The politics of pontiffs in Dravidian hinterland

CHENNAI: Politics makes strange bedfellows, but spirituality makes even stranger ones. When these two come together, it creates a deadly cocktail. While north Indian states like Uttar Pradesh have experienced it over the decades, more so since the Ayodhya case and most recently in Gyanvapi mosque, Tamil Nadu has begun to see glimpses of it of late.

As if the conversion controversies raised by the state BJP over the death of a girl student in Thanjavur were not enough, a couple of adheenams (godmen) have joined the saffron camp in making fresh political overtures. After Srivilliputhur Jeeyar, the Madurai Adheenam was the latest to launch verbal volleys against the ruling DMK.

The Adheenam of the famed Mutt from Madurai has called for dissolving the state Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE), unlike his predecessors who have restricted their politics to preaching social justice and celebrating Tamil language pride, something enjoyed by the state people and polity equally alike.

Even before the state people recovered from Madurai Adheenam’s face off with the state HR&CE Minister PK Sekarbabu over the Pattinapravesam of the Dharmapuram Adheenam, the pontiff fired fresh salvos from the podium of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) meeting.

From asserting his right to speak politics, the Madurai Adheenam has gone on to wonder what role the politicians have in temples, if pontiffs should not speak politics, all on the dais were from VHP. The statements have also triggered debates whether the godmen were used as surrogates of the BJP.

Writer and founder of Thannatchi Tamizhagam Aazhi Senthilnathan said, “It is the game plan of the BJP. In north India, they use godmen to advance their politics. They are trying the same in Tamil Nadu. They did it in Karnataka. We see how communal harmony has gone for a toss. The BJP is using its proxies like VHP to lure the adheenams. They cite UP to tempt the pontiffs with enormous power.”

“Their idea is to make religion the centrestage of politics and make people vote on the basis of religion. Unlike north India, Their UP model will not work out here. Tamil Nadu has progressed and disassociated from godmen for long to not fall for Adheenam’s politics,” Senthilnathan added.

CPM state secretary K Balakrishnan, who is one of the harshest critics of the pontiff’s politically loaded statements, said, “In Tamil Nadu, adheenams and Jeeyars have never interfered in politics. Even when they did, it was progressive and for social justice. Kundrakudi Adigalar used to speak such politics. The previous Madurai Adheenam restricted himself to preaching communal harmony. They had never criticised a government or a political party.”

“In the last 10 months, the state is seeing pontiffs speak active politics. They are trying to replicate north India. We do not criticise when they speak in a spiritual conference, but addressing a VHP rally or calling Modi the best PM is not spirituality,” added Balakrishnan.

Dravidar Kazhagam leader K Veeramani did not hold back his views when he said, “Aadheenam would not exist without the Dravidian movement. Newly anointed Madurai Adheenam is unaware of it. There is a Supreme Court verdict that shudras do not have the right to become sanyasis. Without considering that, this government acknowledged the adheenams. Without understanding the truth, he (Adheenam) has become an arrow in someone’s bow. He has forgotten that his predecessor was saved by the Dravidian movement. I am sure he will realise the truth soon and return to his true ways.”

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