Muthuvel Karunanidhi, popularly known as M. Karunanidhi, was a figure in Tamil Nadu’s political landscape. Born on June 3, 1924, in Thirukuvalai, a small village in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, Karunanidhi played a pivotal role in shaping the state’s politics for over six decades. He was a leader of the Dravidian movement and served as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for five terms. His term marked the degradation of Brahmins and the downfall of Hinduism in South.
Early Life and Entry into Politics
Karunanidhi’s early life was marked by poverty and struggles, which he overcame through his sheer determination and intellect. Despite limited formal education, he developed a strong affinity for literature and Tamil language, which later became his political weapons. Inspired by the ideals of the Dravidian movement, Karunanidhi joined the Dravidar Kazhagam (DK) at a young age and became an ardent follower of its founder, E.V. Ramasamy Periyar.
Political Career
Karunanidhi’s political journey gained momentum when he joined the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), a splinter group of the DK, in 1949. With his oratory skills and ability to connect with the masses, he quickly rose through the ranks of the party. In 1969, following the demise of DMK’s founder, C.N. Annadurai, Karunanidhi assumed the party leadership. He held this position for nearly five decades until his passing.
Aryan Dravidian Divide
The Aryan-Dravidian divide is a concept that emerged during the colonial period but has been largely discredited by modern research. However, it was propagated by Periyar and his followers. The theory has become a major divide amongst South Indians and led to the angst against the innocent Brahmins.
The idea was to isolate the Brahmins from all positions of political power and Karunanidhi was successful in doing so as well.
Numerous Brahmin families fell victim to ruthless savagery, with their residences being plundered. Unsuspecting Brahmins were brutally seized, dragged onto the streets, and subjected to relentless abuse and humiliation. Their sacred symbols, such as their hair locks and Sacred Threads, were forcibly severed, further demeaning their identity. Pushed to the ground and bound by ropes tied to their feet, they endured the horrifying ordeal of being bludgeoned or hacked to death.
Karunanithi, driven by a profound affinity for E.V. Ramasamy Naicker’s pseudo-atheistic beliefs, wasted no time in seizing power as the Chief Minister. With a clear path ahead, he swiftly turned his mentor’s long-cherished dream into a nightmarish reality.
Prosecution Of Brahmins
A horrifying wave of violence targeted Brahmins, leaving a dark stain on Tamil Nadu’s history. Countless Brahmin families endured ruthless brutality as their homes were plundered. Unsuspecting individuals were forcibly torn from their dwellings and thrust into the harsh streets, subjected to a torrent of abuse and humiliation. The very core of their identity was violated, symbolized by the cruel severing of their hair locks and the snapping of their Sacred Threads. They were heartlessly forced to the ground, their feet bound with ropes, and subjected to unspeakable acts of bludgeoning or hacking, resulting in their tragic and untimely deaths. To compound the horror, some victims faced the grotesque violation of having their mouths defiled with urine in their moments of agony.
No one, regardless of age or gender, was spared from these atrocities. Innocent Brahmins endured unimaginable horrors simply because of their Brahmin identity. Oblivious to the reasons behind this unprovoked assault, as they had no involvement in politics, they were forced to abandon their homes, never to return. Businesses with Brahminical surnames became targets of malicious intent, their signs defaced or destroyed. Anything associated with Brahmins became a prime target for vandalism.
In essence, a repugnant and ignoble draconianism was unleashed, with the perpetrators, mercenaries, hooligans, and thugs shamelessly glorified as heroes. Even the police forces, some willingly and others under coercion or submission to power, aligned themselves with this tyranny. The situation was so dire that even courageous and conscientious police officers, repulsed by these outrages, found themselves rendered powerless to act.
The Instillation Of Hatred
From the outset, Dravidian leaders masterminded a range of malicious schemes. They sowed seeds of division within the Hindu community. They portrayed Tamil Nadu as the exclusive domain of Dravidians and branding Brahmins as unwelcome Aryan interlopers. Brahmins were accused of usurping job opportunities and robbing the native populace of their rightful livelihoods. They selectively highlighted certain objectionable customs and rituals, amalgamating them into a concoction labeled as “Brahminism.” Through this distorted lens, they propagated baseless fears and unwarranted animosity toward Brahmins and “Brahminism”. They rallied the remaining Hindu community as a unified front against them. Speeches such as “If you encounter a Brahmin and a snake in the same place, spare the snake but kill the Brahmin” served as mild samples of their incendiary rhetoric.
Tainting Hinduism
Subsequently, they shrewdly equated this tainted perception of Brahminism with Hinduism, creating a gateway to propagate their pseudo-atheistic agenda disguised as atheism. This pseudo-atheism and intellectual discernment became inseparable companions, forming the very foundation of Dravidian ideology.
They insidiously propagated the notion that those who rejected this ideology were regressive, superstitious fools. With these ideas deeply entrenched, vulnerable followers eagerly flocked to the ranks of the pseudo intellectuals.
The hatred instilled is so deep that DMK leaders take pride in destroying temples. That becomes their vote bank story! Karunanidhi did a lot to destroy and ruin the lives of Brahmins. His petty and ignorant politics has resulted in a fractured Southern community. Sadly, these cracks are not easy to fill and the damage is deep and long lasting. What is sadder is the fact that this ideology was not something that passed away. The indenture of the Aryan Dravidian Divide is now leading to the great language divide down south as well.
He maybe worshipped in Tamil Nadu political landscape but let us look at Karunanidhi for what he represented: the murder of countless Brahmins! His disgusting political approach has muddied the purity of Hinduism in Tamil Nadu and made it a hotbed of hatred! On his birth anniversary, it is pragmatic to remember this dark and unsettling chapter that he wrote in the political ground. The Hindus will remember it.