Leave the language to us Amit Shah ji.

Somehow a stereo-type is emerging in the way the BJP Government under Modiji is dealing with its language policy. Soon after winning the elections in 2014 Hindi was proposed as the language of the social media and the Government went ahead with posting its circulars in Hindi in the social media. As if not to have learned why such a move is unpopular with the non-Hindi States – and not just with the non-BJP parties, the same policy was sought to be promoted again now after winning the elections the second time. The Home Minister stirred a hornet’s nest and went back but not without dropping hints that he and his government would not lose another chance to come up with the same policy viz-a-viz Hindi.

This is causing me a lot of concern, not just as a BJP and Modi supporter (why my government is doing this?), but as a parent who had a monumental task of helping her two children get the best education and successfully they did without speaking a single word in Hindi! They went up to the maximum studies available in their respective fields and now I am a satisfied parent for where they reached, but Hindi had no place at all in their growth and success. This must give the reader the first awareness that language is a different domain and education well planned in a language that gets them access to what makes them satisfied intellectually and financially must be provided to them. I managed it for my kids, and the Government is expected to come to the aid of all the parents of this country to get what the parents and their wards want, and not what the Government wants them to have.

The language of education and learning a language belong to the domain of education and cannot be meddled with for political and even national reasons. In fact a well educated person is a national asset and as such the medium in which he or she is educated cannot be dictated by the government but decided by the parents and their wards. Government is only a facilitator.

Basically there are issues with the way most of us (including the honourable Home Minister) think about education. It is easy to say – study this language or that language. Only a parent, that too, a middle class parent who knows the value of education and invests his / her life and money in educating the wards, is aware of the limitations in the learning capabilities of children. First let us accept the fact that not all kids are good at learning languages. Even if one has no first-hand experience in understanding it, let one is not out of sync with the latest research findings on language learning.

A research by Florida Atlantic University “challenges the belief, held in and out of scientific circles that children are linguistic sponges who quickly absorb the language or languages they hear and become proficient speakers of both languages.” This issue is alive in multi-cultural societies such as the USA and Canada where the mother tongue is something other than English and the kids have to adapt to speaking English outside their home circles. While this inevitable bilingualism is being frowned upon as a stress by those societies, in India where every child can have access to study in the language of its native tongue, three language formula is being forced, of which Hindi is being pushed with Government patronage.

Researchers  further state that only that language that continues to be heard by the children in their surroundings will be learned well and such language is a ‘majority language’. Any language that is not widely spoken around the kids is a ‘minority language’ – and it will soon be forgotten. “Research demonstrates that we need to reshape our views of early bilingualism: children are born ready to learn the language or languages of their environments without confusion or delay (Werker & Byers-Heinlein, 2008). To promote successful bilingual development, parents raising bilingual children should ensure that their children have ample opportunities to hear and speak both of their languages. As children get older, interacting with monolingual speakers (especially other children) is important for motivating ongoing language use, especially for minority languages not widely spoken in the community (Pearson, 2008).”

By this study it is known that if all the Indians must become proficient in Hindi as the Home Minister wants, there must be a Hindi speaking environment everywhere in India and not vice versa. In other words, only when one keeps hearing Hindi all around, can one become reasonably proficient in conversational Hindi. This can be best fulfilled by Hindi movies and Hindi tele serials but not through curriculum at school. What a ‘Kolaveri di’ song did to the whole of India must be done by Hindi songs and dance sequences on a regular basis. But should we need all this?

What is implied here is that the Home Minister and any policy maker in future in favour of Hindi must know that such an attempt is unscientific and bound to be a failure. In return they would only get their political opponents muster strength which would further require them to press the Governor of the State into service to diffuse the opponents!

So it is essential to know some basics on limitations in language learning. Not many children are good at learning languages. Exposure to bilingualism or tri-lingualism at school does not ensure understanding the language at all times in later life. Tiny tots listen to what is spoken around them and pick up immediately – a faculty aided by Broca's area  in the brain. But as they grow old, limitations do occur says a Study. That means learning a language a little later is also a difficult task for a child. Though it is possible for some people to learn many languages even at later times due to the level of activity of their Broca’s area, not all can accomplish it.

This fact can checked with any parent of school going children. In fact the students who excel in science and Maths do badly in language studies. For them the language skills necessary for their interest in science and Maths are enough. They know very well that language is for communication and expression. Many students excel in conversation than in reading and writing a language. Only a parent or a teacher knows how language study is a drudgery for many a student.

So my request to the Home Minister and the BJP party in general is to think of other ways to integrate the nation. The need for a link language is of course there and already guaranteed that English would continue as long as the States prefer so.

