Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) leader and MP Thol. Thirumavalavan’s recent speech at a DMK-organised event in Ambattur has stirred intense political discussion, after he questioned why certain Tamil nationalist groups target former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi but refrain from criticising other Dravidian stalwarts like M.G. Ramachandran (MGR), C.N. Annadurai (Anna), or J. Jayalalithaa.
Speaking on the occasion of the seventh death anniversary of Karunanidhi, Thirumavalavan accused some Tamil nationalist outfits of misdirecting their criticism, saying they avoid mentioning leaders such as Anna, while focusing solely on “Kalaignar” Karunanidhi. He said, “Have any of the various organizations that have recently emerged today, in the name of speaking about Tamil nationalism, without telling the people who the real enemy of Tamil nationalism is, to the extent of saying that the enemy of Tamil nationalism is DMK, Kalaignar, to the extent of saying that if a monument is erected to him, we will come and destroy it to the extent of expressing hatred, and repeatedly saying that this is the one who started the corruption, at least for one day, spoken about MGR, or about Jayalalithaa Ammaiyar, why… and I would like to say very specifically, have they spoken anywhere about Kalaignar’s teacher Anna? Have they criticized him? I don’t know why Anna is not criticized,
but why is Kalaignar being targeted, this raises a question.”
He further said, “Kalaignar is Anna’s younger brother, Anna Periyar’s child. Anna spoke the same politics that Periyar spoke, he didn’t say anything new. Anna was the one who reflected Periyar. But Anna’s Tamil was sweeter, Anna’s Tamil was deeper,
Anna’s Tamil was more eloquent than Periyar’s Tamil.
But Anna spoke what Periyar spoke. Furthermore, this greatness called Periyar was revealed only by Anna, otherwise it might have been hidden.”
In his address, the VCK chief alleged that MGR had introduced “Brahminical influence” into the Dravidian movement, and pointed out that Jayalalithaa, a Brahmin woman, had led the movement for years. However, he also acknowledged MGR’s role in preventing national parties like the Congress from gaining ground in Tamil Nadu, which, he argued, indirectly stopped the BJP from making inroads.
He said, “A national party benefitted by the emergence of MGR. MGR criticized Kalaignar, sowed the seeds for hate politics, was responsible for infiltrating Brahminism into the Dravidian movement, and even though there are criticisms that he paved the way for a Brahmin woman to become the leader of the Dravidian movement, one advantage that came out of it is that – national parties were prevented from gaining a foothold here.”
He further said, “This political environment, whether DMK or AIADMK, continued for more than 50 years. The Congress was not allowed to grow here, and more importantly, the BJP did not gain a foothold. Although there are many reasons, if the Congress had gained strength here, the BJP would have grown against it. Because, where there is a national party, the BJP will easily reach the same position as the Congress. People do not compare with state parties; they will compare only with national parties. The rise of MGR is one reason why the Congress did not gain strength here and has shrunk. The political contest here was whether it is MGR or Kalaignar, later changed to Jayalalithaa-Kalaignar. But Kalaignar has always been the central point, the central politics – This is the politics of Tamil Nadu.”
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