Suki Sivam, the self-proclaimed scholar who occasionally uses his eye-opening research on Hindu gods to subtly interweave Dravidianist ideology into his spiritual talks, displays a level of arrogance that seems boundless. In Indian philosophy, Hindu teachings assert that choosing a spiritual path should transcend the inherent arrogance of human nature—a quality considered essential for the human experience, except in Charvaka philosophy. However, Suki Sivam stands as an exception to this notion. Despite presenting himself as a devoted Hindu follower and spiritualist, his arrogance persists, embodied in his unyielding sense of self.
In a recent interview, Suki Sivam expressed his grievances towards Hinduism with a remarkable degree of arrogance, claiming, “A group that should have followed and respected me disregarded me and created unnecessary animosity due to my caste. They were unwilling to accept my leadership.” This statement underscores a troubling contradiction; while he professes to uphold Hindu values, his own behavior reflects the very arrogance that spiritual paths are meant to overcome.
Suki Sivam, didn’t stop there, he went so far as to assert that the Hindu god Murugan at the Palani Temple is not a deity but a Tamil Siddha named Bohar. In Tamil Nadu, there are two distinct types of individuals when it comes to attitudes towards religion: one group rejects the idea of deities altogether, often ridiculing Hindu gods and practices, while another group, disguised as spiritual gurus, claims to be devout followers of Hinduism while covertly disparaging its traditions in the name of historical research. Both groups are dangerous, but the latter—epitomized by figures like Suki Sivam—poses a greater threat. This kind of ideology can be traced back to EV Ramasamy Naicker, who played a pivotal role in shaping such attitudes in Tamil Nadu.
Suki Sivam’s tendency to demand respect for his supposed authority is not new. To illustrate this, we can look at the experiences of Sengottai Shriram, a former editor at Sakthi Vikatan (devotional magazine published by Vikatan group) and later a content writer for the exclusive Sakthi Vikatan. In 2023, Shriram recounted two instances of mistreatment by Suki Sivam, highlighting his arrogance and condescension.
Shriram describes an incident from 2007 when he was the editor of Sakthi Vikatan of Vikatan Publications. At that time, Chennai’s Kamban Kazhagam, Krishna Sweets, and Alwarpet Asthika Samaj organized a program titled “How Many Raman in Kamban’s Raman!” The event aimed to explore eight different aspects of the character Raman from Kampan’s work. Eight scholars, including Suki Sivam, delivered speeches on these topics, which were later compiled into a book entitled “Kambanil Raman Ethanai Raman”.
Shriram, responsible for getting consent from the scholars for a monetary gift as compensation, approached Suki Sivam for approval. Suki Sivam responded with indignation, questioning why a celebrated speaker like himself should be honored in such a manner. He said, “I am a popular speaker; For my stature, is this the kind of petty amount you will pay me? I refuse to give you the rights to publish my speech, and also to give it out in CD format. I can sell my own CDs for a price deserving of my stature” causing Shriram great distress. Despite this insult, Shriram managed to calm himself by focusing on the fact that the work was on behalf of Vikatan Publications, not a personal affront.
However, other respected Tamil scholars such as Sudha Seshayan, Gnanasambandhan, Lakshminarayanan, Gnanasundaram, Sathyaseelan, Arivozhi, and Selvaganapathi, who were held in higher esteem than Suki Sivam, recognized the importance of preserving the legacy of the Tamil poet Kamban and his Ramayanam for future generations. They allowed Vikatan to publish the works with the understanding that the preservation of this cultural heritage was more important than immediate financial gain.
In another instance, while Shriram was overseeing Sakthi Vikatan, he found himself compelled to edit Suki Sivam’s writings due to their problematic content. When he made edits to remove derogatory comments about sages and other issues, Suki Sivam reacted with scorn, asking, “Who is so intelligent enough in the Sakthi Vikatan to edit my writing?.”
Contrary to Suki Sivam’s previous claim that he was not recognized, it is a blatant lie to say that the people of Tamil Nadu do not acknowledge the talent of Tamil scholars, regardless of their class, creed, religion, or gender. In Tamil Nadu, the contributions of spiritual scholars are celebrated and revered almost as if they were prophets. However, Tamil society also has a tendency to shun arrogance, which is considered uncharacteristic of true scholarship. In this case, Suki Sivam, who was once respected and admired for his Tamil expertise, displayed arrogance and mistreated others. As a result, he was eventually expelled from the scholarly community and has now become a mouthpiece of Dravidian ideology. His fall from grace was a consequence of his arrogance, not a reflection of any shortcomings in recognizing talent, as illustrated by these two incidents.
(With Inputs From Tamil Labs 2.0)
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