The year 2024 started off on an interesting, anticipatory and hopeful note for the people of Andhra Pradesh. Ordinary citizens as well as people with financial and political clout are looking forward to a meaningful change on the political front and on a socio-religious front.
On the socio-religious front, it was heartening for Hindus to hear about the success of a three-day Hindu religious conclave held at the temple town of Tirupati, organized by the TTD trust (Tirupati Tirumala Devastanam). Heads of various Hindu sects and revered seers/ gurus from across multiple religious foundations rooted in the Indic-Hindu tradition, came together to discuss the social and religious issues faced by the nation’s Hindu majority, across the country.
Discussions involved the issues faced by Hindus in a “secular” environment, aimed at appeasing Christianity and Islam as well as the possible resolutions for such issues.
Discussions and resolutions covered a vast range of issues – aggressive conversion tactics employed by certain religions, the depletion of the socio-spiritual traditions in the country, spreading awareness of the core concepts of Hinduism specifically among the lower-disadvantaged castes and tribal communities, propagation of Hindu values and encouraging the youth of the community to follow both the religious and cultural aspects, an agreement of the ways in which people can be better educated about Hinduism, the different ways in which people from all walks-of-life can be welcomed back to the Bharatiya Hindu tradition in cases of re-conversion or voluntary conversions from other religions, the need for formal training in both core concepts and rituals of the faith as well as a sincere appeal to end caste discrimination on account of which, the Abrahamic religions of Islam and Christianity are able to encourage religious conversions en masse.
The conclave which brought together, learned scholars and influential spiritual leaders from across the various Hindu sects was considered a success and seen as a blessing of Tirupati’s Lord Venkateshwara.
On the political front, the BJP and the TDP (Telugu Desam Party) have been in talks about a formal alliance in time for the 2024 state and central elections, scheduled to be held most likely in April. While rumours have been afloat for a few months now, it is only recently that both parties had started releasing official statements referring to a possible electoral alliance. The BJP is in an enviable position in A.P as all parties want to have favorable relations with it. It’s most likely a positive political scenario for the BJP regardless of which party comes to power in 2024. A majority of recent surveys show the TDP in the lead, as people’s support for TDP’s Chandrababu Naidu and its junior partner, Pawan Kalyan’s JSP (Jana Sena Party) is clearly evident in both survey results as well as well-attended political rallies of the TDP.
On the other end of the political spectrum, the people of Andhra continue to be amused by the tactics of Jagan Reddy and his YSRCP party, a desperate attempt to salvage the reputation of a CM and party, that brought Andhra’s progress to a halt and bankrupted the state.
Reddy and his party have been making periodic statements of his self-proclaimed popularity and “fake” pre-poll survey results, showing him in favourable light, which is in stark contrast to the ground reality of the party’s declining popularity. All other national and state surveys except for the ones his party claims to conduct, put Jagan on the back foot, trailing behind the TDP party.
Reddy’s desperate, last-minute offers for the lower classes include impractical sops such as an IB (international board) curriculum and examinations, across all A.P government schools….at a time when he is unable to maintain current state-syllabus schools and pay teachers’ salaries!! The people joke about the chief minister’s fondness for announcing all sorts of special “schemes” with his signature-style “press of a button”… none of which, come to fruition.
Jagan also released the second part of his political biopic named, Yatra 2, just in time for A.P’s upcoming elections (most likely, April). The film received a lukewarm response and did not meet expectations, despite the hype created by Jagan and the YSRCP party.
With the rising popularity of Chandrababu Naidu’s TDP party on the one hand and Jagan’s own sister, Y S Sharmila, joining hands with the Congress party on the other. Jagan Reddy’s prospects for the upcoming state and central elections in A.P, do not look good for him or his party.
Shivani is a freelance writer.
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Advocate and author, J Sai Deepak’s article titled “Why is caste a Western construct?” in The Indian Express dated 1 February 2024 ruffled many a feather across the country as seen on social media platforms.
J Sai Deepak, in the article, discusses the distortion of Hindu society through the lens of “caste” by Christian European missionaries during colonialism. Emphasizing the need to understand the past without presentism, Sai Deepak contends that the missionary-colonial establishment’s classification of “caste/tribe” led to an artificial re-ordering of Hindu society. The article asserts that this distortion aimed to malign Hinduism, citing examples of misrepresentations in the Devadasi system, Sati, and Jagannath Rath Yatra. Sai Deepak calls for acknowledging this distortion without defending casteism, advocating for original solutions rooted in Indian culture. The discussion is part of a series on Dravidianism and its historical impact.
What Does The Article Entail?
Sai Deepak discusses the historical distortion of the social structure in India, particularly the concept of “caste,” by Christian European missionaries during the colonial period. He argues that the missionary-colonial combination played a significant role in misrepresenting and maligning Hindu society through the lenses of “caste” and “tribe.”
The article emphasises a few key points:
Historical Context: Sai Deepak clarifies that the objective is to understand the historical causes leading to the present, without falling into the error of “presentism” aiming to examine the impact of colonialism on India’s religious, cultural, and political aspects.
Misrepresentation of Varna-Jati Complex: Sai Deepak contends that while he does not deny the prior existence of the varna-jati complex (a traditional social classification system in Hinduism), he argues that the missionary-colonial establishment distorted it by applying the “caste/tribe” classifications. This distortion, especially through official census exercises, resulted in presenting an incorrect view of Hindu society based on European perceptions.
Examples of Misrepresentation: The article provides examples of misrepresentation, such as labelling Devadasis as “temple prostitutes,” distorting the practice of Sati, and vilifying the Jagannath Rath Yatra. These distortions, Sai Deepak argues, were tools used by missionaries and colonial powers to malign Hindu society and justify religious, cultural, and legal interventions.
