On Friday, approximately 2,000 members of S. Seeman's Naam Tamizhar Katchi (NTK) party defected to the ruling DMK in a ceremony attended by party president and Chief Minister MK Stalin. Seeman's recent provocative comments regarding Dravidian movement founder E.V. Ramasamy, widely respected as Periyar by Tamil Nadu parties, sparked dissent within his own ranks, prompting many to leave NTK for the DMK.
Stalin pointed out that NTK was originally founded on Periyar's ideologies and criticized Seeman for his dramatic and inflammatory rhetoric. "The more you resort to anger and theatrics without a clear political agenda, the more members from your party will join us," Stalin remarked, addressing Seeman and the BJP.
In contrast, Seeman's controversial statement on January 9, claiming that Periyar promoted incestuous relationships, garnered immediate backing from the BJP and right-wing supporter S. Gurumurthy. This led to widespread protests from Periyar's followers across the state, resulting in over 70 legal cases being filed.
Seeman's meeting last November with actor Rajinikanth, who was expected to enter politics with the backing of the BJP, sparked dissent within his own party.
"Periyar remains a fundamental political and philosophical barrier that the BJP has yet to overcome, failing to offer an alternative to the long-standing political narrative in Tamil society and politics," explains political analyst Ramu Manivannan. "This has led the BJP to find common ground with Seeman, who is eager to resonate with voters in Tamil Nadu through his brand of Tamil nationalism, which is deeply rooted in parochial, chauvinistic, and separatist ideologies."
In the past two weeks, five district secretaries and the head of the Krishnagiri zone have resigned from the NTK. Ramachandran, the former district secretary for Coimbatore (North), joined the DMK earlier this month. Sources indicate that NTK members may also shift their allegiance to actor Vijay's Tamizhaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK), which was established last year.
Seeman has publicly invited Vijay to form an alliance, but has yet to receive a response. Political analyst Maalan Narayanan notes, “A significant portion of Seeman’s voter base is likely to shift towards Vijay.” An unnamed NTK leader mentioned, “We have been receiving signals from the BJP about a potential partnership, but we have not engaged with them yet.”
When questioned about the BJP's stance on supporting Seeman, a senior party official, who preferred to remain anonymous, stated that the national party is open to alliances with anyone focused on national interests and committed to defeating the DMK. However, the BJP leader added, “Seeman does not align with national interests; he does not support Hindutva. Even if he doesn’t openly promote Hindutva and Sanathana Dharma, he should refrain from speaking against them for us to consider an alliance. Currently, our support is limited to his criticisms of Periyar.”
Seeman established his party with the aim of achieving independent statehood for Lankan Tamils, a year after the LTTE's defeat in the Sri Lankan civil war in 2009. Known for his passionate and divisive speeches, Seeman has chosen not to align with any other party, focusing instead on anti-corruption and Tamil rights. He has criticized Dravidian parties and promoted a militant Tamil majoritarianism along with linguistic pride, asserting that a Tamilian should govern Tamil Nadu. His party, NTK, emerged as a third alternative to the Dravidian parties, securing 6.7% of the vote in the 2021 assembly elections and 8% in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
During a recent address to new members joining the DMK, Stalin emphasized that his party would not be swayed by critiques of the Dravidian ideology and would persist in promoting his Dravidian model of governance. He stated that as long as such criticisms persisted, the DMK would continue to thrive.
He also highlighted a comparable scenario involving Governor RN Ravi, who has been vocal in his criticism of the DMK. "Some individuals are calling for the removal of Governor Ravi, but we have not passed any resolution regarding that in the assembly. He should remain as governor, and the DMK will continue to thrive," Stalin stated. "Next year, Governor Ravi should attend the assembly and depart without delivering the customary address, and the public should witness that." He further ridiculed those who have recently formed new political parties, suggesting they are fantasizing about governing Tamil Nadu, without directly mentioning actor Vijay.
No comments:
Post a Comment