For more than 5 decades, Dravidian parties have held the stronghold in Tamil Nadu. Power shifted between the two major parties – DMK and the AIADMK. People chose one over the other in consecutive elections mostly because of anti-incumbency and with no other alternative options. The political atmosphere that was made airtight and occupied by the Dravidian parties has been punctured after the passing away of the matriarch and patriarch. A majority of the people in Tamil Nadu today feel the need to breathe fresh air. In this context, politics of Tamil Nadu itself is set to witness changes in the coming years.
Development Politics Vs Electoral politics
Tamil Nadu people would indisputably agree that Kingmaker Kamarajar’s rule was the golden era of the state because of his development policies such as building dams, hospitals, industries, free education, etc. The mid-day meal scheme pioneered by Mr. Kamarajar brought children to schools thereby increasing the school enrolment and literacy rates. In his rule he adopted development politics that provided livelihood over electoral politics that made people slaves to freebies.
Of course to win an election a healthy combination of both is needed but the AIADMK and the DMK more took doling out of freebies to unimaginable levels by providing free TVs, grinders, mixers, table fans, and cash of course, which in turn increased the debt of Tamil Nadu to 4.56 lakh crores. These freebies accompanied with corruption deteriorated the standard of politics in Tamil Nadu. If these redundant expenditures had been used in developing the livelihood, the state would not just have been in better finances but also in a better position.
Corruption: an uncontrollable issue
Corruption is one of the major threats all over the world in governance which causes entire society to suffer and makes the economy bleed. This is neither a small problem in Tamil Nadu. The Indian corruption survey carried out by Transparency International India (TII) in 20 states notes that 62% of the respondents paid bribes to get the work done in Tamil Nadu compared to 52% last year. According to the Indian corruption survey report 2019, Tamil Nadu ranks 7th in the most corrupted states list.
Mid-day meal scam, granite scam, gutka scam, and other scams have led to the people to lose confidence in the government machinery. While both the parties talk of saving water and farmers, their own partymen are involved in illegal sand mining that has led to the Cauvery drying up putting farmer lives and livelihoods at stake. Scams have become rampant that even in the recent e-pass verification introduced, the Government officials and the public have been involved in bribes and counterfeiting e-passes.
All these can only be stopped by implementing reforms and policies to change the system.
The Education system’s failure
So far, the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalas schools haven’t been able to enter Tamil Nadu due to the misconception of Hindi imposition among people. Totally there are 661 Navodaya schools at present across the country except Tamil Nadu. This is because of 3 language formula (English, Hindi and regional language) used in Navodaya School which is against Tamil Nadu’s 2 language policy (English and Tamil) adopted in 1968 by C. N Annadurai.
If Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalas schools had been permitted inside Tamil Nadu, nearly 40000 poor rural students would have been benefitted. This school provides education free of cost and the quality of education is equal to CBSE schools. This opportunity was purposely denied by politicians as it threatened their business of running private schools. They had misled people under the false pretext of Hindi imposition and have shattered the dreams of the poor students who cannot afford high quality education.
The Dravidian politicians and their ecosystem say that the 3 language formula would destroy Tamil language then why do CBSE schools run by these politicians are allowed in Tamil Nadu having Hindi as their 3rd language compulsorily?
The Tamil Nadu government made an unwarranted and politically safe step recently that the state would have only 2-language policy no matter what. This is totally unfair and biased in favour of rich students. A poor student in rural area should have the right to the same standard of education that a rick urban kid gets. If the Dravidian politicians really care for the goodwill of the people of Tamil Nadu and Tamil language, then they should come out with a separate 10% reservation for government school students in the college admission and the state government jobs.
Blasphemy against Hinduism
The Dravidian movement spearheaded by the rabid demagogue E.V. Ramasamy (known as Periyar by his followers) perpetuated the trend of spewing venom against Hinduism and Hindu Gods. Their rationalism and criticism of religion are reserved towards only the Hindus as they won’t be able to live to see another day if they spoke against Islam or Christianity. What they do is at best hurt the sentiments of people create unwarranted controversies that disturb harmony. Each and every citizen has the freedom to follow his own religious faith. Atheism does not give anyone the liberty to hurt Hindu sentiments only.
For the last 50 years Tamil Nadu has been under the clutches of Dravidian parties with a regressive ideology rooted in double standards. It is time for a new energy that can reinvigorate Tamil Nadu. This new energy has to be rooted in the spiritual and cultural ethos of the land. Hence, spiritual politics is the need of the hour which can unite people.