Resistance to Acknowledgment: Sai Deepak expresses surprise at the resistance, even from non-Left sections, in acknowledging that the varna-jati complex has been distorted by the Christian West through the application of “caste/tribe” lenses.
Need for Understanding the Distinction: The article calls for a distinction between the varna-jati complex and the colonial classification of “caste/tribe” to address contemporary social challenges effectively and argues that applying the colonial template has worsened the discourse on caste in independent India.
Continuation of Discussion: The article concludes by stating that the discussion will continue in the next installment, focusing on the emergence of caste/tribe categories and the mythical Dravidian identity from the “anthropological service” provided by Christian missionaries in Southern Bharat to colonial rulers.
Reactions
An X user with the handle @Advaidism picked this article up and wrote a thread on it. He wrote, “The British and Portuguese empires ruled 78% of all land on Earth and over 500 million people. Surprisingly, the same British and Portuguese never implemented the caste system anywhere else in their empire. They created caste “only for India”. He added, “Only 22 countries have never been invaded by Britain but the caste system is a Western construct. Why is IE continuing this garbage practice of giving these clowns a platform in the name of Opinion?”
The British and Portuguese empires ruled 78% of all land on Earth and over 500 million people.
Surprisingly, the same British and Portuguese never implemented the caste-system anywhere else in their empire.
DMK Minister PTR Palanivel Thiagarajan quoted @Advaidism’s post in what seemed like a presumption made by just reading the title of the article, and wrote: “Total Quackery punctured swiftly by @Advaidism.”
Ironical that the statement about quackery coming from PTR because he has several times spoken about “Aanda parambarai” – meaning he indicates he came from a family that “ruled”. PTR himself comes from a high caste, an aristocratic landlord Kondaikatti Vellalar community.
PTR, known for his frequent use of the English language to denounce his detractors, has many a time taken pride in his education, previous employment, etc. Well, that is alright. But remember the time when PTR called barbers “Ambattayaan” during the Corona pandemic criticising the central government over disallowing barber shops from functioning. He later apologised for using the said word.
“Ambattayaan” is a derogatory term employed to demean communities engaged in occupations related to barber services.
J Sai Deepak had a brutal reply to PTR’s post. He wrote, “Not surprised at all that documented facts and logic land as quackery on you. Perhaps unlettered trolling remains your option of last resort to salvage whatever remains of your flagging career. And since my writing on Dravidianism has irked your ilk, there is more coming :-)”
Not surprised at all that documented facts and logic land as quackery on you. Perhaps unlettered trolling remains your option of last resort to salvage whatever remains of your flagging career. And since my writing on Dravidianism has irked your ilk, there is more coming 🙂 https://t.co/NX37OiuGnJ
It is noteworthy that PTR has been demoted from being Tamil Nadu’s Finance Minister to being the Minister for Information Technology and Digital Services presently. This change in portfolio came about after an audio file was leaked by the Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party where PTR is heard accusing the “first family” of amassing over ₹30,000 crore.
Maybe PTR could answer why Vellalars (his community) predominantly hold the positions of district secretaries in Vanniyar and Thevar regions like Vizhupuram and Thanjavur. Why is the DMK not ensuring proportional representation for Vanniyars and Thevars?
PTR, to date, has not issued a statement condemning his caste organisations, that are protesting the use of the term “Devendra Kula Vellalars” to address the Scheduled Caste community.
Also, it is a fact that the PTR family frequently clashed with Thevar leaders within their own party, there are allegations of Thevars regarding casteism within the PTR family about practicing the 2-tumbler system in their homes.
PTR has made several casteist remarks, especially against Brahmin women on social media. Chandra R Srikanth, an Editor with the financial and business news website Moneycontrol, shared a post in May 2022 alleging that a top leader’s son was involved in a mega land grab.
Met a friend from Chennai recently. Apparently some mega land grab going on by one top leader's son in law. "You cannot sell any land parcel above 5 crore in Chennai if you dont sell it to this guy" The more things change….
— Chandra R. Srikanth (@chandrarsrikant) May 25, 2022
Responding to this tweet, PTR Palanivel Thiagarajan abused the woman journalist by invoking her caste identity.
Not to forget the verbal vomit that PTR often indulges in bullying online and offline of people, irrespective of gender, age, profession, seniority, etc.
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Since its establishment, the Kalaignar Centenary Bus Terminus (KCBT) at Kilambakkam has been embroiled in various controversies, particularly concerning issues such as traffic congestion, inadequate facilities, and difficulties in accessing it from the Vandalur Railway Station. Passengers commuting from KCBT expressed their discontent with the ruling DMK government. They argued that the bus stand operates a limited number of buses, necessitating extended waiting times. Protesters alleged that they have been threatened by the police when expressing their dissatisfaction.
The situation is escalating as each day passes, with women, children, and elderly individuals resorting to makeshift sleeping arrangements on chairs and platforms after 10PM. The scarcity of buses on Fridays exacerbates the issue, especially for hardworking individuals who spend the entire week away from their families, dedicating themselves to work in the city. With Saturdays and Sundays being their only opportunity to reunite with their families, leaving people stranded and inconvenienced in their attempts to travel to their hometowns.
