The ideological icon as well as the successor disciple of the social revolutionary Thanthai Periyar celebrates 92nd Birthday on 2nd December 2024. The prime leaders of Dravidian Movement had lived longer and served the society till their end. Many of the leaders lived beyond 90 years – the reason being that all of them were atheists – rationalists – non-believers of god. Longevity in the life of leaders is a vital factor for the continuity in their services with systematic progress of the people and society.
As rationalists, they are not ambitious about any supreme power that would take care of this life. Perhaps, they follow the prescriptions and advice of medical doctors, whose nature of service as Thanthai Periyar used to tell often that they are against ‘god’. None can deny that major sections were believing and still continue with the belief that indisposition, epidemic diseases and other body disorders are the signs of ‘god’ that is angry about the people. Hence those who cure and save people from diseases are anti functionaries of the deeds of the so called ‘gods’.
Dr.K.Veeramani has contributed distinctively to uplift the socially enslaved people and empower them to enable participation in the democratic governance of the country. The transition of leadership was to Annai E.V.R.Maniammaiar after Periyar. After that, Asiriyar has been leading the unique movement founded by Thanthai Periyar. The two major contributions of Asiriyar in the strenuous journey of social justice is being considered as his magnum opus in public life. Those works and efforts to achieve have enlightened the entire oppressed sections of the country;
Contribution to protect the 69 per cent of total reservation in Tamil Nadu
The origin and progress of Dravidian Movement, starting from 1928 is centred on communal rights and reservation in employment and education in the then Madras Presidency. The quantum and quality of reservation measures reached the peak in 1981 as the total reservation of 68 per cent when M.G.Ramachandran was the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, from then on the anti-reservationists had been challenging the peak as if it had exceeded 50 per cent as observed in Balaji case 1963, as obiter dicta and not as speaking order of the judgment. With intermittent challenges to the peak, the total of reservation rose to 69 per cent when Kalaignar M.Karunanidhi became the Chief Minister again. In 1992, when the 9-judge bench of the apex court pronounced judgment in Indira Sawhni case, it had categorically stated that the total reservation must be limited to 50 per cent. A huge threat was faced by the systematically nurtured ‘reservation policy’. How to protect the already exceeded limit of 69 per cent which is also inadequate as per the provisions of Indian Constitution. The challenging social task was shouldered by Asiriyar. Constitution is the supreme law of our country. Asiriyar explored an innovative way within the Constitutional framework to protect the existing peak of 69 per cent. Asiriyar thought over this and acted upon.
i) a new policy for the dispensation of social justice through reservation must be formulated which is not subject to judicial scrutiny so far.
ii) to find out the constitutional provision which was used for the cause of social justice.
iii) Involving the Union and the State governments in enacting measures facilitating the protection of the existing reservation policy.
iv) Setting precedent by exploring constitutional jurisprudence for the cause of social justice.
What exactly did Asiriyar do?
There are two chapters in Indian Constitution–One, Fundamental Rights to ensure them to every citizen of the country. Another chapter ‘Directive Principles of State Policy’ that show the pathway for the governance and the country. The provisions in this chapter are not enforced by the court of law. To make it enforceable was the task undertaken by Asiriyar. There is one Article 31(c) through which the State Assembly can do enactment on the related provision of the Directive Principles of State Policy i.e. Article 46. The purpose of enactment has got another benefit. So far the reservation policy has been implemented either by issuance of G.O. by the State or Office Memorandum by the Union Government. Asiriyar suggested for the first time enactment for the cause of exclusive legislation for the cause. The enactment, unlike a G.O. or O.M. becomes enforceable with retrospective effect which is very much suitable for Tamil Nadu since the exceeded level over 50 per cent had been prevailing since 1981. Accordingly the then Chief Minister J. Jayalalitha convened a special session of State Legislative Assembly and passed the exclusive Bill for the continuance of 69 per cent reservation. The Assembly passed the bill unanimously.
Asiriyar explored another Article 31(B) that enabled the passing of the State Bill to get it assented by the President of India for which the positive approach of the Union government is a must. For this a team headed by the Chief Minister that included Asiriyar alongwith a few other leaders, met the then Prime Minister P.V.Narasimha Rao. The assented Act had to be placed in the Schedule-IX of the Constitution through due Amendment. The purpose of the placement of the Act in Schedule IX was to give immunity to the Act from the judicial scrutiny. For the due placement, the co-operation of the opposition parties in the Parliament was required. At that time, the opposition had stalled the proceedings in the Lok Sabha over ‘Harshad Mehta Scam’. No proceeding was allowed to take place in the House, to take up the issue of debate over the ‘scam’.
