Fascist clouds over Tamil Nadu
Vanakkam,
Fr. Claude Desouza, Director of Indian Social Institute, Bangalore, Fr. Sagairaj, the chief organiser, and my Tamil sisters and brothers. Please permit me to speak in English as I can’t deliver a speech in Tamil though I can do some conversation.
Though I am not a Tamilian, and I don’t belong to TN, the Jesuit priests of the Indian Social Institute, Bangalore, have honoured me by asking me to inaugurate this seminar of great significance not only to TN but the whole of India.
This shows your immense confidence in me and my journal, Dalit Voice, for strongly supporting the historic Dravidian movement launched by Periyar E.V. Ramaswamy whom we have rated as one among the three greatest personalities of “independent” India. The three are Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, Periyar E.V. Ramaswamy and Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia – in that order.
AGEING D.K. CADRES
I congratulate the ISI for holding this workshop and inviting many scholars from TN at a time when Hindu fascist clouds are gathering thick over our neighbouring state. Such a fascism is surging in other parts also but that it has gripped India’s purest Dravidian state, the land of Periyar, is a shocking development that must perturb all of us.
Happy to see a young crowd with a sprinkling of women in the audience. This is quite a contrast to the ageing cadres of the dying Dravida Kazagham which is not attracting youth. This is the apt occasion to discuss and arrive at some conclusions over the Brahminical counter-revolution which, under the leadership of Bangalore Papatti, is trying to devour the great socio-cultural revolution launched by Periyar and annex the purest Dravidian people towards the hinduisation of India.
STINKING POND
Though I am not a Tamilian, I keep close watch on the developments in TN and keep touch with its different revolutionary leaders who are being terrorised. Many of them are in jail.
It is true that the TN fascist dictators with the strong support of the Hindu nazi party leadership, have succeeded in striking terror in the hearts of the different political and cultural leaders. A stinking pond can be cleansed and the water made drinkable when dredging takes place. TN today has become such a stinking pond. And it needs a total overhaul.
Only those leaders in voting politics may be afraid of the fascist actions of the rulers but genuine revolutionaries are not bothered. To them such a trial and punishment is a test of their sincerity and dedication.
In fact, the current repressive measures have steeled the hearts of the Dravidian revolutionaries, and I am sure they will use the current fascist atmosphere and repressive measures to inspire the younger elements so that their collective anger will finally overthrow the current fascist rule over TN (cheers).
So, from this angle of sharpening the contradictions also, we must welcome the aggressive fascist rule clamped over TN. This will help the youth to become angry and revolt against the fascists.
We must admit that the Dravidian movement launched by Periyar has been very much diluted.
ANNADURAI MISTAKE
Periyar had totally opposed Annadurai and others going away from his socio-cultural movement called the Dravida Kazhagam (DK), and forming a political party called the DMK. But Annadurai and others did not heed his warning, and this was the beginning of the DK movement getting diluted. The DMK under successive leaders further diluted the Periyar movement and the formation of Anna DMK inflicted a further blow. Even the DK gradually gave up the revolutionary path of Periyar.
REVOLUTIONARIES IN JAIL
And I am sorry to say that our esteemed Brother Veeramani, general secretary of the DK with which I was so closely associated, has made this once powerful organisation, the tail of the fascist rulers. That is how the DK suffered several splits and every leader who revolted against it was harshly treated. That means the Brahminical counterrevolutionaries are corrupting, co-opting the ring leaders of the Dravidian movement.
It is against such a powerful, counter-revolution some leaders like Nedumaran, Kolathur Mani etc. have fought and suffered.
On this occasion, it is apt we pay tributes to all such Dravidian revolutionaries who suffered, scarified and went to jail to liberate TN from the current Brahminical fascist rule.
ELAM MOVEMENT DISAPPOINTS
During the early days of Dalit Voice, I used to confidently say that Tamil Nadu would lead the country. This confidence of mine today stands shattered. Young men and women are not taking interest in the Dravidian revolution launched by Periyar.
What a shame that we do not have even a good biography of Periyar in English.
In TN, today nobody even talks of Periyar or the Dravidian movement or his self-respect movement. The Brahminical media shuts out any reference to Periyar.
I am sure the current fascist clouds over TN and the repressive measures of the govt. will whip up the sleeping slaves and make them rebel and revolt. That is why we have to welcome the current fascist rule.
I am also sorry to note that even the Tamil Elam movement, though concerning the entire Tamil · diaspora, did not take much interest in Tamil Nadu.
We had told the Elam leaders that their main enemies were inside India and particularly TN and so much in Sri Lanka. The Sinhala leaders were dancing to the tunes of India’s Hindu nazis. And unless TN is cleansed of such counter- revolutionaries, it will not be possible to further the cause of Elam. Nor did the Elam leaders make peace with the Tamil- speaking Muslims who are the blood-brothers of Lankan Tamils.
The Dalits in Lanka particularly the plantation labour is also Tamil speaking, like the Muslims. The Elam leaders cannot say they are the sole spokesmen for Tamils by keeping the Muslims and Dalits out
The Elam leaders did not heed our warnings. Revolutionaries cannot be selfish. It is this selfishness that was the cause of several setbacks they had suffered. But even now it is not too late to correct the Elam struggle.
TELUGUS RULING TAMILS
Yet another problem of TN is the hold of Telugu-speakers on the Tamils – not only their hold on the Dravidian movement but even on Tamil politics and its socio-cultural life.
According to an Anand Vikatan publication, TN had only two Tamil Chief Ministers. Bhaktavatsalam and Kamaraj Nadar. The rest of them were all Telugu-speakers including Karunanidhi whose innumerable compromises led to a steep decline in Periyar’s movement. Karunanidhi may say that AIDMK is a total negation of Periyar thoughts. But Karunanidhi’s vote politics made him join hands with the Hindu nazi party in Delhi. Is this not a compromise? Not only have both DMK and AIDMK compromised but even other parties like the PMK and others have compromised.
