Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), an ally of the DMK, has kicked off a fresh controversy by comparing Bhagwan Ram killing a tribal for a Brahmin to an honour killing. VCK’s general secretary, and known Hindu and Brahmin critic, Vanniarasu, made disparaging comments on Bhagwan Ram. He made these provocative remarks on Hindutva, Bhagwan Ram, and PMK founder S. Ramadoss while speaking at a seminar on caste-linked killings held in Mylapore on 24 August. He said, “Today BJP, RSS and Sangh Parivar speak a lot about the Ramayana. They are making it into movies and TV serials and are spewing venom. Even Rajamouli made a movie based on it.”
Vanniarasu, described as rabidly Hindu-phobic, claimed that the Hindu epic Ramayana itself contained caste-based oppression, citing the episode of Rama killing Shambuka, a lower-caste ascetic. The VCK functionary came out with a new theory alleging that the act symbolised killings done to preserve Sanatana Dharma and the varna system. He cited a story from the Ramayana in which a Brahmin carries his dead child to Ram, claiming that his governance had deteriorated and dharma had changed.
Vanniarasu said: “There is an important and prime character in the Ramayana. There was a Brahmin outside Rama’s palace. He sat there with his dead child on his lap saying, ‘Rama, your governance has gone bad.’ Rama came out of the palace and enquired. They were doing bad things in the name of Dharma. The Brahmin said, ‘Go see in the jungle.’ Rama went to the jungle with his sword and horse. There he finds a man hanging upside down from a tree. Rama asks him, ‘Who are you? What are you doing?’ The man replies, ‘I am doing penance. My name is Shambuka. I belong to the Vettuva (hunter) community, a tribal caste.’ Rama then asks, ‘How can a person of low caste perform this dharma? Dharma is for each caste separately. How can you cross that boundary?’ And then Rama cuts off his head. The story even says that the blood from this act revived the dead child.”
He also referred to a branch story in which Krishna is said to have created the four varnas. “They are justifying such murders based on these stories only. They claim that in Hindu religion, if someone does inter-caste marriage, brutal murder can be done as said by Ram and the story is being told for ages,” he said.
Vanniarasu further stated, “There is an ideology behind honour killings. That is Sanatana and varnashrama ideology. Behind such murders, behind these so-called honour killings, lies a theory. That theory is Sanatana Dharma, the varna system. This is what Dr Ambedkar said must be destroyed. Hinduism is a religion that should be destroyed. There is no equality in Hinduism, there is no social justice in Hinduism. That is why Ambedkar converted out of it. So where does this violence come from? It comes from the need to protect Varna. This is the subtle politics at play. Rama was not a Brahmin, but he killed for Brahmins. Ramadoss is not a Brahmin, but he acts to uphold Brahmin ideology. Both are the same. Rama is one, Ramadoss is one. This ideology continues even today. Many are still absorbing it. That is the truth.”
Taking strong exception to Vanniarasu’s “half-baked knowledge-based” comments on Bhagwan Ram and Sanatana Dharma, former state BJP chief K. Annamalai wrote on X: “What connection does the Ramayana have to honour killing? Have the I.N.D.I. Alliance members lost their senses? The parties in the I.N.D.I. Alliance have a deep hatred for Sanatana Dharma. Here is a VCK leader (a member of the I.N.D.I. Alliance) speaking about a piece of fiction, the Uttara Kanda, that was never part of the Valmiki Ramayana. And this Kanda is not included in the Ramayana written by the Tamil Poet Kambar. Yet, such distortions are shamelessly paraded to malign our civilisational ethos. This is the sick political discourse of DMK and its allies in Tamil Nadu. And let it be said clearly. Sanatana Dharma has withstood countless assaults for millennia and will endure these politically motivated attacks.”
https://twitter.com/annamalai_k/status/1959912851499532332
Vanniarasu’s remarks have sparked sharp reactions, with critics accusing him of denigrating Hindu beliefs and targeting octogenarian Ramadoss.
Vanniarasu, who dons a Dalit identity while being accused of misusing SC benefits after converting to Christianity, is known for spewing venom against the RSS and Indian nationalism, even glorifying separatist movements. He called on Coimbatore bomb blast accused S. A. Basha immediately after he came out on bail on health grounds and wanted the government to release him prematurely.
Earlier in August, at a conference on the Abolition of Caste hosted by the YouTube channel The Debate, Vanniarasu first made the same comments, which he later repeated word for word. At the conference, he claimed that Muslims are essentially Hindus who rejected Varnashrama Dharma in search of equality, and that is why they are now “targeted.” He tied Dalit and Muslim oppression together in a sweeping generalisation, stressing that both minority communities are attacked because they reject caste and Sanatana Dharma.
Critics argue that there is a continuous pattern in such remarks. Before elections, divisive forces seek to confuse voters and create rifts among Hindus and minorities, while also defaming the BJP government. It is part of a well-orchestrated design. As the state heads towards Assembly elections, many more such rants can be expected. The DMK government is likely to remain silent against such persons because it is allegedly behind them.
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