·       There is no use telling that English is a foreign language, for Hindi is also a foreign language for many in India. In this age of global collaborations and English speaking countries in the favourite list of many as destinations for education and job opportunities, discouraging English study is anti-people.  

·       There is no use in branding English as a colonial hang-over, for Hindi is also a hang-over of the Muslim Era. Needless to say that Hindi has more ‘foreign’ elements from Islamic influence in comparison to many South Indian languages that have no foreign component. The presence of Hindi in most north Indian States can also attributed to Islamic rule of those States compared to least or nil influence of Islamic rule in Southern States.

Even when non-natives ruled southern States, they did not impose their languages. The Nayaks and Vijayanagara kings and Pallavas far back in time didn’t impose their languages among Tamils. In fact Grantha script is proof of ruling Pallavas’ attempt to speak Tamil the way native speakers spoke. Therefore to say that a single language – despite that being foreign to a people - can integrate the nation is untenable.

To say that a particular language which is foreign to 60% of the people of India, must be learned by all for national integration and to get a global identity, shows that there is much to be learnt by the powers-that-be in many spheres.

·       National integration happens by the identity as an Indian and not by what we speak. Even the National Anthem is not in Hindi but reflects the idea of people from different parts of India aroused by the single name ‘Bharat’. The idea of Bharat integrates, and not the language.

·       The next most important integrator is the culture of this country and that culture has a language which is not Hindi, but Sanskrit. This culture eulogises the heroes of this land namely, Rama, Krishna, Skanda et al and deities such as Durga whose etymological meanings can be traced to Sanskrit only. Even an old language such as Tamil has 30% words that are Sanskrit. Sanskrit which is the basis of worship is still in vogue in olden temples of Tamilnadu that account for nearly 90% of olden temples in the country.  Knowledge of Sanskrit can very well help the people to understand what they chant and that could further help in strengthening the cultural roots of the country.

One must remember that Tamils had come out of the Dravida-Maya at least as far as temple worship is concerned. I myself was a witness to the worship of the DMK first family in the temple of Budha (TiruveNkadu) many years ago where they conducted the Puja in Sanskrit. It is high time venues to learn Sanskrit are introduced across the country. National integration is a definite outcome and Sanskrit would get a global identity as the language of Bharat.

·       Also Read Imposing Hindi in Social Media

·       And don’t skip this blog wherein I have given at the end, the report on ‘Apa-Brahmasa’ being the root language of almost all the languages of India. Cartoon controversy on Hindi agitation in Tamilnadu and what people must know. This is to show that a lot more is needed to researched in the language unity of Indian past. Importance to Hindi which is of recent origin is bound to eclipse and erase some important facts and features about a unitary language of a distant past.

கமல் ஹாசனைக் கேள்வி கேட்டு விடாதீர்கள்!

Earlier published in PGurus

'அசட்டுத்தனமான கேள்வியும் அதற்கேற்ற பதிலும்' என்ற தலைப்பில் அந்தநாளில் ஒரு வார இதழில் ஜோக்ஸ்கள் வந்தன. உதாரணத்திற்கு, சாப்பிட்டுக் கொண்டிருக்கும் ஒருவனிடம், 'சாப்பிடுகிறீர்களா?' என்று கேட்டால் என்ன அசட்டுத்தனமான கேள்வி அது? அதற்கு அவன் 'இல்லை, சாதம் என்ன கலர்-னு பார்த்துக்கிட்டுருக்கேன்' என்று பதில் சொன்னால் அசட்டுக் கேள்விக்கு சரியான பதில்தானே அது!  

கேள்விக்கேற்றார்ப்போலத்தான் பதில் இருக்க வேண்டும். அசட்டுக் கேள்விக்கு அசட்டுத்தனமான பதில்தான் கொடுக்கவேண்டும். இதுவே ஆக்கபூர்வமான கேள்விக்கு எப்படி பதில் கொடுக்க வேண்டும்? ஆக்க பூர்வமாகத்தானே பதில் கொடுக்க வேண்டும்? ஆனால் அசட்டுத்தனமாக   பதில் கொடுப்பதில் ஒரு ட்ரெண்டை உண்டாக்கிக் கொண்டிருப்பவர் கமல்ஹாசன் அவர்கள்.

