It has been a year since the MK Stalin-led DMK came to power. Chief Minister Stalin assumed office at a time when the state was facing the rage of the delta variant of the corona virus.
Just a day after taking oath as Chief Minister, Stalin imposed a full lockdown for a period of 14 days, a move he had vehemently opposed when he was an Opposition leader.
Little did the people know that it would be the first of the many flip-flops to come.
But to give credit where due, the Tamil Nadu government did a commendable job in containing the pandemic, far better than the neighbouring Communist-ruled Kerala.
However, that seems to be the only good thing that the DMK government has done in the past one year.
While the ‘Dravidian Stockists’ may paint a picture of honey and milk flowing in the streets of Tamil Nadu, in reality, it is only brimming with sweat, as people put up with long hours of power cuts in the scorching summer.
And people can’t even talk about it as the Hon’ble State Electricity Minister has warned of severe action against those who spread ‘rumours’ and ‘fake news’ about power cuts on social media. Hail ‘Dravidian Model’ of Free Speech!
Given that the media in Tamil Nadu is also infested with ‘Dravidian Stockists’ and kneel down with a begging bowl at the gates of Anna Arivaalayam, it is important that the abject failure of this government on many fronts is brought to light.
Duping Makkal Kazhagam
The DMK in its manifesto had promised to reduce petrol and diesel prices by ₹5 and ₹4 respectively. After much grilling, it was announced that the price of petrol would be reduced by ₹3. Nothing has been to reduce the prices of diesel and LPG cylinder. When the State Finance Minister Palanivel Thiagarajan was asked in a press meet whether the government will reduce fuel prices, he retorted saying “Have we put any date on fulfilling the promise?”
That is when it ‘dawned’ on the people – none of the promises made by the DMK have any dates mentioned!
A thought started echoing in the minds of the people – “Is this the ‘dawn’ (vidiyal) that was promised?”.
On 9th August 2021, Finance Minister Palanivel Thiagarajan released a white paper in order to absolve the government’s inability to fulfill the many unfulfillable promises and to shift the blame on the previous AIADMK regime. This white paper became the premise for taxing citizens more.
The minimum fare in Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) buses was increased from ₹5 to ₹10. The DMK and its allies like the MDMK had protested when the AIADMK government tried to do the same.
Property tax has been increased to the tune of 50-150%. It is pertinent to mention that the DMK in its manifesto had promised to not increase property tax. So, that’s another flip-flop.
State-owned Aavin has increased the prices of milk powder, curd, ghee, and other milk products.
In essence, the DMK has hit at the belly of the working middle-class.
But even if these are considered as compulsions of time and a bitter pill for the greater good, the DMK should not be forgiven for duping the Tamil Nadu women and youth.
Till today, the DMK government has been playing needless politics over the National Eligibility and Entrance Test (NEET), putting the future of students in jeopardy. Their claims of abolishing NEET will never bear fruition. But, it is not too late. The DMK must accept defeat over its claims of abolishing NEET and move on, which they will eventually do once the President of India returns the NEET Abolition Bill.
The most despicable has been the promise of jewel loan waiver.
The DMK had promised in its election manifesto that it will waiver the gold loans under 5 sovereign (40 grams) taken by people in co-operative banks.
MK Stalin during election campaign had stated that had assured to waive jewel loans of up to five sovereigns availed by the poor, farmers and particularly women. CM Stalin’s son Udhayanidhi Stalin who is now the Chepauk-Tiruvallikeni MLA, had instigated people to pledge their jewels and take loans during election campaigns saying that they would be waived off when DMK comes to power. As a result of this, many in rural Tamil Nadu had pledged their jewels and taken loans.
However, in December 2021, the DMK government declared that 35 lakh jewel loans of the 48 lakh are ineligible for loan waiver.
Likewise, the DMK had also promised that it would bring back the old pension scheme for state government employees once it came to power. However, Tamil Nadu Finance Minister PTR Palanivel Thiagarajan had said that a decision could not be taken on the implementation of the old pension scheme as the state’s financial situation was dire and that the government will go bankrupt if it gives everything away for free to everyone.
Corruption, Commission, Collection
The DMK is a party that is synonymous to corruption, ‘scientific corruption’ to be precise. The present regime too is living up to that legacy. Multiple allegations of corruption have cropped in just a year.
The Sweet Scam – Instead of giving orders to state-owned milk cooperative Aavin, for the supply of ghee sweets on the occassion of Deebavali, the state transport department had reportedly amended the tender rules to favour a single company that shares close ties with then DMK Transport Minister Raja Kannappan’s son. After the scam caused embarassment for the government, CM Stalin passed an order to procure sweets from Aavin. The Minister’s portfolio was later changed to Backward Classes Welfare.
