The DMK, which has a history of demanding a separate ‘Dravida Nadu’ since its inception, has once again resorted to stoking separatism.
In the latest instance, the State Deputy Secretary of the party’s IT wing, has called for secession of all southern states to form a separate country called ‘United States of Dravidian Republic’.
On 16 February 2023, an anonymous account on Twitter posted a picture marking the 5 southern states and tagged the Prime Minister’s handle saying that the 5 southern states should be declared as a different country.
“I request our honourable pm @narendramodi to declare these south states as different country they don’t deserve to stay in our beautiful country plz modiji !..”, the handle had written.
Responding to this, DMK IT Wing Deputy Secretary Isai said that it is time for a “United States of Dravidian Republic”.
This is not the first time that the DMK has stoked separatism after it came to power in May 2021.
On 10 July 2021, just over a month since it came to power, the DMK IT wing’s official Twitter account quoted late former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Annadurai, saying that the demand for a separate “Dravida Nadu” is still relevant.
"#திராவிட_நாடு கோரிக்கைதான் கைவிடப்பட்டது, ஆனால் அதற்கான காரணங்கள் அப்படியே உள்ளன"
– அறிஞர் அண்ணா#PerarignarAnna pic.twitter.com/hULw93i0Fc
— DMK IT WING (@DMKITwing) July 10, 2021
DMK Higher Education Minister Ponmudi stirred controversy after he said that omitting the slogan “Jai Hind” is a timely change. In an interview with Thanthi TV’s Kelvikenna Bathil programme, Tamil Nadu Minister Ponmudi remarked that omitting the word “Jai Hind” in the Governor’s address to the Tamil Assembly is a timely move, and questioned what is wrong with not saying “Jai Hind.” He added that it was Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Stalin’s decision to avoid using ‘Jai Hind.’ He said that, aside from the fact that the slogan ‘Jai Hind’ is in Hindi, the DMK have other reservations about adopting the slogan, which the minister never disclosed in the interview.
He also added that India was created only by the integration of 562 independent countries during independence and that it did not exist prior to then. The Minister went on to add that the claim that India created states for administrative convenience is incorrect, and that India was formed only by the integration of many countries.
The DMK’s separatist tweet came after numerous BJP leaders began attacking the DMK started referring the Central Government as ‘Ondriya Arasu’, which has separatist undertones which was retorted by BJP by tacitly supporting calls for carving out Kongu Naadu from Tamil Nadu.
In another instance, Vanniarasu, a leader of DMK alliance partner Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), had given a clarion call for making Tamil Nadu a separate nation from India. The VCK leader made the separatist call while addressing an event held in remembrance of Senkodi, the woman who self-immolated seeking the release of terrorists convicted of killing former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
“இந்திய ஒன்றியத்திலிருந்து தமிழ்நாட்டை தனித்துவமான நாடாக்குவோம்”#செங்கொடி நினைவுநாளில் உறுதி மொழி pic.twitter.com/CvbRQELKi1
— வன்னி அரசு (@VanniArasu_VCK) August 29, 2022
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