கமல்ஹாசனைக் கேளுங்கள் என்னும் ஹாஷ்டாகில் (#AskKamalHaasan) அவர் கேள்விகளை வரவேற்கிறார். நல்ல பதிலை வரவழைக்கும்படியாக ஒரு கேள்வி கேட்பதற்கே திறமை வேண்டும். அப்படிப்பட்ட கேள்விகளையே  பதில் கூறுவோர்கள் தேர்ந்தெடுப்பார்கள். கமல் இப்பொழுது அரசியல் அவதாரம் எடுத்திருப்பதால், ஏடாகூடமான கேள்விகள் வரும். அதனால் கவனமாகக் கேள்விகளைத் தேந்தெடுத்து பதில்  கூறுவார் என்றுதான் நாம் எதிர்பார்ப்போம்.

அவரும் ஒரு கேள்வியைத் தேர்ந்தெடுத்திருக்கிறார். சாதாரண கேள்வி, ஆனால் நல்ல கேள்வி.  ஒரு அறிவுஜீவியாக, படிப்பாளியாகத்  தன்னைக் காட்டிக்  கொள்ளும் கமல் மீது தாக்கத்தை ஏற்படுத்திய புத்தகம் எது என்று அறியும் ஆவலில் அவரது ரசிகர் கேட்கிறார். 

இதற்கு கமல் தரும் பதில் எப்படி இருக்கும் என்ற எதிர்பார்ப்பு நமக்கு இருக்கும். ஒன்று ஜோக்கடித்து பதில் சொல்லலாம். அல்லது சீரியஸாக பதில் சொல்லலாம். இரண்டும் இல்லாமல் அசட்டுத்தனமான ஒரு பதிலை கமல் தருகிறார்.

இந்த பதிலைப் படித்துவிட்டு அவரவர் கமலைத் திட்டித் தீர்த்து விட்டார்கள்- பூணூலைக் கேவலப்படுத்திவிட்டார், பார்ப்பனர்களை மட்டம் தட்டுகிறார், தான் திராவிட அரசியல் செய்வதாகக் காட்டிக் கொள்வதற்கு இப்படி ஒரு பதிலைக் கொடுத்திருக்கிறார் என்று ஆளாளுக்கு சொல்லிக் கொண்டிருக்கிறார்கள்.

கமல் அப்படி என்ன சொல்லிவிட்டார்? பூணூல் அணிந்துகொண்ட காரணத்துக்காகவே பார்ப்பனர்கள் அவமதிக்கப்பட்டார்கள், பாதிக்கப்பட்டார்கள். அதைத்தான் கமலும் சொல்லியிருக்கிறார் - என்னை பாதித்த நூல் பூணூல்- என்று. அதனால் அதைக் கழற்றி வைத்துவிட்டார் போலிருக்கிறது. அத்துடன் நிறுத்திக் கொண்டிருக்கலாம். அதற்கு மேலே போய், 'அதனாலேயே பூணூலைத் தவிர்த்தேன்' என்கிறாரே அதுதான் அசட்டுத்தனம்.

பூணூலைத் தவிர்த்தேன் என்கிறாரே, பூணூல் போட்டுக் கொண்டவரைத் தவிர்த்தாரா?  பரம்பரை பூணூல் இல்லை என்றாலும், திடீர்ப் பூணூல் அணிந்த ராகுல் காந்தியை அவர் தவிர்த்தாரா? இல்லையே.

  

பரம்பரைப் பூணூல் கமலும், திடீர்ப் பூணூல் ராகுலும் தமிழ் நாட்டு அரசியலுக்காகக் கை குலுக்கிக் கவலைப்பட்டுக்கொண்டிருக்கிறார்கள். அப்படியிருக்க பூணூலைத் தவிர்த்தேன் என்று ஏன் பதில் சொல்ல வேண்டும்? நாளைக்கு யாராவது இதை பற்றிக் கேள்வி கேட்டால், 'நான் பூணூலைத்  தவிர்த்தேன் என்று சொன்னேனே தவிர பூணூல் போட்டுக் கொள்பவரைத் தவிர்ப்பேன் என்று சொல்லவில்லையே' என்று அசடு வழிய வேண்டியிருக்கும். அதனால்  ஒழுங்காக கேட்ட கேள்விக்கு பதில் சொல்லியிருக்கலாம். ஆனால் கமலுக்கு அது சாத்தியமாகாது போலிருக்கிறது.

சமீபத்தில் இன்னொரு கேள்விக்கு அவர் அளித்த பதில் அசட்டுத்தனத்திலிருந்து அபத்தத்துக்கு முன்னேறி இருந்தது.

கமலுடைய  சொல்லுக்கும் செயலுக்கும் சம்பந்தம் இல்லையே என்ற கருத்தில் ஒரு ரசிகர் கேட்கிறார்.

இந்தக் கேள்விக்கு யோசிக்காமல் பதில் சொல்கிறார் கமல். பாரதியார் இவருக்குத் தகப்பனாராம். பாரதியார் முகம்தான் இவரது முகமாம்.

