Site icon The Commune

‘Story, Screenplay, Direction – DMK’: How DMK’s propaganda machinery is trying hard to boost Stalin’s image

Vallavaraayan

Ever since the DMK came to power, it has been doing politics primarily on the theme of ‘discrimination’ – one day it is ‘discrimination of Tamil language’, another day it is ‘discrimination of Tamil Nadu students’, another day it is discrimination in allocation of funds for Tamil Nadu.

The DMK resorts to this ‘discimination politics’, repeating these templates over and over in different forms, to distract the people from its abject failures.

In order to peddle this ‘discrimination politics’, the DMK stages various dramas in order to buttress and boost the image of the of its government, particularly its Chief Minister MK Stalin.

This shouldn’t come as a surprise as the DMK is a party which was founded and nurtured by leaders who themselves were scriptwriters – C. N. Annadurai and M. Karunanidhi.

So, scripting and staging dramas isn’t a big deal for the DMK as it is in their dna. What other parties can learn from them is how the DMK has been successful in using the relevant medium for its messaging, in tune with time.

If they had captured the medium of cinema back then to shape narratives, they’re doing so now by trying to establish their dominance in social media.

To an extent, they’ve been successful in peddling their narratives.

Being a party controlled by elite non-Brahmin castes, they usually give the ‘Brahminical’ spin to all such allegations of discrimination out of their visceral hatred towards one community.

That is because ‘Dravidianazism’ is ingrained in every cell of a ‘DMK Dravidianist’ and every story needs a villain. For the DMK and its allies, it is always a minority community who have long left the political space, minding their own business and keeping to themselves.

In order to keep that ‘Dravidianazi’ flame alive, we often see the party whipping up passions under the name of ‘social justice’.

In all the episodes of DMK’s dramas so far, the crux has been the same. Only the plots are different.

Episode 1

In October 2021,  a video of a Narikuravar woman released by several DMK-friendly media outlets went viral on social media in which she alleged that she was denied food in temple.

Within a few days, pictures of HR&CE Minister Sekar Babu having food with her went viral on social media.

It finally culminated in CM Stalin visiting her house and giving the community pattas and ration cards.

Tadaa! CM Stalin is now the saviour of Narikuravar community.

It is pertinent to note that there was no video evidence of the woman being denied entry into the temple or not served Annadanam. Usually, Annadanams are conducted in temples across Tamil Nadu where the poor, destitutes and the most vulnerable sections of the society are provided food free of cost. This is not provided by the government but by the temples themselves.

Hero – A Dravidianazi.

Villain – The fictional Brahmin who denied her Annadanam.

Episode 2

Zakir Hussain is an Islamist, a ‘dancer’, and card-carrying member of the DMK who had joined the party in January 2021.

He quite often posts Hindumisic posts on his social media. Just like any other DMK cadre, he also frequently takes derogates Hindus with ‘cow dung’ and ‘cow piss’ jibes.

In December 2021, he claimed that Rangarajan Narasimhan, a self-proclaimed ‘temple activist’ prevented him from entering the Srirangam Ranganathar Temple. However, he himself in an interview to a YouTube channel had claimed that he has been going to the temple for many years and was never denied entry.

Immediately, the DMK-friendly media plunged into action to take his interviews. A narrative of ‘poor Muslim minority being ill-treated by oppressive Hindus’ was created.

Again, HR&CE Minister took the matter into his cognizance and said that appropriate action would be taken immediately.

In January 2022, Zakir Hussain was appointed as an advisor for the 17 district music schools under the Tamil Nadu government. 

 

Again, there was no video proof or eyewitness testimony of Zakir Hussain being denied entry into the temple.

But the DMK managed to spin a story coveying this message “Though he is from a minority community, he should be allowed to enter the temple. But one community is refusing to let such people in! We are here to stand by him. We are the true champions of social justice.”.

Hero – A Dravidianazi

Villain – The ‘Brahmin’ who denied entry to a Muslim.

Episode 3

In February 2022, a clip of a school kid talking about ‘humanity’ went viral on social media. The clip is part of a vox pop video released by a YouTube channel where the anchor asks the question “Whom do you hate the most?”.