Pongal Gift Scam – There have been several complaints of missing items and poor quality of items given as part of the government’s ‘Pongal Gift Pack’. Worms, lizards and other insects were found in some of the items like tamarind, wheat packets, etc.
Irregularities were reported in the procurement of sugarcane from farmers. While the DMK government had said that it would procure sugarcane at a price of ₹33 per cane (10% higher than last year), farmers ended up selling their produce at a rate of ₹14-15 per cane with DMK functionaries siphoning off ₹18-19 per cane.
The BGR Energy Scam – There are allegations that the state electricity generation and distribution agency TANGEDCO has offered ₹4,442 crore deal violating all procedures, to a company named BGR Energy Systems Limited, whose promoters are believed to be backing the ruling DMK.
TASMAC Scam – Many bar owners gathered in front of the house of Minister Senthilbalaji over irregularities in rewarding of bar tenders. They had also approached the courts filing a case against wrongful sale of bar tenders. There is an accusation that the tenders were majorly given to those belonging to the Karur district.
Pathetic State Of Law & Order & Police Brutality
Just immediately after the DMK came to power, an ‘Amma Unavagam’ located in J.J Nagar near Maduravoyal, Chennai was attacked by DMK goons. DMK goons in Karur district ransacked a shop belonging to an AIADMK cadre causing extensive damage to the property along with a person getting injured seriously. Over 60 families have been rendered homeless in Thiruvottriyur due to atrocities committed by DMK cadres in the area. And the list goes on and on with multiple reports of attacks on women and DMK functionaries indulging in land grabs and other atrocities.
On the other hand, there have been several instances of death due to police torture. Vignesh (25), a Scheduled Caste youth who was taken to the G5 Secretariat Colony police station reportedly died due to custodial violence. Another incident was reported in Tiruvannamalai where a man named Thangamani, belonging to the Scheduled Tribe succumbed to injuries reportedly due to police torture. In another incident that happened in January 2022, a physically-challenged man named Prabhakdaran was locked up for allegedly stealing jewelry from a provision stores owner. He died on January 12. Prabhakaran’s relatives have alleged police torture as the reason for the death. In June 2021, a fruit stall owner named Murugesan was thrashed to death by police in the middle of the road.
Infesting Institutions With Anti-Hindu Elements
While the Dravidian Stockists cry of the ‘RSS’ capturing institutions, in Tamil Nadu, rabid anti-Hindu demogogues have been rewarded for their loyalty.
Suba Veerapandian, best known for his anti-Hindu speeches, has been admitted to the advisory committee to Tamil Nadu Textbook and Educational Services Corporation. He has also been appointed as the Chairperson of ‘Social Justice Monitoring Committee’.
Suba Vee had supported lyricist Vairamuthu who has been accused of sexual harassment by multiple women. In fact, Suba Vee himself has allegation of of sexual harassment against him. He also reportedly has links to the Lulu Sex Racket.
Another rabid Hindu-hater who has been appointed to the committee is S. Abdul Hameed who identifies himself as Manushyaputhiran.
Father Mariasusai, a Maoist-sympathizing Christian priest has been appointed as a member of the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission by the DMK government. Father Mariasusai has an extremely controversial past as he allegedly had a close relationship with the deceased ‘Urban Naxal’ and fellow Christian priest Stan Swamy.
Prominent pattimandram (Tamil debate) icon Dindigul I. Leoni who is also the DMK’s propaganda wing secretary has been appointed as the head of the Tamil Nadu Textbook & Educational Services Corporation. He had made sexist remarks on women while campaigning for the 2021 Assembly elections.
Anti-Hindu Politics Of DMK
From Day 1, the DMK government has been meddling in the affairs of the Hindu faith. Several temples have been razed down under the garb of ‘clearing encroachments’ pinnning it on the High Court.
In January 2022, an Anjaneya temple in Varadharajapuram, Mudichur, in the Kancheepuram district, was ordered to be demolished despite heavy opposition from local residents and devotees.
The Vasudevar Temple in Sulur, Coimbatore, has been demolished.
Seven temples have been demolished in Kumarasamy Nagar, Coimbatore. One of the temples is said to be over one hundred years old.
A Sivan Temple in Sriperumbudur was demolished because it was built on government land.
On the other hand, the DMK government has turned a blind eye to encroachments made by other religious places. A church built by encroaching a water canal in Kilkattalai, Chennai has not been brought down despite the structure being marked in 2017.
Back in October 2021, the Madras High Court had directed the HR&CE Department to evict the Queensland amusement park from 21 acres of land in Poonamallee belonging to Kasi Viswanathaswami temple and Venugopalaswami temple.