பாரதியார் முகத்தைத் தன் முகமாக ஏற்று கொள்கிறார் என்றால், பாரதியார் சொன்ன கருத்துக்களையும் ஏற்றுக் கொள்கிறார் என்று அர்த்தம் கொள்ளலாமா?

ஜாதிக் கொடுமைகள் வேண்டாம் என்று எட்டு திக்கும் முரசு கொட்டும் பாடலின்  ஆரம்பத்திலேயே 'வேதம் என்றும் வாழ்க என்று கொட்டு முரசே' என்கிறாரே பாரதியார் அதை கமலஹாசன் வழி மொழிவாரா?

அது மட்டுமா,

'வேதமறிந்தவன் பார்ப்பான் - பல

வித்தை தெரிந்தவன் பார்ப்பான்'

என்று பூணூல் போட்ட பார்ப்பானை உயர்வாகச் சொன்னாரே, அதை ஏற்றுக்  கொள்கிறாரா கமல்?

மேலும்,

'நாலு வகுப்பும் இங்கு ஒன்றே - இந்த

நான்கினில் ஒன்று குறைந்தால்

வேலை  தவறிச் சிதைந்தே - செத்து

வீழ்ந்திடும் மானிடச் சாதி'

என்று மனுவாதி வர்ணங்களைத் தூக்கிப் பிடித்துள்ளாரே பாரதியார், அவரது அந்த முகம்தான் தனது முகம் என்று கமல் சொல்கிறாரா? இதையும் விடுங்கள். தென் மாநிலங்கள் என்று பாரதத்திலிருந்து பிரித்துப் பேசுகிறாரே கமல், தந்தை என்று சொல்லும் பாரதியார் அதை ஏற்றுக் கொண்டிருப்பாரா? கங்கையையும், காவிரியையும் இணைத்தவர் அவர். 

காசியையும், காஞ்சியையும் ஒரே நோக்கில் பார்த்தவர் அவர். நாக்கில் வேதம், வாக்கில் செப்பு மொழி பதினெட்டு என்று பாரத தேசம் முழுவதையும் ஒருங்கிணைத்துப் பார்த்தவர் பாரதியார். அப்படி இணைப்பதற்கு அடிபப்டையாக வேத மதத்தை ஏற்றுக் கொண்டவர் அவர். அவரைப் போய் தனக்குத் தந்தை என்கிறாரே,  அவரது முகம் தன் முகத்தில் பொருந்துகிறது என்கிறாரே இது அசட்டுத்தனமா, அல்லது அபத்தமா?

ஒரு வேளை தந்தை பெரியார் என்ற எண்ணத்தில் இந்த பதிலைத் தந்திருக்கிறாரோ? இருக்கும், இருக்கும். கேட்ட கேள்விக்கு ஒழுங்கான பதில் சொல்வதில்லை என்று முடிவெடுத்துவிட்டால் இப்படித்தான் அசட்டுத்தனமும், அபத்தமும் அரங்கேறும்.

Hindu value system – the victim of the two judgements.

Published in PGurus on 3rd October 2018.

The two recently passed judgements by the Supreme Court of India, one on adultery and the other on the entry of women of menstruating age into the Sabarimala temple are supposed to have set right the wrongs done to women. The first one has decriminalised adultery for the sake of ‘gender neutrality’,  for, now the woman committing adultery is released from the clutches of her husband as her paramour no longer requires the permission of her husband to commit adultery! So the judgement has relieved the woman from being treated as the property of the man. The second judgement is said to have ensured ‘gender equality’ by eliminating a discrimination against women imposed by patriarchal religious practice.

The media is agog with stories for and against these two judgements but what is missed out is that both the judgements have trampled upon the value system of majority of people of this country. Experts would come out with jargons and judicial terms to support the judgements, but as a lay person I would say that any judgement should be representative of the value system of the country. It is to protect these value systems we have the judiciary and not to derail them.

The value system at the receiving end in the adultery verdict is the age old and still continuing concept of the marriage oath in the Hindu society which is centred on “Saptapadi”, the seven steps. The man and the woman enter into lifelong commitment to each other by taking seven vows in seven steps in which the 3^rd vow is on fidelity to each other. The completion of the seven steps with seven vows makes the marriage legal in the Hindu society. One of the vows being fidelity, adultery committed by any one of the two must be considered as a crime. Only when the element of criminality is included, any temptation to commit the crime can be nipped in the bud. Law is not just meant for giving justice but also to play deterrence. However the judges turned into social scientists when they announced their discovery unsupported by data that adultery is not the cause of unhappy marriage but the result of unhappy marriage!

