A section of people leaves no stone unturned to destablise India creating disruptive narrative. This has been going on since many centuries. Against this backdrop, a three-day long global media conclave ‘Cutting South 2023’, aimed at pushing the disruptive narrative, was held in Kochi, Kerala. Interestingly, the Chief Minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan, who inaugurated the event refused to mention the name of the conclave (‘Cutting South 2023’), instead he mentioned it as ‘Global South’ conclave.
According to the report, initially, it was reported that even the Chief Minister would not attend the event, as there were adverse intelligence inputs about the organisers’ links and their source of funding. However, under pressure from Leftist media outfits, the Chief Minister agreed to participate,
The media conclave is being organised to give impetus to the agenda of anti-India forces, such as the banned Popular Front of India (PFI), of dividing India and promoting separatism in South India, Indus Scrolls reported. It is pertinent to note that the National Investigative Agency (NIA) filed a charge sheet against the PFI wherein it was stated that the PFI planned to make South India a hub for Islamic terrorism in an attempt to make India an Islamic country. “Kerala Media Academy is organising the conclave in association with other Leftist media organisations, the ‘News Minute’, ‘Confluence Media’, Canada and the Kerala Union of Working Journalists (KUWJ). However, Khalistanis and other anti-India foreign agencies are also suspected of being behind this conclave,” Indus Scrolls reported.
A media commentator said, “There is a clear agenda of pushing anti-India narratives through this conclave. This was the agenda of PFI. Investigative agencies must probe the source of income. What is the interests of Canada and other clandestine organisations funding this event?” Indus Scrolls reported. The fact of the matter is that not only in Kerala, this divisive narrative is being propagated in Tamil Nadu since years. Many leaders from Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) could be heard uttering this narrative for the sake of their political gain.
“Dravidian separatism and anti-Hindi or anti-Brahmin or anti North politics were the brainchild of British colonial masters. It was part of their divide and rule policy. In North India through Aligharh movement and Muslim League they successfully developed two nation theory. In South, through Dravidian Association (1914), South Indian People’s Association (1916) and Justice Party (1917) the Colonial rulers encouraged non Brahmin, anti-Hindi and anti-North sentiments. Later Dravida Kazhagam became the champion of divisive politics before Independence,” said Dr K Jayaprasad, Professor and Dean, School of Global Studies, Central University of Kerala.
Church created Dravidian narrative
While pointing out the role of Church and British in creating this Dravidian narrative, Dr Jayaprasad said, “The word Dravida was originally used to denote the geographical region of South India. In Sanskrit, Dravida means a land surrounded by water (Drava) on three sides (peninsula). In that sense Tagore used ‘Dravida’ in our National anthem for South India. It was interesting that Rev Robert Caldwell (1819-1891) and GU Pope (1820-1891) gave different meanings to the word Dravida and developed the Dravida separate theory as against Sanskrit and also the Aryan invasion theory. To them Tamil language was a non-Brahmin entity of ‘Sudras’ against ‘Aryans ‘ of North India.”
Justice Party supported British
In 1916, the ‘non Brahmin manifesto’ was published by South Indian People’s Association, which became the Justice Party in 1917. The ‘non Brahmin manifesto’ was the philosophy of Justice Party and later of the Dravida movement. The non-Brahmin manifesto pledged the loyalty of the non-Brahmins to the British colonial government. They rejected the National Freedom Movement as well as Home Rule Movement under Annie Besant which was very popular in Madras State at that time. Like the Muslim League, the Justice Party also stood against freedom struggle. The Justice Party also opposed the idea of self-government and freedom from British. They openly supported British rule and rejected the idea of a united India. But later on Justice Party demanded for a separate State under watchful guidance of British rule, he added.
Dr Jayaprasad further said, the Justice Party’s unpopularity was proved by the 1937 Elections to Madras Legislatve Assembly. “Under E V Ramaswamy Naicker’s guidance the Justice Party won only 21 seats against 159 seats of Indian National Congress. As a result, later EVR dropped Justice Party and formed Dravida Kazhagam and started a vigorous anti-Hindi movement. EVR tried to align with Muslim League but was rejected by Jinnah. It was only after the formation of DMK in 1949 that the Dravidian politics got some support from a section of Tamil people. The decline of Dravida Kazhagam under EVR revealed that the Tamil people were dead against separatism. No doubt the Dravidian separatism was an outdated colonial agenda. Now only for political purposes the DMK using anti Hindi platform. But its alliance with Communist parties and Muslim League, which could claim the legacy of anti-national politics as well as their support to the partition of India in 1947, is a matter of concern because they were the masters of divisive politics, and still nourishing the dreams of ‘Two nation theory, Non Brahmin Manifesto and Calcutta Thesis’, Dr K Jayaprasad further added.
Raama Sreenivasan, State General Secretary, Bharatiya Janata Party, Tamil Nadu, while talking on politics being played in the name of North and South in the state, said, there is no North-South divide in Tamil Nadu. It is artificially manufactured propaganda. An Indian is an Indian, there is nothing called North Indian-South Indian. We believe in one nation and one culture. But, unfortunately, the Dravidian Party like DMK in Tamil Nadu for the last hundred years have been propagating the negative ideology. DMK is anti-Hindu, anti-Brahmin and anti-Sanskrit. They have been promoting and propagating antagonising ideologies. Unfortunately, some the Tamil Nadu people have subscribed to their ideology. Tamil Nadu is politically dichotomous society.”
Tamil’s devotion towards Sanatan Dharma
In Tamil Nadu, there are more than 40,000 temples. In no other State you will find, so many temples. So, Tamil society is deeply religious, but Tamil Politics is atheistic politics. They will say there is no Devi/Devata and those who believe in them are fool. So, this is how they propagate their politics. But, Tamil society is deeply religious and we go to temple and believe in rituals. Tamil Nadu is also multilingual society. Here, people speak, Telugu,. Kannada,. To some extent Malyalam, Saurashtra and other languages. Still, DMK plays politics in the name of Tamil. Here, I would say that people in Tamil Nadu are nationalists in culture and character, he said.
Tamil’s participation in freedom movement
Pointing out the contribution of people of Tamil Nadu in India’s freedom movement against East India Company, Raama Sreenivasan said, “when Indian National Army was launched by Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, it was Tamil, who participated in more numbers in Indian National Army or Azad Hind Fauz. When Mahatma Gandhi launched Satyagrah Movement in South Africa, it was Tamils, who participated in it. So, Tamils have participated in freedom movement in a large number. Few of the names are Subramania Bharati, Babu Chidambaram Pillai, Subramaniya Siva, Varahaneri Venkatesa Subramaniam Aiyar and small chieftain like Veerapandiya, Marudu brothers, Velu Nachiyar, and others who fought against East Indian Company.”
Tamil Nadu is an essential part of the Indian integration and Indian nationalism. Without Tamil Nadu, the idea of India is incomplete, Raama Sreenivasan further added.
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