The amusement park owner late ‘Oorvasi’ Selvaraj who also founded the King’s Engineering College, was a former Congress MLA and his wife Nalini Selvaraj is today a prominent Christian evangelist.
Despite the Court’s order, no action has been taken to evict the encroachers from the temple land.
The HR&CE department itself has been functioning inimical to the interests of temples and Hindu society. It has given permission for the construction of a fish market near the Kandasamy and Aadimottaiyamman temples in Chennai.
It has also proceeded with melting temple jewellery and convert them into gold biscuits for mortgaging them and raise funds for secular purposes. The HR&CE department has also formed a committee to build 10 colleges using Hindu temple funds. The committee members include DMK MP Kanimozhi, an avowed atheist and Geetha Jeevan, Minister for Social Welfare and Women Empowerment, who is a Christian.
The HR&CE took over the decades old Ayodhya Mandapam in Chennai, despite no substantial proven financial mismanagement.
And in the recent incident of pandering to the rabid anti-Hindu outfits like Dravida Kazhagam, the DMK Government has banned the centuries-old Pattina Pravesam ceremony of the Dharmapuram Adheenam in which Hindu devotees carry the seer of the Dharmapuram Adheenam in a palanquin.
What The DMK Is Good At
The DMK has excelled in a couple of things:
– Satiating their separatist itch by emphasizing on India being a ‘Union’ and deliberately calling the Central government as ‘Union’ Government.
– Scripting and staging dramas to boost Stalin’s public image. Be it cycle rides along ECR or having tea at a tea shop. Be it meeting the Narikurava women who was allegedly denied Annadanam in temple, appointing ‘alleged’ dancer Zakir Hussain who was reportedly denied entry in Srirangam temple or meeting the kids whose vox pops had gone viral on social media. The DMK’s propaganda machinery is working at unimaginable levels.
– Hunting down and harassing political adversaries and the party’s critics.
– Last but not the least, pasting stickers for successful Central government schemes.
But people cannot be taken for granted for a long time. They have started seeing through the fallacies of this government. The DMK will go down as a party that has earned high anti-incumbency within a year of coming to power.
The clock is ticking. Four more years to go.
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One Year Of ‘Vidiyal’: Reality ‘Dawns’ On People
It has been a year since the MK Stalin-led DMK came to power. Chief Minister Stalin assumed office at a time when the state was facing the rage of the delta variant of the corona virus.
Just a day after taking oath as Chief Minister, Stalin imposed a full lockdown for a period of 14 days, a move he had vehemently opposed when he was an Opposition leader.
Little did the people know that it would be the first of the many flip-flops to come.
But to give credit where due, the Tamil Nadu government did a commendable job in containing the pandemic, far better than the neighbouring Communist-ruled Kerala.
However, that seems to be the only good thing that the DMK government has done in the past one year.
While the ‘Dravidian Stockists’ may paint a picture of honey and milk flowing in the streets of Tamil Nadu, in reality, it is only brimming with sweat, as people put up with long hours of power cuts in the scorching summer.
And people can’t even talk about it as the Hon’ble State Electricity Minister has warned of severe action against those who spread ‘rumours’ and ‘fake news’ about power cuts on social media. Hail ‘Dravidian Model’ of Free Speech!
Given that the media in Tamil Nadu is also infested with ‘Dravidian Stockists’ and kneel down with a begging bowl at the gates of Anna Arivaalayam, it is important that the abject failure of this government on many fronts is brought to light.
Duping Makkal Kazhagam
The DMK in its manifesto had promised to reduce petrol and diesel prices by ₹5 and ₹4 respectively. After much grilling, it was announced that the price of petrol would be reduced by ₹3. Nothing has been to reduce the prices of diesel and LPG cylinder. When the State Finance Minister Palanivel Thiagarajan was asked in a press meet whether the government will reduce fuel prices, he retorted saying “Have we put any date on fulfilling the promise?”
That is when it ‘dawned’ on the people – none of the promises made by the DMK have any dates mentioned!
A thought started echoing in the minds of the people – “Is this the ‘dawn’ (vidiyal) that was promised?”.
On 9th August 2021, Finance Minister Palanivel Thiagarajan released a white paper in order to absolve the government’s inability to fulfill the many unfulfillable promises and to shift the blame on the previous AIADMK regime. This white paper became the premise for taxing citizens more.
The minimum fare in Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) buses was increased from ₹5 to ₹10. The DMK and its allies like the MDMK had protested when the AIADMK government tried to do the same.
