On Saturday (November 19), Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the ‘Kashi Tamil Sangamam’ in Varanasi as part of the government’s vision of ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat.’
Kashi and Tamil Nadu share cultural ties since ancient times, and the month-long programme is aimed at preserving them. During the event, PM Modi said, “Embracing the entire India, Kashi is the cultural capital of India whereas Tamil Nadu and Tamil culture is the centre of India’s antiquity and glory.”
“In Kashi, we have Baba Vishwanath, while in Tamil Nadu we have the blessings of Lord Rameshwaram. Both Kashi and Tamil Nadu are immersed in Shiva,” he highlighted their importance in the Indic civilisation.
In Varanasi, addressing the ‘Kashi-Tamil Sangamam.’ It is a wonderful confluence of India’s culture and heritage. https://t.co/ZX3WRhrxm9
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 19, 2022
The Indian Prime Minister also used the opportunity to call for an end to linguistic barriers and unite ourselves in the spirit of diversity. “This is the responsibility of 130 crore Indians to preserve the legacy of Tamil and enrich it,” he said during his address in Varanasi.
“If we ignore Tamil we do a great disservice to the nation and if we keep Tamil confined in restrictions we will do great harm to it. We have to remember to remove linguistic differences and establish emotional unity”, he further outlined.
He added, “In Amrit Kaal, our resolutions will be fulfilled by the unity of the whole country. Kashi-Tamil Sangamam will become a platform for this resolution today while making us realise our duties, and being a source of energy to strengthen national unity.”
Rahul Gandhi busy pitting one state against the other
PM Modi’s resolve to use cultural events as a way to unite the entire nation comes at a time when his political opponent Rahul Gandhi is pitting one State against the other under the garb of ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra.’
On November 9 this year, the Congress scion attempted to create animosity between the States of Gujarat and Maharashtra by falsely claiming that projects meant for the latter were being moved to favour the former.
He alleged that projects such as the Tata-Airbus military aircraft partnership and the Vendanta-Foxconn semiconductor plant were stolen from Maharashtra and handed to Gujarat ahead of the upcoming assembly elections in the neighbouring state.
#WATCH | Maharashtra: Your projects are going to Gujarat as Airbus project went from Maharashtra because elections are there in Gujarat. Even the Foxconn project went. Apart from money, jobs & future of state’s youth are also being snatched: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi in Nanded pic.twitter.com/1NDyEkEyNZ
— ANI (@ANI) November 9, 2022
DMK, linguistic chauvinism and its hate for North Indians
On September 7 this year, the Congress party led by Rahul Gandhi kickstarted its 3,570-km march from Kanniyakumari in Tamil Nadu. The march will last over 5 months and will cover 12 States before terminating at Srinagar.
One of the leaders who were present at the start of the ambitious ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ was MK Stalin, DMK supremo and ally of the Congress in the State of Tamil Nadu. His party, in particular, has been at the forefront of widening the linguistic divide and directing hate against North Indians in particular.
Tamil Nadu CM Sh. MK Stalin hands over Khadi Tiranga to Congress leader Sh. Rahul Gandhi in Kanyakumari before the beginning of Bharat Jodo Padyatra.
— Anshuman Sail (@AnshumanSail) September 7, 2022
Rajasthan CM Sh. Ashok Gehlot and Chhatisgarh CM Sh. Bhupesh Baghel and senior leaders remained present. pic.twitter.com/AMb4Xrq3nY
In June this year, DMK leader and Tamil Nadu Health Minister blamed ‘North Indian students’ for spreading Covid-19 in the State.
“North Indian students are spreading Covid-19 in Tamil Nadu. Students from Kelambakkam VIT College and Sathyasai college have got affected by Covid in hostels and classes. In some North Indian states, Covid cases are still increasing,” he was quoted as saying.
Tamil Nadu | North Indian students are spreading Covid-19 in Tamil Nadu. Students from Kelambakkam VIT College and Sathyasai college have got affected by Covid in hostels and classes. In some North Indian states, Covid cases are still increasing: State Health Min Ma Subramanian pic.twitter.com/ekATYHgMaM
— ANI (@ANI) June 1, 2022
In February this year, DMK leader Dr DNV Senthilkumar S mocked the BJP-ruled States in the North by making the ‘gaumutra’ jibe on the floor of the parliament.
“According to NEP, gross enrollment ratio has to be 50 per cent which Tamil Nadu has achieved long ago. If they want to implement this policy, they should implement the Dravidian model for the development of the country,” he had remarked.
“Why is their policy being thrust upon us? We reject it. If they want to implement it, they should do it in their gau-mutra States”, he said in his 6 minute long speech.
* சங்கி நீதிபதி சாமிநாதனை மிதி மிதினு மிதிச்சுருக்கார் 🔥
— Omar Moktar (@lionofdesert_) February 4, 2022
* இரண்டு உயர்நீதிமன்ற நீதிபதிகள் சாதிய மாநாடுகளில் கலந்துக்கிறாங்க…
இது சுமந்த் மனைவியதான சொல்றாரு.@DrSenthil_MDRD is a assert to DMK & TN.#CastiestJudiciary pic.twitter.com/p76LClR0hl
Recently, another DMK leader shared a snippet from a web series wherein several elite, snobbish ‘South Indians’ were shown reprimanding a rustic, Maharashtrian woman for assuming that ‘Hindi is India’s national language.’
Hindi isn’t the National Language of India 😎pic.twitter.com/ET9f8Vu4d5
— Tr Gayathri Srikanth (@Tr_Gayathri) November 19, 2022
The disturbing scenes drew the ire of netizens for fomenting the North-South divide. While Rahul Gandhi is attacking the BJP for supposedly dividing India, he and his allies are busy creating internal conflict between States, ethnicities and languages.
While Rahul Gandhi exploits existing faultlines and fuels new ones in the name of ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’, it is India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, who has emerged as a statesman pitching for a united country and bridging cultural differences.