Section 497 by itself is a violation of the Saptapadi vow and by scrapping it the violation has been remedied but the crime is not checked. None of the judges except the lone female judge Justice Indu Malhotra seemed to have realised the aberration caused by scrapping the section when she questioned whether adultery can be brought under criminal offence, but restricted it to situations “where there is a public element in the wrong, such as offences against the State security and the like.”

One is at a loss to understand why this is not applicable to the entire society. The Hindu majority is still steeped into the value system of mutual fidelity and the law givers are expected to reflect that system and not create ways to encourage violation of the marriage oath. The first victim of this verdict is reported from Chennai. The husband had no qualms in telling his wife that she could not stop him from having an affair, by quoting the SC verdict on adultery. The CJI claimed in his ruling that adultery could be a ground for divorce. But the poor woman could not understand how sympathetically the court had devised ways for her benefit! She committed suicide instead. Ethically who is the first abettor for this suicide?

Source: Times of India, Chennai edition, dated 1^st Oct 2018.

The second judgement pertaining to Sabarimala pilgrimage was justified by CJI Misra on the basis of ‘gender equality’ and aimed at demolishing patriarchy in religion. Referring to the restriction on menstruating women he said, “Any rule based on biological characteristics cannot pass muster of constitutional test.” If the issue is about the biological characteristics of the woman, did he or anyone in the Bench care to assess the impact of those biological characteristics on women due to the pilgrimage?  Without doing that they have just passed a verdict that is once again a travesty of the value system of the Hindu society.

This value system takes utmost care of the woman’s health and had done the needful to reduce menstruation related health issues which modern science has not even thought of. Women were kept away from all chores on those days not because they are unclean but they needed rest. The impact of physical work was only recently acknowledged by sports committees on seeing that nearly 25% of the elite athletes suffer from menstrual dysfunction. A Consensus Statement on treatment and return to play was made in the US only in the recent years. In contrast the age old Ayurvedic system of India has remedies in the name of Rajaswala paricharya which is common household knowledge in India even today though it is on the wane in modern households.

The effect of going away from the traditional system of rest is felt in the reproductive disorder commonly understood as ovarian cyst. Recently a study by AIIMS claimed that one out of four women in the reproductive age is suffering from ovarian cyst (PCOS). Though no study exists to relate it to the changing lifestyle in disregarding the Rajaswala Paricharya, a comparison can be shown with the women of the past generations, our own grandmothers. They had produced not less than five children each, many a times more than that number. But today a quarter of the women population of India are not able to reproduce due to PCOS. What could be the reason for this sudden deterioration within a span of two generations? The only difference exists in the way the present generation treats their menstruation period.

Today in the name of equality women are brainwashed to do everything that men do which is in addition to what they do as women only. There is a gender inequality by Nature in women that nearly 80% of women are undergoing heath related premenstrual symptoms according to a publication which no man undergoes. Can the judiciary find a remedy to this inequality?

Recently in an article to Live Science, the researcher , Dr. Hilary Critchley with more than 40 years of standing in the study of menstruation lamented that the implications of menstruation on women’s health is not at all being studied. Such being the status of the academic understanding of this biological issue of the woman, out honourable judges are able to pass judgement on the biological issues of woman in an issue which would primarily impact her health – if she takes up the arduous austerities and a long journey by foot to Sabarimala. Opponents would easily come up with a solution to cut short the austerities and the journey. But that is a blatant interference in the right to religious practices.

The value system under discussion is not just the care for menstrual health of the woman in the Hindu society but also the respect for temple culture that is in vogue for a known period of more than 1500 years in South India. The temple culture is the Heritage of our country and age old rules are still being in vogue, one of them being non-entry of women during menstruation period. If this is termed as pollution, yes it is.

Biologically dead material including the dead ova is being expelled from the body during menstruation. Anything dead-related is not allowed near the temple. For example, if a person dies in the close proximity of a temple, the temple would be closed till the dead is taken away. Even if someone dies at home, the occupants of the house would not go to the temple for stipulated number of days. From this we can even reason out why temples are closed at the time of eclipses which are supposed to be the best time for offering oblations to the departed ones. From the rationale of abstinence of women from entering the temple during menstruation we can assume that similar effect on the temple-chemistry is anticipated during the supposed-arrival of departed ones.

This kind of abstinence is more about retaining the temple’s sanctity than about a stigma on the women or others. Even rivers are said to have menstruation period according to traditional Hindu wisdom, which is nothing but the early period of fresh arrival of waters in the rivers (in the month of June). The first waters would be bringing in lot of dirt spread on the until-then dry river bed. So it is better not to use that water. Only after the water starts flowing well in the next few days, the river is said to have finished her menstruation. The practices are no doubt well-thought out but lack of knowledge of the inner purport makes us think that they are absurd dogmas.