Property tax has been increased to the tune of 50-150%. It is pertinent to mention that the DMK in its manifesto had promised to not increase property tax. So, that’s another flip-flop.
State-owned Aavin has increased the prices of milk powder, curd, ghee, and other milk products.
In essence, the DMK has hit at the belly of the working middle-class.
But even if these are considered as compulsions of time and a bitter pill for the greater good, the DMK should not be forgiven for duping the Tamil Nadu women and youth.
Till today, the DMK government has been playing needless politics over the National Eligibility and Entrance Test (NEET), putting the future of students in jeopardy. Their claims of abolishing NEET will never bear fruition. But, it is not too late. The DMK must accept defeat over its claims of abolishing NEET and move on, which they will eventually do once the President of India returns the NEET Abolition Bill.
The most despicable has been the promise of jewel loan waiver.
The DMK had promised in its election manifesto that it will waiver the gold loans under 5 sovereign (40 grams) taken by people in co-operative banks.
MK Stalin during election campaign had stated that had assured to waive jewel loans of up to five sovereigns availed by the poor, farmers and particularly women. CM Stalin’s son Udhayanidhi Stalin who is now the Chepauk-Tiruvallikeni MLA, had instigated people to pledge their jewels and take loans during election campaigns saying that they would be waived off when DMK comes to power. As a result of this, many in rural Tamil Nadu had pledged their jewels and taken loans.
However, in December 2021, the DMK government declared that 35 lakh jewel loans of the 48 lakh are ineligible for loan waiver.
Likewise, the DMK had also promised that it would bring back the old pension scheme for state government employees once it came to power. However, Tamil Nadu Finance Minister PTR Palanivel Thiagarajan had said that a decision could not be taken on the implementation of the old pension scheme as the state’s financial situation was dire and that the government will go bankrupt if it gives everything away for free to everyone.
Corruption, Commission, Collection
The DMK is a party that is synonymous to corruption, ‘scientific corruption’ to be precise. The present regime too is living up to that legacy. Multiple allegations of corruption have cropped in just a year.
The Sweet Scam – Instead of giving orders to state-owned milk cooperative Aavin, for the supply of ghee sweets on the occassion of Deebavali, the state transport department had reportedly amended the tender rules to favour a single company that shares close ties with then DMK Transport Minister Raja Kannappan’s son. After the scam caused embarassment for the government, CM Stalin passed an order to procure sweets from Aavin. The Minister’s portfolio was later changed to Backward Classes Welfare.
Pongal Gift Scam – There have been several complaints of missing items and poor quality of items given as part of the government’s ‘Pongal Gift Pack’. Worms, lizards and other insects were found in some of the items like tamarind, wheat packets, etc.
Irregularities were reported in the procurement of sugarcane from farmers. While the DMK government had said that it would procure sugarcane at a price of ₹33 per cane (10% higher than last year), farmers ended up selling their produce at a rate of ₹14-15 per cane with DMK functionaries siphoning off ₹18-19 per cane.
The BGR Energy Scam – There are allegations that the state electricity generation and distribution agency TANGEDCO has offered ₹4,442 crore deal violating all procedures, to a company named BGR Energy Systems Limited, whose promoters are believed to be backing the ruling DMK.
TASMAC Scam – Many bar owners gathered in front of the house of Minister Senthilbalaji over irregularities in rewarding of bar tenders. They had also approached the courts filing a case against wrongful sale of bar tenders. There is an accusation that the tenders were majorly given to those belonging to the Karur district.
Pathetic State Of Law & Order & Police Brutality
Just immediately after the DMK came to power, an ‘Amma Unavagam’ located in J.J Nagar near Maduravoyal, Chennai was attacked by DMK goons. DMK goons in Karur district ransacked a shop belonging to an AIADMK cadre causing extensive damage to the property along with a person getting injured seriously. Over 60 families have been rendered homeless in Thiruvottriyur due to atrocities committed by DMK cadres in the area. And the list goes on and on with multiple reports of attacks on women and DMK functionaries indulging in land grabs and other atrocities.
On the other hand, there have been several instances of death due to police torture. Vignesh (25), a Scheduled Caste youth who was taken to the G5 Secretariat Colony police station reportedly died due to custodial violence. Another incident was reported in Tiruvannamalai where a man named Thangamani, belonging to the Scheduled Tribe succumbed to injuries reportedly due to police torture. In another incident that happened in January 2022, a physically-challenged man named Prabhakdaran was locked up for allegedly stealing jewelry from a provision stores owner. He died on January 12. Prabhakaran’s relatives have alleged police torture as the reason for the death. In June 2021, a fruit stall owner named Murugesan was thrashed to death by police in the middle of the road.
