Ever since the DMK came back to power in Tamil Nadu in 2021, it has focused on countering the anti-Hindu tag a section of its opponents have tried to stick on it. It has appointed PK Sekar Babu as minister for the Hindu religious and charitable endowments department and has touted the government’s achievements in retrieving encroached temple land, developing them, raising the pension for their retired staff, and providing aid for the needy through temples.
The party has sought to tread a careful line between challenging the version of the religion it believes the BJP presents, and not deviating too far from its own ideological history while espousing inclusiveness and social justice. It is nothing less than a tightwire act, but an essential one given that the electorate is being increasingly wooed by parties on the basis of faith.
Last week, the state’s HR&CE department conducted a two-day conference on Lord Muruga. The intent was clearly to establish that the party was not against any religion and that it could celebrate a Hindu deity—especially one considered a Tamil god, one who is mentioned in Sangam literature—and therefore Tamil language and culture.
Both Chief Minister MK Stalin and his son Udhayanidhi, who is still not out of the woods for his comments on sanatana dharma, spoke at the conference on a video link. The CM used the platform to stress that the Dravidian model he champions does not place any barrier on beliefs.
The political fallout was swift. Some of the DMK’s allies questioned if the secular state government should have conducted such an event and, even if it was conducted by a government department, if senior ministers should have attended.
Particularly contentious were the resolutions adopted at the end of the conference, which included the suggestion that hymn recitation contests be held for students of HR&CE-run educational institutions, which are allowed to provide religious instruction.
On the other hand, the BJP criticised the conference as being politically motivated. While the modification of the DMK’s position will likely make it a more palatable electoral option to a section of voters, a pitfall the party might want to mind is that too much evolution can leave it indistinguishable from some of its opponents.