Tamil Thai Vaazhthu row: ‘Dravida’ term a falsity, ready for debate, Seeman tells Mahesh
NTK leader says he meant replacing Tamil anthem with uncorrupt words, not its removal
Seeman along with NTK office-bearers addressing media in Namakkal
COIMBATORE: Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) leader Seeman on Sunday challenged School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi for a debate on the outrage over the omission of 'Dravidam' from State anthem Tamil Thai Vaazhthu at a recent Doordarshan event.
Speaking to the media, after taking part in the party’s consultative meeting in Namakkal, the NTK leader said, “Let him (Anbil Mahesh) choose the spot for conducting the debate.”
“Is this Tamil Nadu or Dravida Nadu? When Tamil Nadu is facilitated for non-Tamils to rule and live rich, how could I accept the term Dravidian?” he asked.
The response from Seeman comes after Poyyamozhi condemned Seeman for opposing Tamil Thai Vaazhthu, “despite being a Tamil.” In a rebuttal to the School Education Minister, a day after declaring that Tamil Thai Vaazthu will be removed if the Tamil nationalist party assumes power in the State, the NTK coordinator had said, “I did not say that there will be no Tamil Thai Vazhthu in the State. I meant only that the existing anthem will cease to exist. Even Puducherry's Tamil Thai Vazhthu is better than ours. If NTK comes to power, the State anthem with pure Tamil words will be adopted.”
Delving further into the issue, Seeman asked, “Who are you to call Tamils, having a rich civilization of over 50,000 years, as Dravidian? The purpose of using the term Dravidians is to tamper with the facts. Why does Chief Minister MK Stalin, who speaks high of Tamil, cling on to the concept of Dravidam?”
Meanwhile, welcoming the idea that VCK leader Thol Thirumavalavan should become Chief Minister of the State, Seeman condemned BJP leader L Murugan for saying the Dalit leader shouldn’t be dreaming of the top post as he opposed the sub-quota reservation for Arunthathiyar community.
“We are not against reservation but only oppose internal reservation. If you (BJP) prevent him (Thirumavalavan), then we will take the responsibility on our shoulders to make him the Chief Minister,” he said.
Seeman also said the DMK fears actor Vijay’s Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) and bans their protest and refuses permission for erecting stage because of insecurity.