KANNIYAKUMARI/CHENNAI: Balaprajapathi Adigalar, the chief guru of Ayya Vaikundar Thalaimai Pathi in Swamithoppu in Kanniyakumari district, on Tuesday objected to governor RN Ravi’s remarks that Ayya Vaikundar appeared on earth to protect Sanatana Dharma.
Addressing media on Tuesday, Balaprajapathi Adigalar said he was deeply saddened by the governor’s remarks, which he argued was made based on incorrect understanding of history. He said Ayya Vaikundar, the social reformer worshipped by his followers, raised “war cry” against caste-based discrimination based on manu dharma. “Ayya Vaikundar fought for equality, fraternity and social justice. He was imprisoned and tortured by a kingdom [Travancore] that believed in manu dharma,” the chief guru argued.
Citing Ayya Vaikundar’s work “Akilathirattu Ammanai,” he said the work spoke about how the puranas had twisted history. “Ayya asked for the rejection of idol worship, rituals of Hindu religion and advocated for equality and finding god in oneself,” he added.
Arguing that it was wrong to call Ayya Vaikundar as someone who came to protect Sanatana Dharma, Balaprajapathi Adigalar said the reformer had instead appeared for protecting people and eradicating caste-based discrimination and ignorance.
Meanwhile, MDMK general secretary Vaiko, in a statement, strongly criticised Ravi’s remarks and blamed him for propagating the ideology of RSS in the state.
Referring to Ravi’s remarks that GU Pope and Robert Caldwell were school dropouts and the latter’s book “A Comparative Grammar of the Dravidian or South Indian Family of Languages” was a “fake book”, Vaiko said the book brought about a great change in the field of language and the politics of the state.
The AIADMK on Tuesday took exception to the remarks of Ravi on Robert Caldwell and GU Pope. “What is the necessity for the governor to research these scholars now? These remarks are unnecessary. Caldwell and Pope have rendered so much service to Tamil language and literature. But the governor says they are school dropouts,” said D Jayakumar, organising secretary of the AIADMK.