AIADMK's anti-CAA stand in manifesto sets the bar higher

Ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections, the ruling AIADMK’s decision to reverse its stand on the Citizenship Amendment Act and the demand to establish separate besides Tamil Eelam, among others showcases the party’s deliberate lap to its founding principles, writes ETV Bharat's Assistant News Editor R Prince Jebakumar.

Chennai: Back to the basics! The decision of the ruling AIADMK to reverse its stand on the Citizenship Amendment Act and the demand to establish a separate Tamil Eelam among other issues showcases the party’s deliberate return to its founding principles.

While opening remarks of both the arch-rivals refer to how their parent movement was born and nurtured by the likes of Periyar and Anna, besides striking a chord with Tamil Nationalism.

A change in tone and tenor is visible, though.

A few days back, the chief minister and joint-coordinator of AIADMK - Edappadi K Palaniswami was seen asserting in a media conclave that the alliance with BJP was limited to the election and will never be ideological. Seen as making amends and having come to terms to accede it, AIADMK which voted in favour of the Act in Parliament said it would impress upon the Centre to drop CAA.

The promise to impress upon the Centre to drop CAA is sure to irk the BJP.

Lankan Tamils

AIADMK reiterates the formation of separate Tamil Eelam, and rendering justice to Tamil massacre committed in the Island Nation through International Criminal Court or International Impartial Independent Mechanism. Similar points were made by the DMK which was also insisting on a referendum to the choice of Lankan Tamils for a permanent solution. AIADMK and the DMK are on the same page on according Indian citizenship and permanent resident status for those choosing to stay in India.

Dismissed as a non-electoral issue by a section of Marxists in India, Lankan Tamils issue have always been at the core of political scape of both the Dravidian majors and will remain the same this time as well. Manifestation - their poll plank.

Tamil Nationalism

While both parties want Tamil to get official national language status, DMK promised that it would bring about legislation securing 100 per cent jobs in Tamil Nadu government offices and 75 per cent of jobs in the private sector to Tamils, a longtime demand of Tamil Nationalist movements functioning in the state.

Taking steps to rename Madras High Court as Tamil Nadu High Court and to set up a Supreme Court Bench in Chennai, besides making Tamil as a business language in the High Court has figured in the AIADMK’s manifesto.

Stating that it would insist on conducting state-level exams to UPSC posts instead of centralised testing, the AIADMK promised to strive to provide reservation benefits for the SC/ST who had converted to other religions.

Course set for the next govt

The prevalence of Tamil Nationalism in both the manifestos was not easy to miss except for those who wish to ignore it.

The Dravidian majors had been in power for more than half a century since the rout of Congress and they have identified themselves as the movements whose roots were from the Justice Party and Dravidar Kazhagam, and the legacy attached to the tall founding leaders.

Theoretically and ideologically, the stand of both the parties on issues concerning the minorities and the principles of social justice are one and the same as per their respective documents, which is a historic compulsion.

Whoever wins in Tamil Nadu, the implementation of the discussed agendas will have to bear it as their core ideas. Failure on the same, in all likelihood, is expected to reflect in their electoral performance as well.