Random Thoughts
The Dividing Dravidan Culture
I may be wrong; I wish I am wrong. But, the recent developments in Tamil Nadu especially making me dread about the future of this particular state. The last sixty years of watching this nation from Tamil Nadu I cannot but share my fears and angst seeing all the happenings around.
Tamil Nadu election results never go with the national stream except on one occasion when Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated. During all other times, Tamil Nadu election results after the Dravidan Parties have ascended the throne it was different from the rest of the country. However, we cannot deny the national parties like Congress, BJP and Communists prefer to have alliance with anyone of or most of the Dravidan parties, however insignificant these are to contest the hustings.
But, these two big Dravidian parties have created an indelible blots on the two major parties Congress and BJP. While Congress has to face a shameful elections results because of the Himalayan 2G Scam by its Dravidian ally, one of the most dignified and decent politician like Vajpayee has to step down because the letter of support was not given by the then ruling Dravidian party at the eleventh hour. I don’t think no other regional parties in any state had caused such humiliation to the national parties as these two Tamil Nadu parties have caused to the national leaders.
Tamil culture is supposed to be a special culture which is completely away from the other states’ culture and manners. This politically acclaimed culture is nothing but sheer arrogance and misconduct. The auto and taxi drivers are the biggest fleecing groups of this nation. While there are many coasts in other states where fishermen also go for fishing, only Tamil Nadu fishermen are at loggerheads with their Srilankan counterparts and get into trouble. Are these guys so weak? I doubt. They cross the borders and once the leader of the fishing group openly made a statement in a Tamil vernacular that they will cross the borders and they should be protected by the Government of India. Nice argument, right?
While Hindi is spoken in most the states Tamil Nadu and the Dravidian culture never allow that language enter the lives of Tamilians. The slightest provocation they call it an invasion and stage all sorts of demonstrations from every quarter.
Tamil Nadu is the only state where state owned TASMAC sells liquor at subsidized prices for the benefit(?!) of the poor. Tamil Nadu is the only state where everything from Televisons to laptops is given as freebies by the government to win the elections. These apart, there are several freebies are churned out like gold for mangalsutra, mixie, grinder, fans etc.etc. This is one state where marriages are performed en masse by the political leader to mark their birthdays.
There is no state in India where posters of the political leaders gaze at you from every nook and corner of the city, towns and villages. Making fluxes is a big and profitable business in this state. Chennai International Airport is the only airport in India where gold is smuggled maximum.
The caste and class systems are the most dominant features of this state. Brahmin baiting is still done even by popular newspapers and magazines in the garb of being secular. This is the only state where all the regional political parties are owning a television channel.
These are only a few things which alienate Tamil Nadu from the rest of the country. There are many more if one comes and stays here for sometime so that they can identify to their shock. The Dravidan parties always express their superiority and prefer to go alone from the rest of the country in many of their rhetoric’s. Atheism is part of the political culture only in Tamil Nadu. All these are clear indicators as far as I am concerned for Tamil Nadu to separate itself from the entire country. The very recent election results are one more testimony to that. So slowly but definitely, Tamil Nadu is isolating itself from the rest of India.
I don’t bring the phrase ‘God alone can save this State’ because the Dravidian parties do not like it. So Time alone can decide the destiny of this tenacious Dravidian Dominated State.
28-Jul-2014
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G Swaminathan
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