Asiriyar went to Delhi and met the opposition leaders for the passing through of the Amendment. The House was urged to co-operate with the initiative of Tamil Nadu State Legislative Assembly. Considering the significance of the Amendment, Lok Sabha was convened and the 76th Constitutional Amendment was passed without any discussion and the House was adjourned thereafter. Thereby the total reservation of 69 per cent was protected with enactment and placement in Schedule IX. Perhaps, this is the first Act to be placed with Schedule IX for the cause of social justice. The systematic, meticulous move through the suggestions and initiatives of Asiriyar in the course of this lengthy process speaks about his stature to guide the country on the path of social justice. So far, no such legislation was made in any other States, where the improvement took place in exceeding the total reservation of 50 per cent in the respective states. This protection was made in 1993. The magnum opus of Asiriyar still continues even after the passing of 30 years.
Bhagavad Gita – Myth or Mirage
The leadership of a social movement requires talent of writing, public lecturing, editing periodicals and field activities that include leading agitations for the ideals and the resolve to face any hardship for the cause. Asiriyar Dr.K. Veeramani is a good blend of all these leadership qualities. His additional skills are writing and addressing both in Tamil and English fluently. The basis for social injustice is the birth based discrimination of humans in the name of ‘god’. The oppressive hegemony of this system has annexed the advice of ‘Krishna’ to ‘Arjuna’ in the Kurukshetra war for the accomplishment of its centuries ridden agenda. In order to give ‘divinity’ and also to avoid the questioning of it, the advice at the time of the war has been produced as an exclusive work, ‘Bhagavad Gita’. Holiness has been systematically imparted on it to distance rational scrutiny. Asiriyar Veeramani exposed the real content and its background after its analytical study. The work of Asiriyar was published first in Tamil, Geethaiyin Marupakkam (the other side of Gita). Its 24th edition is the latest reprint.
Later it was translated and published under the title ‘Bhagavad Gita – Myth or Mirage?’ This anthology is another magnum opus of Asiriyar Dr.K.Veeramani as his literary excellence and analytical acumen.
The English version starts first with the title ‘Is the story of Mahabharata true?’ – true to his argumentative approach as an advocate in the court of law.
With the frankness exhibited by his mentor Thanthai Periyar, Asiriyar Veeramani said, “You have every right to reject my point of view. It is on the same score, I say I have the right to express my views”.
The simple argument starts like this: when the soldiers on both the sides were waiting at the battlefield, how was Krishna able to let out such a long advice to Arjuna? Even if an actual utterance is printed, many distortions and deviations are likely to occur in normal course. Will it be possible to deliver such a long speech of advice under a critical situation? This itself proves that “Bhagwad Gita” is a fabrication; not a true story. Asiriyar was quite right in exposing the myth.
There is chance for every written version to get elaborated as per the interpretations to the preachings and creative additions of the respective writer of ‘Gita’. All these aspects would lead to a conclusion that Gita is nothing but an interpolation to accomplish hegemonic agenda.
Krishna declares, ‘Chatur varnam maya shristum’ meaning, “I only created the four fold division in the societies”. How can ‘the Lord’ divide people instead of integrating them? – the argument goes like this.
The analysis of Asiriyar under the chapter ‘Bhagavad Gita and the Soul’ warrants serious as well as in depth study of ‘Gita’
‘O, Arjuna, how can a person who knows that the soul is indestructible, eternal, unborn and immutable kill anyone or cause anyone to kill?’
Krishna justified the killing of people on the opponent side; infact it is killing of mere body and not soul; that cannot be killed at all. So, Arjuna need not feel guilty for the probable killing on the opponent side.
Will this argument suit the present criminal codes of the country? Can anyone be acquitted from the offence of murder that he has killed only the body and not the soul? Periyar used to point out on various occasions that more than the belief in ‘god’, belief in soul is dangerous to humanity. Belief in god may be put to rational debate based on the advocacy of ‘god’ as omnipotent and omnipresent and exposing its ability to prove its non-existence. The ‘soul’ cannot be debated like that. Whatever unanswerable can be put on soul which cannot be disproved like ‘god’. It is dogmatically considered, for all the present state of condition of life of an individual, the ‘karma’ (adherence to destined duties) of the earlier birth would be passed on through ‘soul’ in the current birth. Soul is the core weapon of ‘Gita’.
The entire Varnashrama rests on the belief in the soul. If that belief is demolished the major hurdle for the progress of humans could be removed. The real conviction and self-initiative of humans to advance in life could be possible. Asiriyar spent two years on the analytical work on ‘Gita’, and ultimately exposed its true nature.
The value attached to ‘Gita’ is too much and unwarranted as well. Till recently, whenever a person (Hindu) associated with a litigation is expected to depose in a court of law, at first the deponent has to take a pledge for his true deposit symbolically affirming on ‘Gita’. Now it is discontinued. To such an extent the truth is known to people. The indepth analysis of ‘Bhagavad Gita’ by Asiriyar is no doubt another magnum opus on his mission of enlightening the enslaved masses and liberate them from the abstract shackles that have bound them.
