CHENNAI: On February 7, DMK’s party organ Murasoli carried a strangle little box item, titled: ‘Not supporting Hindus is wrong’. The party paper was quoting its late leader M Karunanidhi. The article claimed that while it’s important to support minorities, not supporting Hindus was wrong. “Simply being the majority is not a sin,” it said.
The timing of the message on Murasoli has raised a few eyebrows. The quote was published shortly after members of some fringe right-wing units circulated an old video in which DMK president MK Stalin is seen criticising Hindu marriage rituals and customs. Though Stalin had said he does not care about such campaigns against him, the box item proved otherwise.
Political analysts see it as an attempt to nullify claims of Hindutva groups that DMK is an “anti-Hindu” organisation.
In general too, the party has been cautious, off late, in avoiding such a tag. The party, analysts feel, is trying to send out a message that it’s inclusive, despite having emerged from the Dravida Kazhagam, which was known for its strong campaigns against Brahminism and certain practices in Hinduism.
The party, in the recent times, has been side-stepping issues that would portray it otherwise. Earlier this month, when some BJP leaders and members of other Hindutva groups raised a hue and cry over an art exhibition at Loyola College, which they claimed hurt Hindu sentiments, the DMK remained silent. It did not issue any statement.
Stalin, similarly, issued a statement condemning the murder of PMK worker Ramalingam near Kumbakonam for allegedly opposing religious conversions.
“Stalin is trying to prevent the shifting of loyalties of upper caste Hindus and a section of Devendrakula Vellalar towards the BJP,” says political analyst Raveenthran Duraisamy.
However, the change in stance has created some flutter among the hard-core DMK members, who still believe in Dravidian ideologies. A few old-timers defended the approach, saying the party has avoided criticising any religion since the time of its founder CN Annadurai.
“Our policy is Ondre Kulam, Oruvanae Devan. Hence we never intentionally criticise any religion. But, as a party with social awareness, we make comments on superstitious practices in name of religion,” says a former union secretary of DMK from the delta region.
Some old-timers also pointed out that in 1958, under Annadurai, the party distanced itself from a magazine titled ‘Nathigam’ (Atheist).
Interestingly, several of these DMK old-timers and historians couldn’t recollect Karunanidhi making such a statement about Hinduism.