All Hindu theistic women respect this culture and voluntarily refrain from going to temples during their menstruation period. The austerities of Sabarimala pilgrimage is such that woman in reproductive age cannot follow them and make a trip without harming her health. Such deep thoughts had gone into devising the rules of this pilgrimage by our ancestors. It is regretful that the judiciary is not standing up as a custodian of these values. With Justice Indu Malhotra being the only voice reflecting the values dear to the Hindu women in the both the judgements, one is tempted to ask if it is time we must demand all-women bench to hear the cases that affect all women.

Related article: Ayyappa constitutes a separate denomination

2G verdict: a shot in the arm for Congress!

Shocking – is a milder term if we consider the just delivered 2G verdict. Here after we can use the term ‘2G-ised’ when we come across the kind of verdict we got on 2G corruption case. And it is doubtful whether we will ever come across a repeat of 2G corruption – because such cases, even if they are far greater (or worse) than 2G corruption, would never see the light of day given the kind of nexus in which the political hand is a big suspect.

The biggest gainer is not even the DMK, it is the Congress! Congress has been acquitted of any corruption image as 2G was made out to be face of corruption of all times perhaps. Now we see everything so so good of Congress. It is a corrupt free party. It is secular embracing all religions, Christian, Muslim and now Hindus also. Look at how Rahulji is making temple visits. How Rahulji is younger than Modiji in age and maturity. How Rahulji has not even married for the sake of service to the country. How Rahulji is caring about his mother and women and everyone. Is there anything that is not in Rahulji that you find in Modiji?

What a wonderful template has been handed over to Rahul to help his baby steps make giant leaps! Is the BJP aware of image make-over that Congress has got from this verdict? No one would believe the theory that the court has delivered this verdict without a remote control behind it. If in the coming days BJP sings paeans on the DMK, if Dr Swamy opens his mouth praising the DMK as a Hindu party with which BJP can align and if corruption cases are filed against ADMK leaders, know that a remote control has indeed worked.

Elections are fought in this country on ‘anti’ platforms. BJP gained in the last elections due to anti-Congress vote. Congress was perceived as a corrupt party (thanks to 2G case) and also an anti-Hindu party. Rahul had taken care of latter as was seen in the just concluded Gujarat elections. Now the 2G verdict has wiped out the corrupt image of the congress as a zero- corrupt party. On what plank the BJP is going take on the Congress in 2019?  

Food for Thought from Mahabharata:6-9.

Sanjaya to Dhritharashtra:-

“Brave kings conversant with virtue and profit have become covetous of Earth. Endued with activity, they would even cast away their lives in battle, from hunger of wealth...Desirous of enjoying Earth, the kings, O chief of the Bharatas, have become like dogs that snatch meat from one another. Their ambition is unbounded, knowing no gratification”.

This is the state of Bharat 5000 years ago, and continues to be so even after monarchy has given way to democracy.

From Sasikala to BJP – everyone is taking TN people for a ride.

Entire Tamilnadu is seething with anger at the moment. Even the opposition leader Stalin who must be feeling elated at the developments in the ADMK, looked genuine and disturbed  when he said that Sasikala’s elevation is anti-people and that people did not vote for her but only for Jayalalithaa. The sad part of discourse among Tamils is they have started trolling him that DMK voters voted for Karunanidhi and not for him, without realising that there is a point in what he has said and in what they are saying as a retort to him.

As far as ADMK is concerned, a vote for any candidate of that party and a victory for him / her is actually a vote / victory for Jayalalithaa. In the recent Assembly elections, both Jayalalithaa and Karunanidhi made a statement that the voters must think that they are voting for them only (Jayalalithaa / Karunanidhi) when they are casting their vote for the candidate of their constituency.  The difference as it is applicable now is that Sasikala was nowhere near the electoral scene whereas Stalin contested the elections. So when a DMK voter cast his vote he knew pretty well that Stalin is in the reckoning to claim the legacy of his father, whereas no one knew that the vote they cast for ADMK would one day bring Sasikala into CM”s chair! That is where we the people who have been given the right to choose our leader feel cheated when Sasikala made her bid to the throne with all the MLAs conniving with her.

Drohis with Mega Drohi.

As such what the MLAs have done is nothing short of back-stabbing Jayalalithaa who had given them the identity as the MLA. If only we had known or got the slightest inkling that Sasikala is going to usurp the throne, many of us would not have voted for the candidate standing under ADMK banner.

