Mohit Palagiri
It was June 4th, 2024, Tuesday morning, around 6 am. I woke up feeling as tense as I did during my board exams. It was a nail-biting task, considering both the national elections and the Tamil Nadu general elections. Then, with joy, I shouted, “HURRAY! We won!” after seeing the phenomenal results of the INDIA bloc in Tamil Nadu and in Central elections.
As Mr. Yogendra Yadav, a prominent activist, said, “It’s a great win for democracy because opposition parties fought against a party that has 100% of the mainstream channels under them, money power, muscle power, and other institutions. Despite that, the INDIA bloc successfully built their performance phenomenally.” In this article, I would highlight some important points in Tamil Nadu elections.
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BJP Campaign and Investment: During my childhood, I used to see pictures and wall paintings of Kalaignar M. Karunanidhi, Arignar Anna, and Ms. Jayalalitha, which were very beautiful and creative. Recently, I visited Chennai through Tiruvallur route. It was very disheartening to see a lot of BJP paintings, posters, and flags in the majority of the areas. The North Indian and upper caste-run Modi media is hyping as well as faking Annamalai and his performance in Tamil Nadu.
Annamalai and South India Presence of BJP: Annamalai is a star created by national media and social media. In other southern states, the BJP does not have a leader who is both tall and charismatic enough to appeal to the masses. In Kerala, it was a fluke that helped Suresh Gopi, a popular actor, win; otherwise, the Kerala BJP cannot rely on him alone. Telangana is a stronghold of the RSS, where some dominant castes helped achieve their numbers, and the Bharat Rashtra Samithi did not perform their best in the Lok Sabha, allowing the BJP to gain many seats.
In Andhra Pradesh, the BJP relies more on Chandrababu Naidu and Pawan Kalyan, who claims to be inspired by Che Guevara, Ambedkar, and Periyar but is now inclined toward the Sanghis. Additionally, the BJP relies on Pawan Kalyan, as his fans play the role of soft Hindutva.
Hype Created: In Tamil Nadu, the BJP was previously under H. Raja, who was more radical, and Tamilisai Soundararajan, who is not an effective speaker and does not attract the masses. Therefore, the BJP has used Annamalai, an ex-IPS officer and Sangh sympathizer, to boost their presence across social media platforms. We have to agree that Annamalai, with his IPS background, is good at communication skills in national media and can present distorted facts convincingly. He has garnered the support of a significant population and is a shrewd man who takes every opportunity to build his voter base. After seeing this, BJP invested a lot in this man where he could be a face and some communities started investing in him.
For instance, Annamalai chose to contest in Coimbatore because it has a significant population of businessmen, North Indian migrants, and dominant upper castes who wholeheartedly support the BJP. I received a poster indicating that Gujarati Brahmins in Coimbatore planned a meeting for unanimous support, and many community groups have also expressed unanimous support for Annamalai and tried to influence their ideology. I am not against any migrants, but there are some who prioritize the Hindutva agenda, whether in cities like Delhi, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, or even places like the UK and the USA (where they vote for Conservatives and Republicans because their leaders sympathize with Modi and the RSS). Voting is a personal choice, but voters should consider local conditions rather than letting their own ideology dictate their vote choices.
I.N.D.I.A win in Tamil Nadu: DMK, INC, CPI, VCK, KDMK, IUML and MDMK have shown their power and done their best in the elections. It was under the state guidance by Thiru M.K. Stalin and central vision by Mr.Rahul Gandhi. We have to appreciate the commendable effort of our Asiriyar Thiru. Veeramani who campaigned tirelessly for the win of I.N.D.I.A. bloc in Tamil Nadu at the very young spirited age of 91! There are many alliances in the country, but the unique aspect and greatness of this alliance is that every party is committed to secularism, social justice, democratic socialism, upliftment of downtrodden classes, progressivism and protection of the Constitution of India.
As mentioned earlier, the I.N.D.I.A. bloc fought against numerous challenges, including the North Indian national media, which is blind to the ground realities and has tried to brainwash many people outside Tamil Nadu into believing that Annamalai is a savior. As the saying goes, “Don’t count your chickens before they hatch”, even before the elections were conducted or the results declared, Modi media began praising and elevating Annamalai as a superstar, Southern Singham, or Tamil BJP Messiah. But what is the end result? What impact did he have?
The I.N.D.I.A. bloc swept the elections, winning 39 out of 39 seats, which was phenomenal. I predicted that at least Annamalai would win in his constituency, but there was only a 1.40 per cent growth compared to last time, with an 8 per cent margin gap. The rest of the constituencies had double-digit margin gaps, and the smallest margin for the N.D.A. was 1.70 per cent, achieved by Sowmiya Anbumani from Pattali Makkal Katchi.
When the Modi media covers the Tamil Nadu election results, it fails to highlight MK Stalin’s best governance plans, such as transparent governance, infrastructure building, social justice enhancement, gender equality programs, LGBTQ-friendly programs, the agriculture budget for farmers, improvement of healthcare facilities, environment-friendly programs, and much more. These initiatives have turned the masses towards MK Stalin as an able administrator and one of the popular chief ministers of India, making Tamil Nadu an inspiration for other states. Intentionally, the national media (Modi media) is tarnishing the image of MK Stalin, the DMK, Periyar, and Tamil Nadu, as well as Tamilians, for supporting the Dravidian ideology.
Thiru. MK Stalin is following the Keynesian economics method, which was used by Franklin D. Roosevelt, former President of the USA, to revive the country from the Great Depression. This method helped develop the USA again. Keynesian economics involves promoting the economy through spending on infrastructure, unemployment benefits, education, health, and many other aspects that empower consumers (individuals) in the country. This is the exact method, according to economics, that the Dravidian Model follows, inspiring other countries. Many countries like the USA, Egypt, and the UK have praised it, and California, USA, wants to adopt it in their state to promote social justice. Many economists and universities have praised this model and its governance.
Sadly, the Modi media is spreading negativity about the Dravidian Model and Tamil Nadu, warning that it will be a disaster. However, they turn a blind eye to the Gujarat Model, where, outside of Ahmedabad, one cannot even find proper roads. The Gujarat Model is pro-capitalist, with lower per capita income, malnutrition, inadequate schools and hospitals, and high social inequality. Despite this, the same media praises the Gujarat Model as the savior of the Indian economy and blatantly criticizes the Dravidian Model, labeling it a “freebie model.” In reality, Tamil Nadu is not wasting money on unnecessary schemes; it is investing in initiatives that enhance individual power. Tamil Nadu also has a business-friendly environment, attracting many investors and fostering the growth of numerous start-ups.
Conclusion: “Success is not final, and failure is not fatal”, said – Winston Churchill. Dravidian comrades must be aware that we are fighting against a Goliath party that aggressively desires to implement the Hindutva in Tamil Nadu and bring back a barbaric system. We need to print books about Dravidian ideology and the cruelty of the Hindutva ideology, and donate them to students, youth, and others at low or no cost. It is essential for everyone to communicate our ideology to the masses. Definitely we cannot let Divisive Model to harm the harmonious and peaceful Tamil Nadu.