A commuter, interviewed by Polimer News TV channel, conveyed his sorrow regarding the current state, “My name is Mahendran, I came from Perambalur district to Chennai for a guest house, and in order to go back, I reached the Kilambakkam bus stand at about 10 clock. Now the time is 3:15 AM by now twenty-five buses would have gone to Trichy but the population here would be around five thousand people.” he said. “The police came and threatened us saying run to catch the bus, if you can climb it, then they dropped a police car and left. There is no bus above 3:15 AM and I am still standing here talking. But if they hold a conference, they will run 4000 buses, but the people here… This is not today’s problem; it has been in the three months since DMK started. But till now it is not known what action has been taken. But they say we will introduce bus… Even now they say we have introduced three hundred buses but honestly I don’t know where those buses are running, even in an illiterate country everything is good, but here we all have studied and wander around, not even a bus facility and that too in such a big bus station that runs for twenty-four hours has this situation.” he added
“Today from this bus station 40,000 people have gone to their towns. I don’t know how long this situation will last, but if this situation improves, it will be a little better. But if you have to work like this and protect your family, worse than this, you can leave this country, like Kamal said.” he further said
When asked about the buses at the bus station carrying people, he replied, “All the buses are full as they come here, we don’t know where they get on, where they stop, they don’t wait properly, there is no place for people or bus, for this why a new bus station. It looks like a ten-year-old bus stand. The system itself is wrong, the bus entry point is wrong and the place that brings us here from Koyambedu is also wrong. All of us are men we have no problem but mainly how do women cope with keeping the baby in the platform from 10 PM to 3 AM? People who don’t care at all are sitting here as Ministers and if asked they just say that we will do this and that . But I don’t know what they did for these three months.”
When asked about the Transport department officials, he replied, “The transport department officials are telling us that, we don’t know anything, we are giving you buses, only if the bus comes we know, there is an accident on the way. they don’t have any information about what time the bus will come and how many buses will come, they also say if possible, get on the bus or simply sit, take care of yourself, you do your work and I will do mine, I have a salary, do you have a salary, don’t talk and run away.”
When the reporters asked about the reason for such a large crowd to come here suddenly, he replied, “Sir, today is Friday, and everyone will go on Saturday, and Sunday stay for two days, and come back on Monday. This will be the situation if you are expanding the business in only one place and not expanding business from town to town. Why did you start such a big bus station in Kilambakkam? So that people will come, then where are the buses for that? The irony is that in the name of decongesting Koyambedu bus stand crowd, you built a big bus stand here, so even if the population is big here it looks small, the bus station looks big, but there is no bus. But what you say the general crowd here compared to Koyambedu becomes low. Now we are fools.”
“Normally if one works in Vadapalani, it takes only half an hour to reach Koyambedu, if we go there and catch the Trichy bus, we will reach the town in almost six hours. But today we have started something called Kilambakkam which is a better bus station than Koyambedu, normally ten thousand people will come and get down in one hundred buses in Koyambedu but today those ten thousand people are pushed here in ten buses, it takes an hour to get here. If you come here after one o’clock, there are no buses till 3:15 AM, when will we reach our town?. If this is the case, we will vote differently, sure will vote differently.” he added.
Frustration among commuters reached a boiling point as buses failed to arrive on time, prompting them to protest and question the reliability of the bus service. One commuter expressed his discontent, stating that he had arrived at Kilambakkam at 7 PM in the evening, but even at 2AM not a single bus had appeared. He emphasized that he needed any of the buses to Chidambaram, Thanjavur, or Kumbakonam.
The commuter recounted that they had been told at 7PM in Koyambedu that buses would go to Kilambakkam, and they had accepted it immediately. However, he questioned the lack of buses, emphasizing the need for proper bus facilities. He highlighted the cooperation extended when asked to go to Kilambakkam instead of Koyambedu but expressed frustration at the absence of buses. The commuter raised concerns about the ongoing adjustments and questioned the sustainability of such arrangements.
Passengers were seen getting into buses through the windows enraged by the lack of them, thereby hijacking the buses as the seats were already booked in the buses coming to the bus station.
As the chaos intensified and commuters grew increasingly frustrated, they blocked the GST road in protest, despite facing threats from the police. The enraged crowd simply demanded transport buses, emphasizing that they had no intention to protest without cause.
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The State President of the Hindu Traders Welfare Association, V.P. Jeyakumar, issued a stern statement advocating for the arrest of rowdies who target traders under the stringent Goondas Act. Emphasizing the urgency of the matter, the president underscored the need for swift and decisive action to curb such criminal activities.
In the statement released by him, he said,“In recent times, merchants have faced threats from unruly elements like rowdies. Arumugarajah, who runs a grocery store in Pattarai, Tiruvallur district, experienced such intimidation firsthand. Jayavel, known for his coercive tactics, used to extort money (maamool) from Arumugarajah’s shop daily and even took water cans without payment. Frustrated by Jayavel’s harassment, Arumugarajah refused to comply with his demands. In retaliation, Jayavel, along with his associates Malu and Siva, viciously attacked Arumugarajah. This incident has sent shockwaves through the trading community in Tamil Nadu.”
He added details about another incident, “Just two months ago, a similar incident occurred in Guduvanchery, where a businessman was attacked after filing a police complaint against a rowdy who had returned from jail. Amidst concerns about the safety of tax-paying traders in Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister Stalin assured his support during a Traders Association conference, expressing personal anguish over such tragedies. The Hindu Munnani and Hindu Traders Welfare Association intervened, pressing the police to take action, leading to the registration of a case against Jayavel, Malu, and Siva, with one arrest made so far.”
He also urged that, “While various associations have offered condolences to the affected family, the incident has deeply impacted them. It is imperative for the police to handle this matter effectively to restore confidence among businesses. Implementing stringent measures like the Goondas Act against such offenders visiting commercial premises is crucial. Only through decisive action by the Chief Minister and the enforcement of such laws can such attacks on traders be prevented. The Tamil Nadu government should extend support to Arumugarajah, and the Hindu Traders Welfare Association urges the immediate apprehension of the remaining perpetrators.”
