I appreciate The Hindu for making public the 1971 report on Periyar’s Salem rally. The truth is that atheists and agnostics had at that time found nothing wrong in the actions of the Dravidar Kazhagam. They had instead defended its demonstration, saying that the objective was to condemn superstitious beliefs and to promote rationalism. Distancing itself from the event, the Tamil Nadu government made the district administration the scapegoat and transferred the Collector to Chennai. But today, the whole affair is being subjected to scrutiny from a different angle. Religion has since become politicised. In such a situation, going on the defensive is tantamount to disowning Periyar and his way of making frontal attacks on social abuses.
K.A. Manikumar,
Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu
Mr. Rajinikant’s reported speech on Periyar seems to have left him, knowingly or unknowingly, with a real big hot potato to handle, especially so in case he does make a political entry sometime in the future. If he were a seasoned politician, he would have perhaps realised that a mere flashing of newspaper reports, photos, etc as a political tool could very well become hugely counterproductive. He would have known that any strong statement made about an incident alleged to have happened in the past should be firmly backed by clear, solid legal evidence. Under the circumstances, Mr. Rajinikant finds himself clearly pushed on the defensive, even as many political parties in Tamil Nadu, including the DMK, have come out strongly against his controversial statement on this issue. It now remains to be seen how the superstar manages to come out of the rather unenviable position.
A. Mohan,
Chennai
