THOOTHUKUDI: One of the defining aspects of Sikhism is universal brotherhood and the faith that has its roots in Punjab seems to have found a band of brothers and sisters espousing its cause in Tamil Nadu.
Taking inspiration from the Delhi farmers’ agitation of 2021 that made the mighty union government scrap the three farm laws, the Bahujan Dravida Party (BDP), a party founded by a Tamil but registered in New Delhi, has fielded seven candidates in Tamil Nadu for the Lok Sabha polls to usher in social change through political action. Interestingly, all these candidates, originally belonging to different faiths, have embraced Sikhism after participating in the farmers protest.
The seven candidates are Selvakumar alias Selva Singh (27), who is contesting from Tirunelveli constituency, Korkai Palanisamy Singh (36) from Virudhunagar, Rajan Singh (60) from Kanniyakumari, Seetha Kaur (52) from Tenkasi, Manivasagam (46) from Ramanathapuram, Asiriyar Shanmugasundaram Singh (37) from Thoothukudi, and Naga Vamsa Pandian Singh (30) from Madurai constituency. While the Tirunelveli candidate has been given the ‘pen nib with seven rays’ symbol, the other candidates will contest on ‘diamond’ symbol.
BDP founder Jeevan Singh, who belongs to Thoothukudi, told TNIE that his aim is to bring social change at the grassroots level by establishing a cultural identity through Sikhism. Only Sikhism can create a casteless society, said Jeevan Singh, who was earlier a follower of Buddhism. The primary principle of the party is to establish Begampura Kalsha Raj, which in Punjabi means a discrimination-free liberated kingdom. “Our party works for the empowerment of SC/STs, OBCs, and religious minorities who form 95% of the population in India,” he said.
Principles of equality attracted the seven Tamils towards Sikhism
Jeevan Singh was with BSP for several years before founding the Bahujan Dravida Party in 2019. He quit BSP after Periyar’s photograph was removed from the party’s Maha Purush list.
Speaking to TNIE, Selva Singh, who hails from Chekkarakudi in Thoothukudi, said he participated in the farmers’ agitation on March 16, 2021, on behalf of BDP and was impressed by the Punjabi Sikh farmers’ strong and unified protest for a single cause affecting the farming community. “Their concerted effort and perseverance attracted me to Sikhism,” said the 27-year-old. He participated in the stir along with 100 parai musicians.
“I don’t believe that such strong cohesion is possible in Tamil Nadu as someone can weaken a group’s unity from within for their vested interest,” he said.
“I learned how to respect Gurugranth Sahib, the holy book of Sikhs, before embracing the religion on March 15, 2022, at the Golden Temple in Amritsar,” said Selva Singh, who is now pursuing law in Uttar Pradesh. Selva Singh’s family members in Thoothukudi’s Chekkarakudi village follow ancestral worship, but he had relinquished it long ago after accepting the principles of Periyar.
Thoothukudi candidate Asiriyar Shanmugasundaram Singh told E, “My ultimate aim in embracing Sikhism is to get out of the caste system in Hinduism that divides people into lower and upper castes”. Shanmugasundaram, who is a Dalit, said he feel empowered after embracing Sikhism and has gotten out of his sense of inferiority.
Shanmugasundaram said Dravidian parties of Tamil Nadu stand up against social injustice, but we fight for social transformation to usher in social change to build an egalitarian society. “Only social change can make political parties field a candidate like A Raja, a Dalit and a senior DMK leader, to contest from a general seat,” he said.
Palanichamy alias Korkai Palani Singh, who embraced Sikhism on March 15, 2022 along with Selva Singh, said the farmers’ agitation influenced him to become a Sikh. “I saw the agitation during BDP’s 22-day rally in September 2021. I admired the Sikh farmers’ leadership. Since I had faced caste-based discrimination, I was attracted by the Sikh principle of equality,” Palani Singh, a photo designer from Madurai, said.
Rajan Singh, a retired conductor of MTC, and his wife Seetha Kaur of Tirunelveli, both from an SC community, got baptized as Sikhs in 2022 and 2023, respectively. “I tied the turban and took oath to withdraw from superstitious beliefs,” Kaur told TNIE.