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All opinion polls that I have seen are cautiously opining that BJP getting to 370 on its own in the upcoming 2024 elections is an uphill task although they might end up scoring a little better than their 2019 tally. However, I am sure that BJP will get between 350 to 370 and NDA will cross 400 seats and here is my analysis how this is very much possible if they give their best performance which they seemed to be determined to do through aggressive alliances, blockbuster campaigns and booth level management powered by the significant Modi X factor as always. Let me go through the key states that BJP has to focus on to get to 370 mark.
Starting with the north, the only state where BJP has to push a little harder is Uttar Pradesh. They will definitely sweep there but they have to get almost a 100% strike rate in order to get at least 79 out of the 80 Loksabha seats. Rest of the states in the north are already 100% with BJP and they just have to ensure that nothing goes wrong there in the next 3 months.
In the east, BJP has to put extra effort in West Bengal and Odisha to garner a few more seats than their 2019 tally and take it to 22 from 18 in West Bengal and 12 from 8 in Odisha. Mamata Banerjee seems to be a little bit in her backfoot this time and it was evident from her public outrage on Rahul Gandhi recently. The recent MLA Shahjahan’s issue is turning to a public outrage against TMC which is also a good opportunity for BJP to take advantage of . In Bihar, they should negotiate with its primary ally Nitish Kumar to fight in 24 seats and win all of them compared to 17 that they won earlier. Given Nitish’s situation, he will most probably agree to this arrangement. In Bihar, Nitish Kumar JDU is in the decline and the more seats BJP fights the better for the NDA alliance. They just have get one or two more Jharkhand which is very much possible given they got 12 in 2014 and 11 in 2019. Chattisgarh is with BJP 100% and they don’t have to worry.
Coming to the South, BJP must put in their maximum efforts this time in Tamil Nadu with the best alliances possible and ground reports show that the vote share for BJP is on the rise there powered by the young promising K. Annamalai’s yatra which saw huge turnouts. The recent event of around 16 leaders from AIADMK moving to BJP in Tamil Nadu is going to provide more momentum. It will be very much possible for BJP to garner atleast 5 seats although they should shoot for 10 on their own. With good alliances stitched with smaller parties in Tamil Nadu, NDA in Tamil Nadu can very well get a total of 10 seats at the least. This might sound difficult but not impossible with BJP opening its arms visibly to anyone that would agree to fight under Modi leadership in Tamil Nadu. In the next 3 months, things are going to reveal the art of possible although every big channel is saying today that even though BJP’s vote share will increase it will not convert to any seat in 2024. Mark my words, Tamil Nadu is one state that will throw a surprise. Given its already better base in Telengana, BJP should look to get atleast 4 seats more and double its tally to 8. Every state is nowadays clear who to bring in the state and who to support in the centre. With the Lingayats a bit pacified with Yeddyurappa’s son, Vijayendra, as the BJP party chief and a part of the Vokkaliga votes coming to NDA due to their smart alliance with JDS, BJP should just retain its 2019 tally of 25 seats in Karnataka. With both TDP and YSRCP not in I.N.D.I alliance and both open to a BJP alliance, BJP can try getting both of them into the NDA fold which is again difficult but not an impossible proposition with Chandrababu Naidu already doing rounds in BJP office and Jagan Reddy’s own sister challenging him by joining his arch rival, the Congress. This way all the 25 LS seats there will be safe with NDA and will help it to catapult itself beyond the 400 mark.
In the West, the only state that BJP has manage well is Maharashtra. Here their arithmetic will see them through rather than actual chemistry. Although the likes of Mood of the Nation of India Today shows that the Maha Vikas Aghadi will do better than NDA there due to public sentiment but I am very confident that BJP and Fadnavis will do smart arithmetic there and ensure loyal voters of Shinde’s Shivsena and Ajit Pawar’s NCP will not disappoint their leaders. The fact that BJP is not leaving even MNS in Maharashtra shows their preparedness. This will be the only dicey state in the LS elections but with smart maneuvering and getting voters to poll booths will do the magic. I think BJP must negotiate for more seats to fight this time in Maharashtra and win 30 seats on their own improving their tally from 23 seats in 2019, if they actually want to go close to the target of 370 that their most popular leader, Narendra Modi, has set for the party this time and announced in parliament itself. Given how BJP has helped Ajit Pawar and Eknath Shinde so far, I believe they will oblige. The other states in the West are already solidly behind BJP and will not cause any worry for them.
Thus I conclude that BJP will get between 350 to 370 seats on their own in the upcoming Loksabha elections and if they focus on some of the above states, especially UP, Maharashtra, WB, Odisha, Bihar, Tamil Nadu and Telangana, they can get very close to 370 which as per my calculation comes to around 364 as shown in the table below (ignore the blanks) which is stupendous and NDA will then stand to achieve even around 414 seats which will be record breaking as per the desire of one of the greatest Prime Ministers that India has ever seen, Narendra Damodardas Modi.
Ananth Mahadevan is a political commentator based in Bengaluru.
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Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party President K. Annamalai commenced his “En Mann En Makkal Yatra” on 28 July 2023, with an expected conclusion on 18 February 2024. The procession covers all 234 constituencies of Tamil Nadu. Currently, Annamalai has traversed over 189 constituencies and is entering the northern part of Tamil Nadu, approaching Chennai. All through the yatra, he provided constructive criticism against the ruling DMK government, functioning akin to an opposition party. His efforts have brought the Tamil Nadu BJP to the doorsteps of many citizens, making the party’s presence felt across the state.