The reply to this question by this school kid who was later identified as ‘Abdul Kalam’ had received social media attention. The kid said “Do not hate anyone. Many people call me as ‘palla’ (the guy with the teeth). Why should I hate them? Everybody are like friends to me. Why should we be divided?”.

The anchor when he probes further, the boy says that one should empathize with people who are of bad influence and not be judgemental about them.

This clip had gone viral on social media with DMK MLA from Mannargudi and the party’s newly inducted IT wing head TRB Rajaa, the son of DMK MP T.R Baalu.

What was a casual harmless vox pop was given a communal colour by DMK MLA TRB Rajaa who identified the boy to be the son of a Muslim studying in a Christian school. One wonders how the DMK IT Wing head knew about the background of the child just a day after the video went viral. Or was it made viral by the DMK IT wing head himself?

On the same day TRB Rajaa had shared the vox pop video clip on his profile, Galatta Voice, a YouTube channel that is considered to peddle narratives favourable to the ruling DMK released a video which shows the boy’s school – St. Lazarus Middle School located in Madha Church Road in R.A. Puram area of Chennai. The correspondent of the school seated along with the nun and the boy talk about the value system they inculcate in their school. Is this is to counter the narrative set by the BJP against the Lavanya suicide case? We don’t know.

In another video released by Behindwoods, the boy’s mother says that her family is being asked to vacate their home where they’re currently staying. She said that the boy becoming a overnight sensation could be a reason for that. Soon, other YouTube channels like IBC Tamil, India Glitz, etc., who tow the line of the DMK too jumped the bandwagon in building the narrative around this boy and his family.

Following this, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister on February 24 met the boy and his family on February 24.

DMK IT Wing head TRB Rajaa is believed to have facilitated this visit.

The next day on February 25, School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi while participating at the 125th anniversary celebrations of St. Anthony’s Girls’ High School in Chennai presented a check for ₹25,000 as scholarship to  Abdul Kalam.

Following this, CM Stalin announced that he has issued an order allocating a house to the boy’s family at the Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board in K.K. Nagar, Chennai.

It is to be noted that the allotted house was constructed under the Pradha Matri Awas Yojana (Housing For All – Urban), a flagship initiative of Government of India to provide housing for the urban poor.

What is even more surprising is that the house had reportedly been allocated under PM Awas Yojana in the September of last year itself.

Once again, it has been established that the only saviour of minorities is CM Stalin. Many would think that there is no villain in this episode. But, the mention by the mother of the boy that they’re being asked to vacate from their current house did not come out of the blue. A  ‘Muslim family’ is being asked to vacate their house by a ‘house owner’ who is implied to be a Hindu.

Hero: A Dravidianazi.

Villain: The house-owner who asked a Muslim family to vacate.

Epsisode 4

On March 5, Behindwoods YouTube channel released a video of a girl reportedly from Narikuravar community in which she makes remarks about their community being ill-treated.

This video went viral with once again the DMK IT Wing head T.R.B. Rajaa tweeting the snippet. This was again shared by DMK MP Kanimozhi.

Valla

On March 16, CM MK Stalin and School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi met her at the Secretariat and shared a clip of the meeting making her the poster girl of the ‘Dravidian Model’.

In the video, the girl mentions that she had already seen MK Stalin earlier during an event held by a ‘Bishop’ which Stalin acknowledges and asks ‘Oh, Peraayar? (Archbishop).  This archbishop is believed to be Ezra Sargunam, the rabid anti-Hindu Christian bishop who had asked Hindus to be punched in ther face.

On March 17, a spectacle was made with CM Stalin doing a video call with the girl and her family.

Once again, the underlying message of is the same. ‘They’ are discriminating you. We are there for you.”

Hero – A Dravidianazi.

Villain – Those fictional ‘casteist’ students who allegedly ill-treated the girl.

By periodically peddling this narrative, the DMK is trying to get its optics right under the garb of ‘social justice’ while simultaneously appeasing its vote bank – the non-Brahminn Dravidian elite, Muslims and Christians.

Political observers note that by doing so, the DMK is managing to keep away the focus of non-fulfilment of its promises.

Key promises made in its manifesto like cancelling NEET, reduction of fuel prices, ₹1000 for women, waiving off jewel and educational loans remain as promises.

Instead of calling it a ‘Vidiyal Government’, it would be more apt to call it a ‘Vilambaram Government’.

Exit mobile version