese UPs (Udanpirappu – DMK brethren in Tamil) are trying to buttress”

“It is this honesty that we expect from Periyarists and Dravidians. You don’t have to put a sticker on everything”, said another person who identifies himself as a ‘Tamilian stock’.

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