Why we didn’t have an inkling of that? It’s because one of the main planks on which Jayalalithaa sought our votes was that we must not bring in the rule by one family – meaning that of Karunanidhi. Secondly Jayalalithaa gave an appearance that Sasikala would remain what she is – a maid taking care of her personal needs and that all the other members of Sasikala’s family would be banished for ever – which was true until Jayalalithaa was alive.

That she was no more than a maid taking care of Jayalalithaa was reiterated by Sasikala herself in her first ever speech we heard where she said that she spent her life asking Jayalalithaa what she would have for eating and when she would leave for the Secretariat. It looks obvious that Sasikala was not an intellectual friend or a friend with whom Jayalalithaa could share her thoughts. That sharing might have happened in the past, but once she was driven out of her house (and taken back later),  Jayalalithaa must have grown cautious in what she could share with her. But a monster is a monster and how well one may have succeeded in bottling it up, its tendency is to break open and come out to wreck the havoc. That has happened now.

With the entire group of ADMK MLAs having revealed their true colours and cheated not only Jayalalithaa but also the people who voted for them, it further remains a shocking truth that no sane voice is being heard from the powers that be at the centre. 

On the day Jayalalithaa’s body remained in state, the entire State was crying like an orphan. The sight of Mannarkudi Mafia around her body sent shock waves among the people. But the tall leader on whose arrival people screamed to let out their sorrow, gave a consoling touch to Sasikala and acknowledged Natarajan’s presence. Though most of us were shocked at that sight, we had none other than ourselves to console that it was after all a gesture at a sad moment.

Why this gesture?

But are we right in our guess or are we being taken for a ride by selfish power mongers whom we thought are saviours of our nation?

The ‘Porki’ fame Subramanian Swamy seemed to endorse Sasikala’s elevation when he tweeted that if Sasikala becomes CM she must control the porkis. Does he not feel enraged at such an elevation of Sasikala - he as one who worked hard for removing Jayalalithaa? Or is Sasikala  a plant by him as she was supposed to have been introduced to Jayalalithaa by his friend Chandraleka? Swamy’s silence on Sasikala speaks volumes of his endorsement of her for the post.

What this man is doing with Natarajan?

For Venkaiah Naidu, Sasikala’s selection by MLAs is still an ‘internal matter’.  It is an internal matter of ADMK when she was elected as General Secretary. But once she is set to take up Chief-minister-ship, it is no longer internal matter. As that impacts the entire state, that cannot be ignored as an internal matter or something within permitted law. If the law permits such an elevation of a person, then such law is flawed.

But behind these hands-off impression created by the BJP, what looks obvious is that the BJP is working with an agenda in TN particularly with reference to ADMK. As Sasikala’s elevation is fraught with a possibility of ADMK breaking down sooner than never, the BJP is waiting for that moment or wanting that to happen. This could bring in DMK in to power, and BJP does not seem to be averse to it. Perhaps the acquittal of Maran brothers was part of a grand plan. The plan may be to destroy one party (ADMK) now and if possible the other (DMK) later.  

But would that all end up with giving BJP an edge in TN? Should we undergo a travesty of Dharma now so that someday a party that mouths expletives on Dharma would come to rule us?

Isn’t Dharma something that must be upheld at all times?

Related articles:-

Travails of Jayalalithaa in life and in death – a Karmic angle.

S. Gurumurthy on Jayalalithaa's death.

S. Gurumurthy on Jayalalithaa's death.

A short news item appeared in TOI Chennai edition today on Mr S. Gurumurthy's views on some important issues. One is the loss of craze for Dravidianism. Another issue that we hear from him is the one on Jayalalithaa's death. Though we believe that Jayalalithaa suffered a natural death, the developments in the AIADMK soon after her death makes us think that her death was a culmination of a well executed long term plan by Sasikala and her people. To quote Mr Gurumurthy, 

"Jayalalithaa was under the care of Sasikala Natarajan whom she threw out in 2011 along with her family members. It is they who after apologising and returning had her under their care for years. In that period her health declined steeply. How could the doctors or hospitals have treated her, particularly when she was critical? Those who would gain if she were not there were taking total care of her. It does call for a probe in public interest".

The circumstantial evidence and the complete amnesia of everyone in the party to Sasikala's promise to Jayalalithaa of not having anything to do with party and governance certainly point out to foul play. This gives every reason to suspect that Jayalalithaa was deliberately made to suffer gradual ill health by Sasikala so that she can capture power some day. Though this looks fictitious, the current developments and the earlier episode of Jayalalithaa expelling everyone of Sasikala's clan are too true to be brushed aside. 

