RATIONALIST ICONS - No Kalburgis in TN yet, but too many sacred cows
T N Gopalan
There is a popular saying, “Netrik kannai thirappinum kutram kutrame“, supposedly uttered by Nakkeeran, a humble poet of yore, whom Lord Shiva sought to intimidate with his flaming third eye during a debate. The sentence means, “You are wrong even if you scorch me with your third eye.“
It is quite another story that the hapless poet was actually punished because he was insistent on whatever he was saying while Shiva didn't exactly disprove his contention. The point is that we generally pride ourselves on being argumentative Tamils. It is true that we have had our share of iconoclasts -the contrarians who cast a critical eye on our own society and its shibboleths. From Bharati through Periyar and others, there have been many who did that but were not lynched, shot like Kalburgi, or burned at the stake.Writer Cho Ramasamy , who bravely took on DMK chief Karunanidhi when his popularity was at its peak and survived to become a celebrity in his own right, is some testimony to the Tamil cultural milieu.
But things have changed a lot as the L'affaire Perumal Murugan seemed to show -the writer was hounded out apparently because one of his novels showed a major community in a bad light. Critics of `social consensus' on anything might not have to pay with their lives -at least not yet -but they have to factor in possible consequences before saying anything that could offend powerful sections.
In a way it is ironical that the state, ruled as it has been uninterruptedly for over four decades by avowed disciples of arch iconoclast Periyar E V Ramasamy, should be teeming with holy cows of all kinds. Why , Periyar himself has been turned into an icon beyond reproach, and attacking him could mean inviting serious trouble.
Periyar perhaps got away with his most strident criticism of Hindu orthodoxy , brahmins particularly, because they were a miniscule minority , despite the social prestige and political clout they enjoyed then. Even the more conservative among non-brahmins, though tied to traditions, happily joined Periyar's brahmin-bashing, while turning a blind eye to his caustic comments on Hindu gods.
But the Dravidianists had to beat a hasty retreat when they sought to critique Islam. V R Nedunchezhian, a prominent DMK leader, reportedly observed at a public meeting in 1952 that while Quran had become anachronistic, Thirukkural was eternally relevant. This kicked up a furore, and he had to backpedal fast in an attempt to assuage hurt sentiments.
Rationalist Annadurai was quickly turned into an icon when he died. Thousands turned up for the funeral and scores travelling on the roof of a train bound for the state capital had their heads smashed against a bridge. Kripananda Variar, a widely respected Saivite exponent, made some comments in a lighter vein over the mass adoration, and DMK fans erupted in anger. He was assaulted and his lectures were disrupted. It took a while for tempers to calm down and Variar had to tender some kind of an apology .
In recent times when the statue of Periyar in Srirangam, near a famous Vaishnavite temple there, was defaced by some miscreants, ardent followers of EVR started assaulting brahmins in a couple of places.
Ironically , under progressive Dravidian discourse, chastity, refraining from pre-marital and extra-marital sex, is highly valued. Actress Kushboo had a tough time when she was advocating safe sex a few years ago whereas Kannagi, the chaste wife of a philandering husband, is worshipped.
The slain LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran still remains a great idol of Tamil nationalists, and anyone running down the Tamil Tigers risks the wrath of vocal activists. Even writer Jayakanthan was pelted with eggs at a public meeting as he was hailing the Indian armed forces and denouncing Prabhakaran.
So is the case with the rants of Islamic fundamentalists and Hindutva fanatics. Kamal Haasan was in great trouble getting his film Viswaroopam into the theatres because of protests by Muslim zealots.
There is rising intolerance at various levels, but, barring in cases like writer Perumal Murugan or Khushbu, protests against it don't make a mark. A critical, questioning attitude is welcomed, (The writer is a senior journalist)
