In a way, Udhayanidhi Stalin, the DMK’s youth wing leader and Minister of Youth Welfare and Sports Development, resembles Athiveeran, the angry hero of the film Maamannan. He announced that the film, depicting casteism that operates as “wheels within the wheels” in political organisations, including the DMK, was his last venture as he had to make himself available for full-time politics. The movie also admits that caste continues to remain a dominant factor in Tamil society in spite of the reform movements and the rule of the Dravidian parties for more than six decades. This is Mr. Udhayanidhi’s message too, though he is fully aware that the party leadership representing intermediate communities would not relish the pro-Dalit theme of the film.
Mr. Udhayanidhi is candid in his views and like his grandfather and late Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, fondly known as Kalaignar, he could speak extempore and take in stride difficult and embarrassing questions from the media. What he lacks is the subtlety of Karunanidhi when it comes to conveying his views on controversial issues. Karunanidhi, in the past, had triggered criticism through his comments on Hindu deities and practices. In the case of Mr. Udhayanidhi, he may be doing it deliberately to score some brownie points over his political rivals.
The DMK and the Dravidar Kazhagam, its parental organisation founded by atheist Periyar, have never made a secret of their opposition to Sanatana Dharma. It has always been part of the narrative of the Dravidian movement. But the shifting sand of politics and the emergence of the BJP in a big way in Indian political scene seem to have triggered a trenchant criticism of Mr. Udhayanidhi’s remarks on Sanatana Dharma. Despite criticisms, however, he has stood his ground. In his latest statement, he accused PM Narendra Modi and his Ministers of invoking the issue to only divert the attention from the killings in Manipur and the ₹7.5 lakh crore financial irregularities pointed out by the CAG in its report.