In this context the one person who can boldly take on the cunning and mighty ones is Cho Ramasamy. Unfortunately he left us at the most trying time. I used to wonder whether he suffered heart attack on seeing the Sasikala clan surrounding Jayalalithaa's body as that was a clear evidence that Jayalalithaa had been cheated all along till her death by Sasikala. Jayalalithaa herself has told Cho in 2011 about the double crossing done by Sasikala & co. Cho has shared it with some of his close friends. This has come out now in the editorial of Thuglak, now edited by Mr S. Gurumurthy.

Those pages are given below.

(click on the image to enlarge)

At a time we were looking helpless with no strong voice to question the misdeeds happening in Tamilnadu, it is a welcome development that Mr Gurumurthy had taken up the role of Mr Cho Ramasamy and has raised this suspicion in Jayalalithaa's death. When everybody perhaps with an exception of Seeman, have been clamoring to shake their hands with Sasikala, it gives some sense of hope to see Mr Gurumurthy expressing his views fearlessly and in tune with what people at large think. Mr Gurumurthy has contributed  a lot at the national level - the recent one being the demonetization issue. But now he has come to cater to the grass root level reader through Thuglak. 

It is really fulfilling to see a smooth transition in Thuglak with a fitting person replacing Cho. But alas the same has not happened in the ruling party of Tamilnadu.

Related article:-

Travails of Jayalalithaa in life and in death – a Karmic angle.

******

From

http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?eid=31807&articlexml=Hindu-gods-defeated-Dravidianism-in-TN-23122016006017

'Hindu gods defeated Dravidianism in TN'

by

Kalyanaraman M & Rajesh Chandramouli

Stepping into Cho Ramaswamy's shoes as Thuglak's editor doesn't daunt S Gurumurthy, though he does say that Cho was a gifted writer. “He wrote the entire script for his famous play `Unmai Urangum Neram' in one night,“ he says. Gurumurthy says very little in his life can be attributed to his free will and everything has been a happening, so is the `Thuglak' editor role.

S Gurumurthy is that rare breed in public life in Tamil Nadu. Devoutly religious -when talking about a corrupt official he wonders what would be the punishment for all the bad karma he had earned -Gurumuthy , along with Cho and others, has steadfastly countered popular ideas including Dravidian ones. Proud of his RSS background, he says, “I may be biased because I take a point of view. But I will speak on the basis of facts“.

For long, he was among a microscopic minority of opinion makers in the state. Yet, for his niche audience of middle-class enthusiasts and professionals, Gurumurthy is a rock star, a man who makes a powerful case against moral degeneration and for India's culture and values.

Vigilant against monkey business, especially by politicians, Gurumurthy has called for a probe into J Jayalalithaa's death. “Jayalalithaa was under the care of Sasikala Natarajan whom she threw out in 2011 along with her family members. It is they who after apologising and returning had her under their care for years. In that period her health declined steeply. How could the doctors or hospitals have treated her, particularly when she was critical? Those who would gain if she were not there were taking total care of her. It does call for a probe in public interest,“ he adds.

With Tamil Nadu's politics in a churn, it would appear that the time has come for his views to get bigger play . Gurumurthy sees fatigue among Tamils with Dravidian parties. “A polarised political situation has been guiding TN since 1972. Nobody else had any influence or decisive role. Now one pole, the AIADMK, has been affected. A large part of the AIADMK vote was anti-DMK vote. It got it from the Congress which declined and AIADMK prospered. BJP will grow if there is a meltdown in TN politics, which will soon happen,“ he says.

Advocates of the Dravidian movement argue that the BJP brand of Hinduism will never gain a foothold in the state that has an identity of its own including in religious beliefs. “I actually think TN is the most Hinduized state in the country . Almost a crore of people go to Sabarimala. A quarter million people go to Palani every month, thirty lakh go to Melmaruvathur. This is what de-dravidianized Tamil Nadu. Hindu gods defeated Dravidianism. The psyche of Tamils is that they have more faith in gods than leaders. They see god in their leader, not leader as god.“

Gurumurthy faults the Dravidian parties and the general decline in values among professionals and civil servants for the recent raids on businessmen and the chief secretary of the state. “`30 crore new notes were seized. This became public. No government could have avoided ordering raids.

Bank officials are in collusion.You cannot give more than `24,000 to anyone per week but you find `30 crore in one place, in bundles without being opened. Obviously there is a huge conspiracy to smuggle this money out of cash chests of banks and exchange it with black money .

The DMK and the AIADMK regimes have made Tamil Nadu corrupt. It is very organized. Even the civil service has been co-opted into this in a massive way. It's serious,“ he adds.