DMK ally and actor-turned-politician Karunas has triggered controversy after making remarks questioning the existence of Hinduism as a religion during a recent public meeting.
Addressing the gathering, Karunas said he was prepared to stand by his views irrespective of criticism.
“I am saying this, I am ready to face anything, there is no religion called Hindu,” he said.
Questioning the identity associated with Hinduism, Karunas went on to describe his own religious affiliation.
“Then what is Hindu? Who am I? I belong to the Saiva religion. I have worshipped Shiva and Murugan from ancient times, for countless generations,” he said.
Listing various religious traditions followed in India, Karunas argued that Hinduism did not exist as a distinct religion in the way it is presently understood.
“Like this, in India there are so many religions. There is Buddhism. There is Saivism. There is Jainism. There is Vaishnavism. I can keep listing them. There is Parsi. There is Islam. There is Christianity. There are so many religions like this,” he said.
He then questioned the historical origins of the term “Hindu”.
“When that is the case, where did this ‘Hindu’ come from?” Karunas asked.
Referring to the colonial period, he attributed the usage of the term to British administrative practices.
“When the British ruled our India, for administrative purposes, for government administration, since this is a country where many languages are spoken and many religions are worshipped by the people, therefore for the convenience of administration…” he said, trailing off without completing the sentence.
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