Infesting Institutions With Anti-Hindu Elements
While the Dravidian Stockists cry of the ‘RSS’ capturing institutions, in Tamil Nadu, rabid anti-Hindu demogogues have been rewarded for their loyalty.
Suba Veerapandian, best known for his anti-Hindu speeches, has been admitted to the advisory committee to Tamil Nadu Textbook and Educational Services Corporation. He has also been appointed as the Chairperson of ‘Social Justice Monitoring Committee’.
Suba Vee had supported lyricist Vairamuthu who has been accused of sexual harassment by multiple women. In fact, Suba Vee himself has allegation of of sexual harassment against him. He also reportedly has links to the Lulu Sex Racket.
Another rabid Hindu-hater who has been appointed to the committee is S. Abdul Hameed who identifies himself as Manushyaputhiran.
Father Mariasusai, a Maoist-sympathizing Christian priest has been appointed as a member of the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission by the DMK government. Father Mariasusai has an extremely controversial past as he allegedly had a close relationship with the deceased ‘Urban Naxal’ and fellow Christian priest Stan Swamy.
Prominent pattimandram (Tamil debate) icon Dindigul I. Leoni who is also the DMK’s propaganda wing secretary has been appointed as the head of the Tamil Nadu Textbook & Educational Services Corporation. He had made sexist remarks on women while campaigning for the 2021 Assembly elections.
Anti-Hindu Politics Of DMK
From Day 1, the DMK government has been meddling in the affairs of the Hindu faith. Several temples have been razed down under the garb of ‘clearing encroachments’ pinnning it on the High Court.
In January 2022, an Anjaneya temple in Varadharajapuram, Mudichur, in the Kancheepuram district, was ordered to be demolished despite heavy opposition from local residents and devotees.
The Vasudevar Temple in Sulur, Coimbatore, has been demolished.
Seven temples have been demolished in Kumarasamy Nagar, Coimbatore. One of the temples is said to be over one hundred years old.
A Sivan Temple in Sriperumbudur was demolished because it was built on government land.
On the other hand, the DMK government has turned a blind eye to encroachments made by other religious places. A church built by encroaching a water canal in Kilkattalai, Chennai has not been brought down despite the structure being marked in 2017.
Back in October 2021, the Madras High Court had directed the HR&CE Department to evict the Queensland amusement park from 21 acres of land in Poonamallee belonging to Kasi Viswanathaswami temple and Venugopalaswami temple.
The amusement park owner late ‘Oorvasi’ Selvaraj who also founded the King’s Engineering College, was a former Congress MLA and his wife Nalini Selvaraj is today a prominent Christian evangelist.
Despite the Court’s order, no action has been taken to evict the encroachers from the temple land.
The HR&CE department itself has been functioning inimical to the interests of temples and Hindu society. It has given permission for the construction of a fish market near the Kandasamy and Aadimottaiyamman temples in Chennai.
It has also proceeded with melting temple jewellery and convert them into gold biscuits for mortgaging them and raise funds for secular purposes. The HR&CE department has also formed a committee to build 10 colleges using Hindu temple funds. The committee members include DMK MP Kanimozhi, an avowed atheist and Geetha Jeevan, Minister for Social Welfare and Women Empowerment, who is a Christian.
The HR&CE took over the decades old Ayodhya Mandapam in Chennai, despite no substantial proven financial mismanagement.
And in the recent incident of pandering to the rabid anti-Hindu outfits like Dravida Kazhagam, the DMK Government has banned the centuries-old Pattina Pravesam ceremony of the Dharmapuram Adheenam in which Hindu devotees carry the seer of the Dharmapuram Adheenam in a palanquin.
What The DMK Is Good At
The DMK has excelled in a couple of things:
– Satiating their separatist itch by emphasizing on India being a ‘Union’ and deliberately calling the Central government as ‘Union’ Government.
– Scripting and staging dramas to boost Stalin’s public image. Be it cycle rides along ECR or having tea at a tea shop. Be it meeting the Narikurava women who was allegedly denied Annadanam in temple, appointing ‘alleged’ dancer Zakir Hussain who was reportedly denied entry in Srirangam temple or meeting the kids whose vox pops had gone viral on social media. The DMK’s propaganda machinery is working at unimaginable levels.
– Hunting down and harassing political adversaries and the party’s critics.
– Last but not the least, pasting stickers for successful Central government schemes.
But people cannot be taken for granted for a long time. They have started seeing through the fallacies of this government. The DMK will go down as a party that has earned high anti-incumbency within a year of coming to power.
The clock is ticking. Four more years to go.
Click here to subscribe to The Commune on Telegram and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.
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