The 'A Raja' Debate: Exploring the root of his Anti-National Statements

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These are the remarks made by Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta during the hearing of a case, which have been filed against Udayanidhi Stalin for his remarks on Sanatan Dharma. Udhayanidhi is the son of Tamil Nadu chief Minister M K Stalin and grandson of DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi. SC took Udhaynidhi Stalin to task for his irresponsible and insensitive remarks, describing Sanatan Dharma as a virus of dengue, malaria and Covid, which he feels, need to be destroyed.

 

While Udayanidhi Stalin, who is minister in his father’s ministry, is on the defensive because of the number of cases filed against him across the country, his party colleague A Raja seems to have hardly learnt any lesson from the Stalin episode. A Raja has made some equally reckless remarks stating that he neither believes in Ram or Ramayana. A Raja further went on to say that 'India was never one nation, which necessarily means one language, one culture and one country'. According to A Raja, India is not a nation but a continent with different nations like Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Odisha and so on.

 

To be honest, the theory told by A Raja is not new. It has been going on in the country for a few decades but it is dominant in Tamil Nadu because of political patronage. No non-Dravidian party has been successful in making inroads in Tamil Nadu for the past few decades. Certainly, there are some signs of people of Tamil Nadu wanting to get rid of Dravidian theory but it may take a few more years to see the actual fruits. BJP leader K Annamalai is getting positive response from the masses while people of Tamil Nadu exhibited their devotion for Prabhu Ramchandra at the Pran Pratishtha ceremony in Ayodhya. A Raja, probably, may not be aware that Tamil Nadu had sent the highest number of Kar Sewaks in 1992 Kar Sewa, compared to other states. This is in contrast to the general perception that Tamil Nadu does have a different set of beliefs. Another notable fact is that Tamil Nadu has the highest number of temples in the country, which is strong evidence of a reality that people of Tamil Nadu are equally connected with general Hindu beliefs. Any tourist, who goes to Tamil Nadu, will notice that Tamil Hindus are probably more staunch devotees and religious, compared to other states in India.

 

Tamil people breathe Hindutva like any other states in India. Still, people like Udayanidhi and A Raja have been advocating this theory for decades. Why is this happening? The answer lies in the remarks made by A Raja in the same speech. According to reports, A Raja referred to Kamba Ramayana. He said in the said speech that he was taught that Ramayana taught them brotherhood and harmony. Prabhu Ramchandra accepted all the people like his brothers and did not believe in the caste system. If this is the confession by A Raja, the question arises how intellectual poison was administered among these people. British rule intentionally promoted the hypothesis put by German thinker Max Muller that Aryan invaded India. For British rule, the Max Muller hypothesis was yet another tool to divide India on various lines. Western ideas and education were already used by British rule to divide India.

 

Latest archaeological research had unequivocally proved that the Max Muller hypothesis was imaginary. However, Udayanidhis and A Rajas, who are spread all over the country, are not ready to accept the evidence. Their attitude, which does not allow them to accept the new research, is the evidence of their undemocratic mindset. Additionally, it also reflects question marks before their intention to follow this hypothesis. Nobody can expect people like A Raja to accept new revelations as their entire politics is based on conflict. Their politics would get destroyed if they accept the futility of the hypothesis.

 

Describing India as a subcontinent instead of an ancient nation, A Raja forgets the eternal existence of Bharat Varsha, which continues to exist despite all the attacks by invaders. A Raja school of thought derives its intellectual inspiration from western ideas. According to western ideas, common culture, tradition or language are necessary factors for a nation. They may be relevant for Europe but do not apply for India. Europe or western world has a number of small countries because of these factors but the case of India is altogether different. Common culture is the main source for India. It’s not `unity in diversity’ but `diversity in unity’ formula, which is applicable for India. It is because of this formula that has kept this nation alive for centuries. A Raja conveniently forgets several emotional bonds, which have tied together people of India. Vested interests have been trying to destroy these emotional bonds but they are becoming irrelevant now.

  

A Raja is deeply influenced by theories floated by Periyar E Ramasamy. But he has to realize that Periyar’s name has Rama in itself. Periyar’s name is the biggest evidence of eternality of India as a nation. While BJP has strongly objected to A Raja’s remarks, Congress also has not hesitated to condemn him. A Raja was a law student and has been in politics for a long period. He must be aware of legal consequences of expressing his opinions publicly. What could be his intention to make such a statement when the entire country is immersed in Ram Bhakti? What could be the motivation of his statement when India is entering into a new era of unity and integration by setting aside superficial divisive elements? People like A Raja find themselves in a frustrating situation as people have stopped divisive leftist agenda. Pranpratishtha of Prabhu Ramchandra in Ayodhya has accelerated this process. Frustrated leftist camp is bound to make such provocative anti-national and inflammatory speeches in the future.

 

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