Another DMK MLA from Cuddalore has ignited controversy for telling school students that “natural disasters like tsunamis sweep away the bad people.” This statement has gone viral, with netizens criticising DMK and the state education minister, Anbil Mahesh.
Netizens question whether Mahesh will address this issue with the same rigour he applied to spiritual and motivational speakers like Mahavishnu of the Paramporul Foundation.
During a recent government event at Varadam Government Girls Higher Secondary School in Manjakkuppam, Cuddalore, welfare schemes like free bicycles were distributed to students by DMK MLA G. Iyappan, who also conducted a classroom inspection. While speaking to students, he remarked that natural calamities such as tsunamis did not harm good people and highlighted that the impact of education remains resilient in the face of such disasters.
DMK MLA G. Iyappan said, “A tidal wave like a tsunami comes and takes everything away, but only the bad ones and not the good ones. So Tsunamis and Earthquakes will only take away bad people. The good and the pure will never be harmed, nor will they encounter any harm. So study and study well.”
கெட்டவர்களை மட்டும் தான் சுனாமி அடித்து செல்லும் என்று மாணவர்களுக்கு பாடம் எடுத்த பகுத்தறிவு குடோன் திமுக எம்எல்ஏ ஐயப்பன்.
இந்த பள்ளி அன்பில் மகேஷ் ஏரியாவில் வருதா?? pic.twitter.com/V5qZYr2meX
— Krishna Kumar Murugan (@ikkmurugan) September 10, 2024
Similarly, on 9 September 2024, an old speech by DMK Minister for Handlooms and Textiles R. Gandhi went viral. In it, he discussed sins and karma while distributing welfare schemes at a government school. This also led to widespread trolling of DMK’s Education Minister, Anbil Mahesh.
In the video, DMK Minister R. Gandhi is seen at Ranipet Government School, where he is distributing welfare schemes, including free bicycles, to students. Following the distribution, while addressing the gathered parents and teachers, he makes a controversial statement. Gandhi suggests that sons are born to those who have committed sins in their previous lives, whereas daughters are born to those who have performed good deeds in past lives.
DMK Minister Gandhi advised parents, saying, “Parents, do not forget how hard they are studying. Not only that, I will often say another thing. If someone in their past life has committed many sins, male children will be born, and if someone has done good deeds, only girl children will be born. Only a woman, wherever she is, will care for father and mother.”
முற்பிறவியில் பாவம் செய்தால் ஆண் குழந்தை பிறக்கும் என்கிறார் அமைச்சர் @R_Gandhi_MLA அவர்கள். ஆண்களாய் பிறப்பது பாவமா? இது மூட நம்பிக்கை பேச்சு இல்லையா? அரசு பள்ளியில் இப்படி பேசியதால் தானே மகா விஷ்ணுவை கைது செய்து நடவடிக்கை எடுத்தீர்கள். உங்கள் ஏரியாவில் வந்து இப்படி பேசிவிட்டு… pic.twitter.com/0Cw0GNAITd
— Narayanan Thirupathy (@narayanantbjp) September 9, 2024
The ruling DMK is facing a storm of criticism following the arrest of spiritual speaker Mahavishnu. On 5 September 2024, during Teacher’s Day celebrations, Mahavishnu delivered a lecture on rebirth, karma, and Thirukkural philosophy at government schools in Ashok Nagar and Saidapet. The DMK claimed that such spiritual speeches were intolerable and emphasized that state textbooks are based on scientific principles, with teachers playing a crucial role in imparting these ideas to students.
The DMK’s actions have been criticized by Dravidianists and Periyarists, who accuse the party of succumbing to Hindutva influences, especially in light of the DMK’s recent international Murugan conference and its perceived closeness with the BJP releasing coinage to late CM Karunanidhi. To counter negative perceptions and appeal to minority voters, the DMK’s arrest of Mahavishnu is seen by some as a tactical move that has instead led to increased trolling and mockery of their own party leaders’ remarks.
(With Inputs From Thanthi TV)
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