As the row over the National Education Policy (NEP) rages on, actor-politician Vijay has now written a letter to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, accusing the Union government of raking up controversies over Dravidian leader Periyar to deflect attention from criticisms against them. Vijay, who is president of the Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK), was reacting to Nirrmala’s speech in the Lok Sabha on March 12. Reading out portions of Periyar’s writings, Nirmala had accused his supporters–particularly the DMK—of “hypocrisy” saying he had referred to Tamil as a “barbaric language”.
Reacting to her speech, Vijay said in a letter addressed to her, “If Nirmala Sitharaman is truly upset that Periyar called Tamil a barbaric language, then why force the three-language policy on Tamil Nadu? Do you really need to be told why Periyar is our ideological leader despite the contradictions? He opposed child marriage and caste atrocities, supported widows who married again–the list goes on. Even the Union government needs him so that they can create controversies to deflect attention from criticism against them.”
Nirmala’s speech in the Lok Sabha was in reference to the war of words between Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin and other DMK leaders and Union Minister for Education Dharmendra Pradhan over NEP. Earlier this week, citing official correspondences between the state and Union governments, Dharmendra had alleged the state had agreed to implement the NEP in full, including the three language policy,—seen in the state as an indirect means of imposing Hindi. The Tamil Nadu government has in turn pointed out that they had clearly stated that they had expressed interest in establishing only PM SHRI schools after consultations with a state-level committee. In the course of their arguments, Dharmendra had also faced immense backlash for calling DMK MPs "uncivilised and undemocratic”, which he later apologised for.
Earlier in February, Dharmendra had also declared that only states that implemented the NEP in full would have the funds for the Union government’s Samagraha Siksha education scheme released to them.
Alluding to the apology, Nirmala said in Lok Sabha on March 12, “There is an imminent leader who spoke about Tamil. I do not want to name him, but the moment I read these passages, anyone with a faint familiarity with Tamil will know who I am speaking about. When this person speaks about Tamil horribly, there's no objection. On the contrary, they would keep his photo everywhere and call him a Dravidian icon.” Reading out a passage in which Periyar argues that Tamil is a “barbaric” exactly because it is an ancient language, he asks how it is possible to celebrate its antiquity as a language that is 3000 to 4000 years old, without knowledge of the people who lived at that time.
It must be noted, as The Telegraph has pointed out, Periyar has advocated for reform of the Tamil language such as pushing for the modernisation of the alphabets and grammar.
“They made the Education Minister withdraw his statements. Look at their hypocrisy. They keep his photo in every room. I’m sure his photo is there even in the Parliament office of this party. They garland and worship him and say he’s the icon of the Dravidian movement,” Nirmala also said.
While Vijay has so far maintained that the DMK is his “political enemy” and that the BJP his "ideological enemy", the TVK named Periyar one of its ideological leaders, alongside, Dr BR Ambedkar, Kamaraj, Velu Nachiyar of Sivagangai, the first queen to have waged war against the East India Company in 1780, and Anjalai Ammal, who participated in the freedom struggle and is known as ‘south India’s Jhansi Rani’.
In his March 12 letter to Nrimala, also said that at a time when Periyar remains a strong enough presence in Tamil Nadu that the Union government “needs him” to rake up controversies regarding him to “deflect criticism”, this was “reason enough to praise and celebrate Periyar with garlands.”
Also reacting to Nirmala’s speech, “Every day the Union government has made it a habit to insult Tamil Nadu. They make it look like they’re doing charity for Tamil Nadu by granting us schemes. Tami Nladu contributes to the Union treasury and the Budget. We are contributing and that is why they’re supposed to give something back.”