One such incident unfolded in the Thiruvallur district when Annamalai was scheduled to visit on 8 February 2024 the local body was swiftly doing their work, where local residents expressed their concerns to reporters, asserting that they had never had proper roads in the area. Interestingly, the local body swiftly displayed interest in laying a road, citing preparations for the New Moon Chariot function. However, citizens narrated a contrasting story, raising doubts about the true intentions behind the sudden road construction.
A resident named Rajesh conveyed to the media, “My name is Rajesh and I live in this area, this morning they suddenly laid the road. When I asked, they said Annamalai was visiting the area so they were laying the road, but when I asked the municipality, they said that the road was being laid for the temple chariot. The temple chariot had run for so many new moons but never one was the road laid. Now that Annamalai is coming, they have anxiously laid the road. The municipality does not know what is going on, so as soon as when they hear Annamalai is coming they lay the road. But the road was not paved when the chariot arrived. This road was full of pits and potholes but no one came to inspect it. Now, as soon as they have put a stage here, the municipality lays the road and pretends to “make-up” the road. Here school students and common people walk, they did nothing but today they are making it up.”
Kumar, another resident who works as an auto driver, said, “The road has not been laid all this while, today they are laying the road as Annamalai is expected to come here and they are doing everything. Do you know how waterlogged it gets during the rains? But they are laying the road only now, if you ask them they say it is for the chariot, but the chariot festival is only on Saturday, but they are laying it today. I don’t know what the case is but if you ask them, it must be Annamalai’s arrival. All these days they did not lay the road, but today they are laying the road as Annamalai is coming. Because he will ask about it, why this road is not good? It seems that he is coming on foot, so he will ask what is wrong with the road. They immediately brought soil and did everything. I don’t know what is what, you have to make a decision.“
The prompt response from the municipality seems to stem from Annamalai’s practice of sharing his views and understanding of each constituency or district he visits, critically examining its socio-economic and political aspects. He has been outspoken in criticizing sitting ministers and MLAs for corruption, scams, embezzlement, and family dynasties, and exposing falsehoods and narratives. With the looming Lok Sabha elections, the ruling DMK government is cautious not to provide any room for political discussions by Annamalai, particularly as he approaches the DMK stronghold of Chennai. The swift action can be attributed to the political pressure and the government’s desire to preempt any potential impact on the upcoming elections.
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Yet again, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam MP Dayanidhi Maran makes it a point to insult and mock the Tamil Brahmin background of Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. In a nearly 18-minute-long tirade, Dayanidhi Maran went on a lengthy rant and peddled lies about the Finance Minister, the Prime Minister, and the BJP government at the centre while hiding facts from the members of the House.
He started by saying, “This interim budget is an eyewash, it is a huge disappointment especially since this budget is useless for the poor. The middle-class people were expecting tax benefits since they kept on saying they are doing good things but all they got was ‘naamam'” – a derogatory representation of the Vaishnavite mark on the forehead connected to cheating.
After fumbling through numbers and mumbling some nonsense on the budget, he starts to target Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. He said, “We are proud of her since she is a Tamilian, she was born in TN and belongs to the state, we thought she was a good person, a mighty person, but all that comes out of her mouth is different from the truth. She said this interim budget was focused on the poor, youth, and women. But the truth is that the rich such as Ambani, Adani, and Tata are becoming richer and the poor becoming poorer. The revenue of India – 40% of it is held by the Tatas, Ambanis, and Adanis. The middle class is becoming poor, they are not having any income. They said they would provide jobs for youth, when – after they are re-elected to power. Mr Prime Minister, in 2014 you said you would generate 2 crore jobs per year, what happened to that? For 10 years you were all talk and no action – Dayanidhi Maran used the Tamil phrase “Vaaila Vadai Sudardu” to explain this. Opportunities for women are decreasing”, he further mumbled some numbers fumbling all the while.
He continued his tirade and peddled the same lies that the DMK has been peddling all this time. He said, “You waived off all the loans given to Ambani, Adani, and Tata (instead of saying write off)
You never waived off farmer loans but did that only for the rich people’s loans. You brought anti-farmer laws but the people opposed them and you repealed them.”
He again fumbles mentioning numbers about inflation. He claimed that the price of essential commodities was going up constantly, the highest in 30 years. He also added that people were instead losing their savings.
Now comes the anti-TN stance claim. He said, “Last year when the Michaung cyclone hit Chennai, our CM Stalin met PM and asked for ₹7033 crores as relief. ₹12655 crores was also asked. But till now what did we get? Zero. We did not receive even a naya paisa from the “Union” government. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh came to TN to oversee the relief efforts, and even Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also came, she saw, waved her hands, spoke some things, gave interviews, and left without giving even a single rupee. The cruelty of this is that we said we are not asking for your money, just give us from our tax revenue share, our TN’s future Udhayanidhi Stalin asked. He said, we are not asking for your money or your father’s money, just give our tax revenue share. In response to that, our Finance minister held a press conference, and for one hour she lashed out at us. What did she say? That Udhayanidhi Stalin did not speak respectfully, he should not say words like your father’s money or mother’s money. But she didn’t realise that the PM himself once asked if it was your “grandfather’s money”. Didn’t Nirmala Sitharaman find time to advise him? I am asking her, Madam Nirmala Sitharaman, you are speaking about mother’s money, I ask you in return, is it your father’s (thopanaar) money? (Here Dayanidhi Maran has used the word Thopanaar, which is a Tambram dialect directed at the background of Nirmala Sitharaman). If I say that, will it be nice? No, right? It is exactly that, your speech was filled with vehemence.”
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has already clarified this claim in her press conference.
Then he went on to mock PM Modi and spoke about demonetisation asking him where the black money went. He also asked about the ₹2000 note claiming that the government had made a mistake by removing it from circulation.
