‘Regrettable to criticize T M Krishna’ says Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin; derides criticism of Periyar by musicians

Subject: History

Section: Modern India (Personality)

Context:

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin has publicly supported Carnatic vocalist T M Krishna amidst a controversy surrounding the awarding of the Sangita Kalanidhi title by the Music Academy, Madras. The issue has garnered political and social attention, especially concerning criticisms of the social reformer E V R Periyar.

Details:

Controversy Over Periyar:
- The controversy gained political dimensions when singers Ranjani and Gayathri withdrew from the December music season, citing Krishna’s praise of Periyar—who they inaccurately alleged advocated for genocide—as a reason. This led to public backlash and discussions about Periyar’s views on equality and women’s rights.
Defense of Periyar: Both M K Stalin and DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi defended Periyar’s legacy, emphasizing his lifelong dedication to social reform, equality, and women’s rights. They argued that a proper understanding of Periyar’s work would counteract the criticism.
Broader Implications:
- This controversy reflects the broader tensions in Tamil Nadu and Indian society between cultural appreciation and political ideologies, especially in the context of caste and social reform.
- It underscores the challenges of maintaining cultural spaces free from political disputes and highlights the ongoing relevance of Periyar’s legacy in contemporary debates.

About E V Ramasamy ‘Periyar’:

Born in 1879, E V Ramasamy ‘Periyar’ is remembered for the Self Respect Movement to redeem the identity and self-respect of Tamils.
Periyar started his political career as a Congress worker. He quarrelled with Gandhi over the question of separate dining for Brahmin and non-Brahmin students.
He resigned from the party in 1925, and associated himself with the Justice Party and the Self Respect Movement, which opposed the dominance of Brahmins in social life, especially the bureaucracy.
Periyar’s fame spread beyond the Tamil region during the Vaikom Satyagraha of 1924, a mass movement to demand that lower caste persons be given the right to use a public path in front of the famous Vaikom temple. He would later be referred to as VaikomVeerar (Hero of Vaikom).
In the 1940s, Periyar launched a political party, DravidarKazhagam (DK), which espoused an independent Dravida Nadu comprising Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, and Kannada speakers.
As a social reformer, he focused on social, cultural and gender inequalities, and his reform agenda questioned matters of faith, gender and tradition.
Periyar died in 1973 at the age of 94. Over the years, Periyar is revered as Thanthai Periyar, the father figure of modern Tamil Nadu.