PMK leader S Ramadoss, who has all along been highly critical of Brahmins, on Friday, surprised everyone by declaring that he felt honoured by the support extended to his newly cobbled Forum for Safeguarding All Communities (Anaithu Samudhaya Padhukappu Peravai - ASPP) by Brahmins.
“We are proud to be honoured by the support of the Brahmins. Narayanan, the president of Tamil Nadu Brahmins association has declared his support for the ASPP,” Ramadoss said while presiding over a meeting of the ASPP, which comprises outfits of 51 intermediate castes, in Coimbatore.
All these years, Ramadoss had positioned himself as a champion of the Dravidian cause conveniently lashing out at Brahmins.
Even at press conferences, when someone posed an uncomfortable question, he would make barbed comments saying the journalist was a Brahmin and hence was raising such questions.
At the meeting, he also declared that his party would no longer have any truck with the Dalit outfit Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi headed by Thol Thirumavalavan. Ramadoss also called for abolishing the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act claiming that untouchability was eradicated in Tamil Nadu. Another participant at the meeting, Kumara Ravikumar of the Kongu Vellalar Goundargal Peravai, said political leaders who were critical of the ASPP’s opposition to inter-caste marriages (involving Dalits) must first practice what they preached to the world. “Let them allow inter-caste marriages in their families first,” he said.
Anaithu Naicker Mahajana Sangam leader Jayakumar said, “We have suffered a lot because of the misuse of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Dalit leaders are encouraging its misuse to blackmail wealthy caste Hindus. Hence the Act must be abolished.”
He added that if Ramadoss aligned with the VCK in future, the Naicker Sangam will walk out of the ASPP.
Resolutions including increasing the minimum age for marriage to 23 for men and 21 for girls and introducing separate buses for women during peak hours were passed at the meeting.
The ASPP will stage demonstrations in all districts on January 24 to draw the attention of the government to these resolutions.
Earlier, around 60 cadres of the VCK, Thanthai Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam and Dravidar Viduthalai Kazhagam (DVK) were detained for showing black flags to Ramadoss.
DVK leader Kulathur Mani said Ramadoss by his action was taking Tamils backward and deserved to be condemned.