Will Sanatan Dharma comment hurt DMK in Tamil Nadu?

Sanatan Dharma has been one of the most debated topics in Tamil Nadu in the past few years, more so after Governor R N Ravi began propagating it on public platforms. 

Ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and allies like Congress, and Dalit party Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) would respond by not merely criticising the Governor but also taking a dig at the code of principles saying it bats for an inequitable society. 

The BJP in Tamil Nadu was left alone to fend for the Governor, with the AIADMK keeping itself away from getting involved in sensitive issues. But when Udhayanidhi took the criticism of Sanatan Dharma one step forward by calling for its eradication, the BJP saw a golden opportunity to attach the “anti-Hindu” tag not just to the DMK but also to its ally, Congress.

Over the years, the political ecosystem in Tamil Nadu has been able to convince people that attacking Sanatan Dharma doesn’t mean a dig at Hinduism. And the DMK, till date, thrives politically on the Dravidian versus Aryan theory, arguing that Sanatan Dharma doesn’t bat for equality and believes in a caste system, while Dravidianism has made ‘everything for everyone’ the way of life in Tamil Nadu. 

As Udhay’s statement stoked a major row across the country, the only criticism for his remarks in Tamil Nadu came from the BJP, with every other political party either unequivocally supporting the DMK scion or remaining ambivalent on the issue. Even Congress MPs and MLAs stood behind Udhay for they know the politics that DMK speaks remain relevant in Tamil Nadu even today, political analysts told DH.

Narratives like south versus north, Hindi imposition, and upper caste hegemony have always worked for the DMK in the state – while the whole country was painted saffron in 2019, the BJP-AIADMK alliance faced a rout in Tamil Nadu. And even now, the DMK projects the BJP as a party that speaks only for upper castes and not the backward and marginalised castes.

The stand taken by Tamil Nadu Congress was in stark contrast with its counterparts in north India, where leaders counselled political parties to “respect all religions” and exercise caution while speaking. The DMK seems to be realising that while the statement won’t hurt the party in the state but might result in a negative way for Congress and others with the BJP injecting the “call for genocide” narrative. 

Udhay’s statement on Thursday gave an indication to this effect – he asked cadres not to file cases against those who “distorted” his statement and instead appealed to them to work for the Lok Sabha elections. 

BJP’s ally AIADMK too refused to be drawn into the controversy by terming Udhay’s comments as a mere diversionary tactics of the DMK to skirt a debate on key issues concerning the state. Raking up the issue or openly siding with the BJP won’t help the AIADMK as they might further alienate the minorities from the party. 

Senior journalist R Bhagwan Singh told DH that Udhay’s statement will not hurt the DMK in Tamil Nadu as people over the decades of Dravidian rule have made and lived with a distinction between Sanatan Dharma and Hinduism. “They are seen as two different entities. And that’s the reason why the AIADMK has decided to leave this game to the BJP. The AIADMK doesn’t want to lose whatever small amount of minority votes it might get,” Singh added.