Lies Around COVID-19
He spoke about COVID-19 and said that several people died because of the pandemic. He blamed the BJP government for bringing COVID-19 into the country. He said, “How did COVID-19 enter India? The reason for that is the BJP. For the Gujarat elections, they conducted an event called Namaste Trump. They kept all the airports open for that. COVID entered India in that way. Had that event not taken place, so many 1000s of lives would have been saved.” He also blamed the government for showing a low death rate.
Dayanidhi Maran is factually wrong in this case, the first COVID case was detected in Kerala on 27 January 2020 from a student who had returned from Wuhan. Airports were kept open for people to return to their home country.
Namaste Trump event was held on 24 and 25 February 2020. The country issued a lockdown in March 2020.
Onion Prices
Going back to Nirmala Sitharaman, he falsely accused her of shirking the responsibility for the rising onion prices. He said, “When the onion prices were rising, in this Parliament, Finance Minister said, onions? The price has risen? I do not eat onions so I do not know about it. What kind of arrogance is that?” The truth is that Nirmala Sitharaman replied to a question by a fellow parliamentarian who asked her if she ate onions at home, and she replied saying no we do not eat much onion and garlic.
Here is a video of the same:
Talking about the price hike in petrol and LPG, he said, “Post Covid, you have hiked petrol and LPG rates, petrol prices have hit ₹100, LPG has hit nearly ₹1000. Because of the war in Russia, they said they are getting oil at lower prices. But who is buying that oil? Reliance and Adani and who are they giving it to? Not India, but exporting it abroad. They made a huge amount of profit with that. With that profit, they could have reduced the prices and benefitted us. But what did this BJP government do? They placed Modi selfie stands in every petrol pump. It costs ₹6.5 lakhs. For what? To take a selfie with the PM. Was that necessary? They could have used that money for the public.”
Well, once again Dayanidhi Maran is skipping facts. The price of LPG has been brought down several times and it is much less than what it was in the UPA era when Dayanidhi Maran was a minister in that government. Also, coming to petrol and diesel prices, Tamil Nadu is one of the states with the highest rates – the state government has not given any subsidy compared to what UP or other states have done. They have ensured it is maintained at the same rate for the past year or so.
On ED
He said, “You are misusing the ED. You said the Congress party especially Indira Gandhi misused the emergency. That is a big crime. You said you would not make that mistake/crime. But today like the emergency, you are using the ED and filing cases, 95% of them are on the opposition members. You are doing this for your benefit.”
Dayanidhi Maran hits a self-goal here when saying 95% of the cases are against the opposition – endorsing how corrupt the members of the opposition are.
PayTM, NEET
When the PM was pushing the Digital India programme, his photo appeared with the PayTM brand. Today, PayTM is under scrutiny and is going to be shut down.
Again Dayanidhi Maran is wrong – PayTM is functioning as is, the PayTM bank is the one under scrutiny because of RBI regulations.
He again continued peddling lies on NEET. He said students were dying not just in TN but in the country because of NEET. He pointed out that several students in Kota were committing suicide because of NEET.
Jumping back to Nirmala Sitharaman, he said when former CM Jayalalithaa passed away, Nirmala Sitharaman was in Chennai and she tried to capture power and wanted to become Chief Minister and that she lied to the people about banning NEET.
Modi & His Love For Tamil – Ulterior Motive Claimed By Dayanidhi Maran
Talking about Modi spreading the greatness of Tamil he said, “When PM comes to TN, he speaks in Tamil, when he goes to Karnataka, he speaks in Kannada, when he goes to Kerala, he speaks in Malayalam, when he goes to Andhra, he speaks in Telugu and when he goes to West Bengal, he speaks in Bengali. There is a folklore in our state, when someone wants to catch a hen, he would say bobo bobo and the hen would think, oh this man can speak my language, he is my friend and willingly go to him. Little does the hen know that he is doing that to fry and eat the hen! That is what is happening here.”
Not The First Time
In Augist 2023, the DMK organised a “day-long fast” on 20 August 2023 to protest against the union government’s insistence on continuing with the exam. Speaking at the event, DMK MP and former Union Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Dayanidhi Maran, made several casteist remarks against Brahmins and in particular against Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
He said, “Anitha’s (the girl who died by suicide in 2017 after being unable to secure a medical seat) brother spoke here today and he said 2017, the year Anitha died, was an important year. Why do you think is it an important year? It is because in 2016, J Jayalalithaa passed away and BJP wanted to use every opportunity to come to power with the help of the “slaves” and that is why they sent “Nirmala Mami”. Ok, they sent Nirmala Sitharaman. What she does is (laughs, as someone points out why he mentioned the word Mami – he responds by saying, I said it inadvertently.)
He continued to say, “That woman has no work in Tamil Nadu, she is not even an elected Rajya Sabha MP from Tamil Nadu, and she has never come to this side. She claims to have been born here and probably has her roots in Tamil Nadu, she knows several languages but doesn’t care for the state at all.”
The word Mami is used as a slur and in derogatory fashion especially by Dravidian ideologues when addressing Tamil Brahmin women in Tamil Nadu. Netizens questioned the hypocrisy of Dayanidhi Maran to address Union Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman as “mami” when he himself has married a Tamil Brahmin from The Hindu family. It is also noteworthy that Murasoli Maran, the father of Dayanidhi Maran and nephew of M Karunanidhi was also married to a Tamil Brahmin woman.