WAS PERIYAR ANTI-DALIT?
M.G. Ramachandran, a Malayali, and the present one, the Bangalore Papatti, have struck the last nails on the Dravidian movement.
The vaidik forces are using different tricks to weaken the Periyar movement. They are using the media they control to brianwash the Dalits that Periyar did not take interest in Dalits and that he was interested only in shudras and the Backward Castes as he was a BC.
PAPAN MISCHIEF
I have made a deep study of Periyar’s thoughts, and I can assure you that such Papan propaganda has not even an iota of truth in it. The papans want to divide the BCs and Dalits and instigate the Dalits against BCs. This is their usual divide and rule game.
During the days of Periyar, the Dalit movement was not even born. Dalits had not even opened their eyes. Dalit movement was a product of Dr. Ambedkar’s work. Dr. Ambedkar and Periyar were together. The fight during the period of Periyar was only against the Brahmins. Dalits then were fully behind the anti-Brahmin movement.
To say that Periyar was anti-Dalit is a Brahminical mischief. The papans want to misguide the Dalits saying that their enemies are not Brahmins but the BCs and the shudras. In DV, we have been having a Debate for the past couple of months.
WAS PERIYAR ANTI-GOD?
This propaganda, which is in full swing all over India, will not work because Dr. Babasaheb himself was a product of Backward Caste movement. All the gurus of Babasaheb were BCs.
Babasaheb had declared Mahatma Phule, Shahu Maharajas as his gurus. All of them belonged to the Backward Castes.
The papans are also trying to brainwash the innocent people of TN saying that Periyar was anti- god and hence he was anti-human. This is yet another big falsehood. I have attended many big meetings conducted by the DK under the leadership of Brother Veeramani in TN. At all such meetings, I found Muslim religious leaders, moulanas and Muslim political leaders waiting with garlands to greet DK leaders. I also found church leaders, priests and nuns standing in queue to greet the DK leaders. Muslims specially suspect the atheists.
If Periyar was anti-god and hence anti-human, would the Muslim and Christian religious leaders come to greet the DK leaders?
PERIYAR CALL TO EMBRACE ISLAM
I will give you yet another example. Periyar had delivered a speech at Trichy, just before the “independence” day (1947). In that speech Periyar condemned the shudras and told them if they wanted to get rid of their slavery imposed upon by the Hindu religion, they should quit Hinduism and embrace Islam. Their slavery would vanish.
Islam is a religion that believes in one God – Allah. If Periyar was against God, would he have asked the shudras to get converted to religion that believed in God?
Periyar was no doubt against the god. But which god? He was not against the Muslim god. He was not against the Christian god. Because both the Christian god and the Muslim god were not anti- human. They did not practice slavery or racism.
He was only against the Hindu gods because they preached and practised inhumanity, slavery, racism, injustice.
Periyar was also not against the indigenous deities of Dalits, BCs and shudras.
Periyar is being mis-interpreted to inject poison into the minds of our innocent people. I don’t think this interpretation has been given even by the DK readers. If he was an atheist, why he had great admiration for Islam?
PLIGHT OF TAMILS
Before I conclude I must speak a few words about the plight of Tamils in Bangalore. This city has 30% Tamil-speakers, and they are occupying good positions. Out of this, almost 70% are Dalits. But some Tamil Brahmin writers of Kannada literature had roused strong anti-Tamil hatred in their writings.
So much so a sort of anti-Tamil atmosphere is prevailing in Bangalore. The State Govt. itself is unhelpful in protecting the interests of Tamils. Some fascist, fanatical elements are now and then instigating anti-Tamil feelings. And because of this the statue of the famous poet, Thiruvalluvar, is still under a shroud under police guard. These fanatics are not allowing the statue to be unveiled.
VEERAPPAN EPISODE
The Veerappan episode has also contributed to the anti-Tamil feelings in Bangalore city.
Veerappan continues to remain in the forest unchallenged. Both the Karnataka and TN govts. have failed to catch him for the last 10- 15 years.
This proves Veerappan’s popularity among the Tribals and other oppressed people living in the forest.
For the inability of the State Govt. to catch Veerappan, anti-Tamil feelings are now and then raised in Bangalore. Brother Kolathur Mani was a victim of this anti-Tamil feeling. Advocate Subramanian and writer Gunasheelan, again put in jail, are the offshoots of this anti- Tamil feelings in Bangalore.
The latest fight between the Hindu paper, which in our journalistic circles is called the Mount Road Maha Vishnu, and Bangalore Papatti has generated lot of heat. Both the owners of Hindu and the Bangalore Papatti are Iyengar Brahmins.
Have you ever seen two Brahmins fighting – that too in public?
If they fight, as they did recently, it must be for some big gain and perhaps to fool all of us. So, we have to be careful and should not get deceived by such stage- managed fights.
TEARS & BLOOD
I have gone through the entire gamut of TN’s social, cultural and political movements and I have also welcomed the various draconian measures launched by the Brahminical forces to suppress the Dravidian movement.
As a student of social science and social movements, I have welcomed such persecutions because only out of the tears and blood of the suffering people in distress will a revolutionary atmosphere develop – giving birth to a new Periyar.
I want the 3-day workshop to discuss all the aspects of such persecution and devise steps to further sharpen the caste and class contradictions.
The Indian Social Institute must be congratulated for thoughtfully organising this seminar.
I don’t know how far my words have come up to your expectations. Yet I would request you to give it a deep thinking. Thank you.
