Months ago, when Thiruvalluvar was adorned with a saffron robe by supporters of the Sangh Parivar and the BJP, superstar Rajinikanth had said, “They are trying to paint saffron. Neither Thiruvalluvar nor I will fall into the trap.”
His comments stirred the political cauldron then, creating an impression that he cannot be identified with the Hindutva forces or the BJP. A month later, Rajinikanth has once again stirred a row. This time, recalling a 49-year old incident to praise Cho Ramasamy, founder-editor of Tamil magazine Thuglak, by bashing Periyar and the Dravidar Kazhagam ideologies (DK).
The actor, aspiring to be a politician, during an event to mark the 50th anniversary of Thuglak, on January 14, said a 1971 rally in Salem, led by Periyar, featured naked images of Lord Ram and Sita. He said Cho was the only journalist who dared to be critical of the rally.
The Dravidar Kazhagam and Dravidar Viduthalai Kazhagam organised protests against Rajinikanth’s speech. His effigies were burnt. The Dravidian outfits demanded an apology from the superstar, while the BJP and the RSS supporters stood firmly behind him saying he was right in recalling Periyar’s attacks on Hindu deities.
The Dravidian outfits went to court. The Madras High Court, while dismissing the petitions seeking direction to the police to file a case against Rajinikanth, asked the petitioners to approach the court after 15 days. Meanwhile, Rajinikanth refused to take back his comments on Periyar by quoting an English magazine which referred to the incident as narrated by Cho. He said it was an unforgettable incident.
However, Rajinikanth's clarification, by not quoting Thuglak, stirred yet another controversy and was viewed as Periyar bashing, which supporters of the superstar and those of the RSS and the BJP have taken a liking to. The comments of Rajinikanth appears to have turned him into an icon, who can take on the deep-rooted Dravidian ideologies in the state. His supporters said this is the beginning of their Thalaivar's "Spiritual Politics."
"Our Thalaivar is always unique. He said his style of politics will be honest and corruption-free. His statement pointing out those who opposed the Hindu gods is a welcome move," said 45-year old Sudharshan Ramanujam, an ardent Rajinikanth fan from West Mambalam in Chennai. Sudharshan doesn't miss any video or statement of Rajinikanth, for or against anything, these days. "He has already hinted strongly on his style of politics. He will launch his party soon to finish off the corrupt in Tamil Nadu," Sudharshan said.
While Rajinikanth fans and supporters have their own expectations after his recent statement on Periyar, Cho and Thuglak, the superstar's words were carefully chosen. As the event the superstar participated last week was the 50th anniversary of Thuglak, he could have chosen to praise Cho and his contributions to journalism. Two major events mark the pinnacle of Cho’s journalistic journey since the 1970s—the black cover of Thuglak during Emergency and after the demolition of Babri Masjid. Cho, a religious Hindu, vehemently condemned the demolition of Babri Masjid with hard-hitting articles in Thuglak. But Rajinikanth chose to recall an incident concerning Periyar, the details of which even he was unsure of. Supporters of the superstar say it is for the actor to chose the topic he wants. True, it is of course Rajinikanth’s choice. But, why should he poke old wounds is the moot point.
"Rajinikanth is a confused person who cannot take a categorical stand on any issues. His stand on most of the important issues are very ambiguous if not confusing. Further, he cleverly avoids contentious issues. Being such a person, Rajinikanth raking up an 49-year-old issue on Periyar is an indication of the path he is about to chose for his politics, if he decides to take the plunge," said whistle-blower A. Shankar.
With both Dravidian parties having occupied Tamil Nadu for more than six decades, Rajinikanth needs to carve a niche for himself to make a mark, and he appears to have picked the Hindutva path.
The 69-year-old superstar seems to have been advised by his political counsellors that aggressive Hindutva stance would be a perfect launchpad for him in the state as no one has tried this path in Tamil Nadu. Rajinikanth too appears to believe that this would give him the image of being an honest politician who stands for truth and good governance, and make him look unique compared to the Dravidian parties. "He is such sort of a person who has got zero tolerance for criticism. In his over 45 years of film experience he has enjoyed only a prostrating media, but political media is not like the cinema media. Even a cub reporter will ask uncomfortable questions. The actor who is stretching 70 and who enjoyed only an amenable media will naturally get wounded and angry. It is a million dollar question whether the superstar will tolerate and digest criticism even if it is a smaller one and this clarification he came out is the outcome of this," said senior journalist R. Mani.
In fact, Rajinikanth's statement led to a spike in the demand for books on Periyar in the recently concluded Chennai book affair. Tamil Nadu is a state where Periyar is revered for his ideas of social justice, self-respect, women empowerment and opposition to caste system. For the Sangh Parivar, which is trying hard to find a foothold in Tamil Nadu through its political face the BJP, Periyar has to be vilified and every important issue he stood for like self-respect, social justice, rationality, gender equality and critical reasoning has to be run down.
It all began a few years ago, when a few BJP leaders in the state started Periyar bashing. This followed vandalising of Periyar statues. Unfortunately, both the Sangh and now Rajinikanth are trying hard to portray Periyar merely as an atheist who opposed god, was anti-Hindu and anti-Brahmin. However, it is not easy for Sangh, the saffron party or the superstar to erase Periyar and the rational thinking he imparted from Tamil Nadu. Though people in the state are highly religious, Periyar’s self-respect movement, rationalism and his fight against casteism are deeply rooted. Rajinikanth or anyone who attack Periyar ideologically should take a leaf out of Jayalalithaa's playbook. She was a devout Hindu, wore religion on her sleeves, went to the extent of declaring her community in the floor of the assembly. But Jayalalithaa always gave due respect to Periyar, as any criticism against him had political ramifications. Both the DMK and the AIADMK, offshoots of Periyar's DK, implemented many of his ideas but rejected the radical ones.
However, Rajinikanth has touched a wrong nerve. "Denigrating and insulting Periyar would be a political harakiri in Tamil Nadu," says Shankar.