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In a recent development, the official spokesperson of DMK and joint secretary of the media wing of the part, Saravanan Annadurai, shared on his X handle that Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s statement claiming a 192% increase in state finance sharing is solely attributed to inflation. He also reiterated the narrative that the BJP is allegedly exploiting Tamil Nadu’s tax revenue, echoing the common sentiment that the central government is encroaching on state rights.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s statement news card shared by News18Tamilnadu stated, “Tax Distribution to Tamilnadu: ₹94,977 crore from 2004 to 2014 and ₹2,77,444 crore from 2014 to 2024.
Financial assistance to Tamil Nadu: This is 192% more. 57,924.42 crore from 2004 to 2014 to 2,30,893 crore from 2014 to 2023, an increase of 300% in nine years”.
In response to that, Saravanan wrote, “This is because of inflation! There was no GST from 2004 to 2014; the state governments were directly collecting the tax revenue. Now the Union government is giving it. The sun rises in the east from 2014-2024. BJP’s record is as absurd as it gets. #BJPLootingOurTax”
இதற்கு காரணம் பணவீக்கம்! 2004-2014 ஜிஎஸ்டி கிடையாது, மாநில அரசுகளே நேரடியாக அந்த வரி வருவாயை பெற்று வந்தது.இப்பொழுது ஒன்றிய அரசு கொடுக்கிறது.
In response, SG Suryah, the State Secretary of Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party, accused Saravanan of spreading lies, emphasizing the direct flow of Excise Duty and Service Tax to the Central Government even before the GST regime.
Surya wrote, “1 Tweet, 100 Lies Mr. @saravofcl? What’s this? SGST directly goes to State Govts in the GST regime. Before 2014, Excise Duty & Service Tax from Tamil Nadu directly went to the TN Treasury? Is it a joke? It directly went to the Central Govt. even before the GST regime.”
• SGST directly goes to State Govts in the GST regime.
• Before 2014 Excise Duty & Service Tax from Tamil Nadu directly went to TN Treasury? Is it a joke? It directly went to Central Govt. even before GST regime. https://t.co/eliYMTnWBA
Netizens who read the post and discerned the bias in Saravanan’s statement criticized and ridiculed him for his lack of knowledge.
A netizen remarked, “50% of GST goes to state directly. Even some share of central GST component is shared with state. Do you comprehend vandu murugan?”
50% of GST goes to state directly. Even some share of central GST component is shared with state. Puriyatha vandu murugan?
Another netizen unveiled his exposed his contradictory statement and remarked “Does a 10 percent rise in inflation mean a 194 percent rise? So admit that today’s NDA government has given more money than the previous UPA government”
பணவீக்கம் என்றால் ஒரு 10 சதவீதம் உயரும் இப்படி 194 சதவீதம் உயருமா? ஆக சென்ற UPA அரசு கொடுத்த பணத்தை விட இன்றைய NDA அரசு அதிகம் கொடுத்துள்ளது என்பதை ஒப்புக்கிறிங்க
Another netizen shed light on the unethical conduct of state government commercial tax officials during the 1980s. They engaged in deceptive practices, cheating both the government and the public by collecting taxes and misappropriating funds. The netizen described a situation where officials would accept a bribe of ₹1000 and instruct individuals to pay only a fraction, such as ₹1000, out of a larger tax amount, like ₹10,000.
மாநிலஅரசு வணிகவரி அதிகாரிகள்எப்படி வரிவசூல் செய்து அரசையும் மக்களையும் ஏமாற்றி கொள்ளையடித்தார்கள் என்று நன்றாகவே தெரியும் 1980கால கட்டங்களில் 10,000வரிகட்டவேண்டிய வரிடம்1000லஞ்சம் வாங்கிக்கொண்டு1000மட்டுமே வரி கட்டச் சொல்வார்கள் நீ அப்போது சிறுவனாகக் கூட இருந்திருக்கமாட்டாய்.
Another netizen ridiculed him by saying, “What is the relationship between monetary inflation and fiscal allocation? Oh my gosh .. just thinking that he will go and make this stupid argument on any TV today .. oh my god. Then you say inflation is good, Melting”
பண வீக்கத்துக்கும் நிதி பகிர்விற்கும் என்ன சம்பந்தம் ஐயோ ..இந்த கூமுட்ட வாதத்தை இன்னைக்கு எந்த டிவிலேயாவது போய் உளறுவான் அதை நினைக்கும் போது தான் ..கடவுளே அப்போ பண வீக்கம் நல்லதுன்னு சொல்றியா மெல்டிங்
A netizen questioned, “Okay then, tell me how much tax has come in SGST. The central government discloses CGST, SGST – How much money is directly going to the state government? SGST – DMK, who conceals the direct arrival.”
சரி SGST – வரி எவ்வளவு வந்தது அத சொல்லுங்க CGST -மத்தியரசுக்கு செல்கிறது. SGST -நேரடியாக மாநில அரசுக்கு வரும் பணம் அது எவ்வளவு .SGST -நேரடியா வருவதை மறைத்து பித்தளாட்டம் செய்யும் திமுக
The Goods and Services Tax (GST) in general has brought several benefits to state governments in India. One primary advantage is the streamlining of the taxation system, replacing the complex and cascading tax structure that existed before. GST has created a unified market by subsuming various indirect taxes, promoting ease of doing business and facilitating seamless interstate trade. Additionally, it has enhanced tax compliance through a robust IT infrastructure, reducing tax evasion. The revenue-sharing mechanism between the central and state governments ensures a stable source of income for states, fostering financial autonomy. Overall, GST has led to increased transparency, efficiency, and revenue for state governments, contributing to the economic development of the country. However, some state governments and political parties exploit GST to their advantage by constructing false narratives.
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In a recent press conference with journalists in Madurai, RB Udhayakumar, former Tamil Nadu Revenue minister and AIADMK member confirmed the finalization of the AIADMK alliance. He explicitly stated that there would be no collaboration with the BJP in either parliamentary or assembly elections.
