DMK Supporters beheaded goat with Annamalai’s picture — Is it a call for ‘Sar Tan se Juda’?

After the results were announced on June 4, there were many unexpected outcomes for both the ruling BJP and the opposition. Notably, Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP’s) state president and former IPS officer K Annamalai lost the Coimbatore seat to Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’s (DMK’s) Ganapathy Rajkumar by a margin of 1.18 lakh votes. Following this defeat, DMK cadres stooped so low as to behead a goat with a picture of Annamalai pasted on it. Their hatred towards Sanatan Dharma and Hindus is so high that they not only beheaded the goat but also recorded it on camera.

Following the election results, a disturbing incident occurred where DMK cadres beheaded a goat on camera to celebrate the BJP’s loss. This act was specifically targeted at Annamalai, as the goat had his picture pasted on it before the beheading.

This gruesome celebration took place on June 4, coinciding with Annamalai’s birthday. The DMK cadre declared that since Annamalai had been defeated, they would make ‘goat biriyani’ and distribute it among DMK workers and supporters to mark their victory in Coimbatore.

Despite this defeat, Annamalai’s vote share saw a notable increase, reaching nearly 33 per cent, while the BJP’s state vote share also rose to almost 12 per cent. This increment in vote share, though insufficient to secure a victory, indicates a promising future for Annamalai and his party members.

The use of the goat in this context holds deeper, derogatory implications. The DMK cadres’ reference to Annamalai as a ‘goat’ (Aadu in Tamil) is a pointed insult, rooted in his humble background; Annamalai comes from a farming family that raises goats. In previous statements, Annamalai has openly embraced his background, stating that he owns no properties except a few goats and expressing pride in his family’s livelihood.

The choice of the goat as a symbol to demean Annamalai also counters his image as the ‘Singham’ (lion) of Karnataka, where he served as the Deputy Commissioner of Police in South Bengaluru.

The incident raises the question of whether this act is a call for ‘Sar Tan Se Juda’ (separation of head from body), a slogan historically associated with Islamist mobs inciting violence against those accused of blasphemy. This radical slogan has been popularised by movements like Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), founded by Khadim Hussain Rizvi, which has led to a rise in vigilante actions and mob justice.

The beheading of the goat by DMK supporters resonates with the brutal acts committed by Islamist radicals, such as the recorded beheading of Kanhaiya Lal and other similar attacks like one where Lareb Hashmi attacked a bus conductor in Uttar Pradesh and Ankit Meena’s murder in Rajasthan, reported by Organiser. The shocking part of the act is it resonates with the mentality of Islam, where they not only commit such crimes but also record it and propagate them further.

The symbolism of beheading, even if performed on an effigy or animal, perpetuates a dangerous idea of mob justice and brutality. This is not an isolated incident; there have been numerous instances where political rivals have used symbolic violence to intimidate and demean their opponents.

For instance, in 2022, effigies of former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma were publicly hung in Belgavi, Karnataka, mirroring the practices of the Taliban and other radical groups. Similarly, in 2021, the PFI organised a rally in Kerala’s Tenhipalam town, displaying a symbolic massacre of Hindus by parading individuals in RSS uniforms.

Such symbolic acts of violence, while not crimes in themselves, propagate a dangerous mentality when endorsed by political groups. They suggest that mob justice and brutality are acceptable and even celebratory. This implicit endorsement by political parties can normalise such acts, leading to an escalation of violence.

The recent incident with the DMK supporters and the goat beheading brings forth a critical question: “Is this DMK’s call for ‘Sar Tan Se Juda’?” The act, while symbolic, echoes a history of violence and radicalism, raising concerns about the message it sends to the masses and the potential for real-world violence it incites.