CHENNAI: The Kashi Tamil Sangamam (KTS), a month-long event organised by the Union Education Ministry to rediscover historical links between Kashi (Varanasi) in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, is drawing flak from various quarters on charges that the Central government didn’t involve the Tamil Nadu government and Tamil institutions and scholars in an event relating to the State, but engaged the Uttar Pradesh government and BJP leaders.
The Centre is also being criticised for engaging IIT Madras, which has no connection to the promotion of Tamil and Tamil literature, as the event coordinator in the State. However, BJP leaders have pointed out that heads of eight Adheenams in Tamil Nadu were invited and honoured at the KTS inauguration on Saturday.
“Cultural exchanges between states is welcome. It helps people understand the culture and language of another region. But it should not be a religious affair. What happened in Varanasi was a religious event. How can the Union government, which is common to all sections of people, organise that?” asked writer Azhi Senthilnathan.
He added, “The Union government should have invited both state governments. The UP chief minister was at the inauguration, but the TN chief minister was not invited. How can a grand event highlighting historical ties between Kashi and Tamil Nadu take place without the contribution and involvement of the Tamil Nadu government and Tamil scholars?”
Political analyst Tharasu Shyam is of the view that it is yet another attempt of the BJP to woo the sentiments of Tamils, and the Centre should have involved the state government and institutions like Tamil University in Thanjavur, Karanthai Tamil Sangam (a key organisation of Tamil literature), and the 122-year-old Madurai Tamil Sangam (founded by Pandithurai Thevar).
For example, every time the World Tamil Conference is convened in different parts of the world, the Tamil Nadu chief minister is invited, and either he or his representatives takes part, Shyam pointed out.
DMK spokesperson V Kannadasan criticised the Centre for neither consulting nor inviting the TN government and Tamil scholars, particularly the HR&CE department.
He said the event at Varanasi could be aptly described as Kashi Hindi Sangamam. “The BJP used religious sentiments to win elections in northern states. But they can’t do that in Tamil Nadu. The KTS is the BJP’s political attempt to woo Tamils. If they really want to honour Tamil, they should show it in the allocation of funds for promoting Sanskrit and Tamil. There is a vast difference in the allocation of funds for both languages,” Kannadasan pointed out.
Stoutly denying the criticism against KTS, BJP state vice president Narayanan Thirupathy said, “Allegations are being levelled merely for the sake of criticising a mega cultural event. The state government isn’t bothered to attend the event. Will the Tamil Nadu government come forward to say it was not consulted and invited?”
On the charge that the BJP-led Union government is organising the event with an eye on the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, he said, “So far, people said the Centre was neglecting Tamil. But when it started giving importance to Tamil, they claim it is politically motivated.” He also said IIT Madras has been involved in coordinating KTS since it is a Central government organisation and there is nothing wrong with this.
State not competing with Centre: Minister
HR&CE Minister PK Sekarbabu said the scheme the TN government announced to take 200 senior citizens on a 10-day pilgrimage to Varanasi every year from Rameshwaram, was the Tamil Nadu government’s brainchild. The plan was proposed last year after CM Stalin agreed to provide `50 lakh from the state exchequer. He added that the pilgrimage scheme is not a competition with the Centre’s trip to Kashi and the Kashi Tamil Sangamam