Responding to a question posed by reporters regarding Amit Shah’s statement about open alliance doors, Udhayakumar asserted that the AIADMK alliance has been firmly established. He emphasized that there will be no collaboration with the BJP in both parliamentary and assembly elections. And further stated despite Annamalai’s criticism referring to Annadurai and Jeyalalitha, Udhayakumar expressed the impossibility of aligning with them without compromising the party’s dignity.
Criticizing Annamalai’s lack of political experience and electoral success, he stressed that maturity comes through winning elections. Udhayakumar dismissed Annamalai’s influence, declaring that neither Annamalai nor his father could dismantle the AIADMK.
He stated, “Not only Annamalai, even if his dad comes cannot do anything to destroy Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. We brought the party to this state by giving our blood and life. Even if his dad comes, Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam cannot be destroyed”.
Also he issued a caution on behalf of the party’s two crore volunteers, asserting the invincibility of the AIADMK.
He added, “I’m not saying this as a warning to Annamalai, this is a warning on behalf of 2 crore Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam cadres. Just showing this bogeyman (poochandi), telling ayya and all, what is this? Where were you? Where did you come from? where did you go? What is your history? You talk as if you are the only one who was born to save this country. Everything has a limit brother. So talk carefully, talk calmly. If we start talking, you would throw your veshti and run. We are bound by the party and our general secretary and we are silent now. Even Annamalai cannot answer our party’s last cadre… Listen to his speech, couldn’t tolerate it, it is like a person selling lehyam (electuary medicine) Sir, this has happened, sir, this has passed, sir, eat this lehyam, sir, if your fever is not cured in the morning, come in the evening, sir, if it is not cured in the evening, then come in the morning, sir. Come, sir, come, sir, come. Buy immediately or the lehiyam will run out, if you do not use this opportunity, it will run out. If you don’t take advantage of this, the opportunity will slip away. In this case, if the lehiyam is not sold, it cannot be sold at all. This lehiyam is created for you sir, Hence sir you don’t need to trust anyone, I say, sir, if you die you don’t need to come and see me, if you are alive come and see me. He is speaking like this. He wakes up in the morning and speaks whatever comes to his mouth. You also telecast them and even ask him questions on that.”
In a concluding caution, Udhayakumar advised Prime Minister Modi to exercise caution regarding Annamalai’s actions. Additionally, his request for a post-election press meet with reporters subtly hinted still there is a possibility of alliance discussions. He added, “The decision taken by our General Secretary was the final decision taken. So, the leaders who know the strength of the Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the influence of the people are inviting and that is why the leaders in Delhi are inviting us. But this fool knows nothing, how can a person who knows nothing come and talk? All this is to be severely condemned, after all, he thinks he is the one who came to protect Tamil Nadu. First, after this election, I will give you another press meet and say. Nothing, zero, if you have hired fifty people on social media, can you become a leader? You have not even won a councillor election, and you want to become the prime minister? It is good for Modi to stay cautious of Annamalai.”
Against the backdrop of a broken BJP and AIADMK alliance, with the election date yet to be announced, the AIADMK is actively seeking a robust partner for the upcoming elections. In pursuit of this goal, they are striving to strengthen their dominance within the alliance in Tamil Nadu; however, success in these endeavors has not yet been realized.
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Yet again, Puthiya Thalaimurai’s “journalist” Niranjan Kumar has the spotlight on him for peddling misinformation – one more time.
This time he trains his guns on none other than Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself. In a post on his X handle amidst the ongoing ruckus being created by the I.N.D.I.Alliance partners concerning the central government “looting tax revenue” from states, he wrote quoting DMK Minister PTR Palanivel Thiagarajan at Delhi Jantar Mantar protest, “There was a Chief Minister in India. He said that the central government is severely deceiving them and talked about the federal philosophy from side to side. He said that they are taking the tax money of our state and diverting it to some states: He is none other than the then Chief Minister of Gujarat, Narendra Modi, who is now the Prime Minister.”
However, his propaganda was soon busted. It is to be noted that after PM Narendra Modi assumed the PM post, he increased the allocation of funds to states. from 32% to 42%. Further, he reduced the weightage of the population in the tax distribution criteria from 27.5% to 15%.
Additionally, the funds available to states in the UPA regime (2004-14) was ₹30 lakh crore but from 2014-2023, this fund has increased to over ₹100 lakh crores.
Also, the tax sharing and assistance received by Tamil Nadu excluding NH, Ports, Railways, Railways, other Infra in the UPA regime (2004-14) was ₹1,52,921 crores. In the Modi regime (2014-23), it has increased to ₹5,08,337 crores.
Tamil Nadu has also received ₹10.76 lakh crores of funds, projects, and grants in the past 9 years under the Modi government.
உனக்கு அறிவு இல்ல, இருந்தா நீ ஏன் திமுகவுக்கு சொம்பு தூக்க போற?
அந்த முதல்வர் பிரதமரான பின்
மாநிலங்களுக்கு வழங்கும் நிதி பகிர்வை 32 சதவீதத்தில் இருந்து 42 சதவீதம் ஆக்கினார்
வரி பகிர்வு criteriaவில் மக்கள் தொகைக்கு இருந்த weightageஐ 27.5 சதவீதத்தில் இருந்து 15 சதவீமாக… https://t.co/wQRW0aiAAn
“Journalists” such as Niranjan Kumar parrot the lines of their DMK masters without cross-referencing or fact-checking their claims. This is how false propaganda is furthered by the ruling DMK to hoodwink the public. However, the likes of Niranjan do not realise that in the era of social media and high-speed internet, such lies and false propaganda can be busted in minutes.
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