Chennai: Rattled at the persistent campaign of the saffron brigade painting it as anti-Hindu, the DMK appears to have taken a pro-Hindu avatar ahead of the April 6 Assembly poll. The party has attempted an image makeover with its election manifesto, which promises special operating procedures (Sops) to priests and temples and Rs 1 lakh for pilgrimage to Hindu temples
The party is no more wedded to atheism as it has given it up in 1967 with the slogan 'Humanity is One and God is One'. And, yet, even more than half a century later it finds itself battling the criticism from the RSS and its offshoots. The renewed campaign of the BJP and the saffron brigade seems to have forced the Dravidian major to make some amends.
The much-awaited manifesto, released by party president MK Stalin promises a Rs 1,000 crore financial allocation for temple renovations and consecrations and rope-car facility for important temples like the famed Arthanariswarar temple at Tiruchengode. It assures the enhancement of the honorarium for temple priests and pension for temple employees while committing to exploring the possibility of extending the Pongal Festival bonus. More importantly, the manifesto promises Rs 25,000 financial subsidy for one lakh devotees every year for undertaking pilgrimage to places like Puri, Badrinath and Kedarnath. An international centre will be established at Vadalur in Cuddalore district to promote the teachings of anti-caste saint-poet Ramalinga Adigalar, who preached jeevakarunya in the early 19th century.
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This is the first time that the DMK manifesto contains Sops aimed at the Hindu faithful. Neither the DMK leadership nor the party's frontline leaders and a very large section of the cadre ever flaunt their religious identity in the public domain. All along it's counter to the charge of being 'anti-Hindu' has been that the party has a vast majority of Hindus in its ranks and that its social justice endeavours have benefitted the Hindus. Earlier, it used to take credit for holding the iconic Tiruvarur temple car procession.
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Yet, the party continues to maintain that creation of a society devoid of hegemony along with protecting Tamil and rationalism as well as social justice continue to be the cornerstones of the party's ideology.
The party had never extended wishes for Deepavali, considered as non-Dravidian, or any other Hindu festival. The Sangh Parivar continues to rake it up every year. Even the Tamil New year for the party is the first day of the Tamil month 'Thai' when Pongal festivities begin.
While Stalin declined to answer a query about the party announcing sops for Hindus than ever before, some analysts maintain that these measures could be seen as mere posturing to be religiously neutral.
“The manifesto contains nearly 500 promises for every sector from agriculture to industry and education to health care. These few sops are a part of them. At best, they can be taken as posturing. Nothing more needs to be read into them,” explains Professor Jothi Sivagnanam, Head of the Department of Economics, Madras University. But then, this posturing has a political message as well.
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