On 3rd September, DMK leader and Tamil Nadu minister Udhayanidhi Stalin continued to stand by his statement against Sanatan Dharma and again called for its eradication. Speaking to the media, he claimed he did not call for genocide of those who follow Sanatan Dharma (Hindus) but called to eradicate Sanatan Dharma, which, according to him, is not the same. Furthermore, he said his party’s policy is “One Clan, One God”, which is how Abrahamic religions work. For the unaware, Stalin has said in the past that he is a “proud Christian”.
Tamil Nadu | I am saying again that I only criticised Sanatana Dharma and that Sanatana Dharma should be eradicated. I will say this continuously. Few are being childish saying I invited for genocide while others are saying that Dravidam should be abolished. Does that mean… pic.twitter.com/zK5hwFoVJO
— ANI (@ANI) September 3, 2023
In a statement to the media, he said, “I am saying again that I only criticised Sanatana Dharma and that Sanatana Dharma should be eradicated. I will say this continuously. Few are being childish, saying I was invited for genocide, while others are saying that Dravidam should be abolished. Does that mean DMKians should be killed?”
He added, “When PM Modi says ‘Congress Mukth Bharat’, does that mean congressmen should be killed? What is Sanatana? Sanatana means nothing should be changed, and all are permanent. But the Dravida model calls for change, and all should be equal. BJP is twisting my statement and spreading fake news; it’s their usual job. I am ready to face whatever cases they file against me. BJP is scared of the INDIA Alliance, and to divert that, they are saying all this/DMK’s policy is One clan, one God.”
Udhayanidhi said his party’s policy is “One Clan, One God,” which is essentially a proselytisation comment. Udhayanidhi has said in the past that he is a “proud Christian”. Christianity, which is an Abrahamic religion, is strictly against the Polytheist religion, which is Hinduism. Being against Polytheist religion, the followers of Abrahamic religions often attempt to convert those who follow Polytheist religion as an attempt to put an end to it.
Earlier, Udhayanidhi claimed his statement was only about the caste system practised in Sanatan Dharma, which is untrue. In November 2012, the Indian Institute of Dalit Studies released a paper by Sobin George titled ‘Dalit Christians in India: Discrimination, Development Deficit and the Question for Group-Specific Policies’ [PDF]. The paper cited two other papers to highlight how Christian Reddys in Andhra Pradesh and Christian Nadars in Tamil Nadu prefer to marry Hindus of their own caste rather than Dalit Christians. Furthermore, Syrian Christians in Kerala do not marry Dalit Christians. The intermarriage between Bamons and Sudras in Goa is also uncommon.
There have been numerous calls by Dalits who converted to Christianity to give them benefits along the lines of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes of Hinduism. The so-called main reason to convert to Christianity is to get “rid of the caste baggage,” but going by the evidence, the “caste” hardly goes away after conversion.
Interestingly, in February 2023, in Tamil Nadu’s Trichy, a section of “Dalit” Christians in a village near Thiruvenrumbur alleged they faced caste discrimination at a local St Mary Magdalene Church. They were allegedly not allowed to attend the annual festival, and the church administration did not allow them to use the common community hall for holding events, including weddings.
The situation is the same in Punjab, which is one of the major hubs of conversions. Converted Dalit Christians in Punjab often face an identity crisis as they continue to avail themselves of the benefits of various schemes for Dalits.
Besides the notions that Christianity and Islam are non-discriminatory and egalitarian in nature, the very fact that he reduces Sanatan Dharma to merely caste discrimination itself shows the contempt that Stalin harbours for Hinduism. Essentially, it is evident that the comment by Stalin is not one that is aimed to fight against caste discrimination, to remedy which, several affirmative legislations have been implemented by Bharat, but one that aims to eradicate the age-old religion itself and with it, those who practise the religion – Hindus.
Udhayanidhi wants to ‘eradicate’ Sanatan Dharma
On 2nd September, the Minister for Youth Welfare and Sports Development of Tamil Nadu, Udhayanidhi Stalin, went on a tirade against Sanatan Dharma on social media.
The development came hours after he courted controversy for comparing the Hindu civilisational, religious philosophy with ‘malaria’ and ‘dengue.’ While talking to X (formerly Twitter), Udhayanidhi Stalin wrote, “Sanatan Dharma is a principle that divides people in the name of caste and religion.”
“Uprooting Sanatan Dharma is upholding humanity and human equality…I spoke on behalf of the oppressed & marginalised who suffer from the Sanatan Dharma. I spoke on behalf of the oppressed & marginalised, who suffer due to the Sanatan Dharma,” he said.
The son of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin hailed the likes of Periyar and BR Ambedkar. He claimed that the duo conducted ‘in-depth research’ on the ‘negative impact’ of the religious philosophy on society.
“Let me reiterate the crucial aspect of my speech: I believe, like the spread of diseases like COVID-19, Dengue, and Malaria by mosquitoes, that Sanatan Dharma is responsible for many social evils,” he further emphasised.
