tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2383732783190307682.post8495860076056386836..comments2023-07-20T03:54:13.889-04:00Comments on A contrarian world: கருணாநிதியை தலித்துகள் கொண்டாடுவதில் உள்ள முரண்கள். Athenaeumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06662860639414150880noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2383732783190307682.post-1333645405588293912018-08-12T04:46:03.326-04:002018-08-12T04:46:03.326-04:00Look at how Stalin handled the situation of DMK wo...<br />Look at how Stalin handled the situation of DMK workers misbehaving with a Biriyani stall owner. He goes and personally apologizes. Stalin in the news accounts looks genuinely sorry. Look at the lynching and extreme violence of politicians in North India. See the difference. There are still humane possibilities in Tamilnadu, unlike in so many other places in India where upper castes and hindutva guys rule. <br /> To understand Tamil history you need to read early colonial accounts. We have always been a deeply corrupt society. I definitely do not believe it is orientalism or colonialism's need to justify itself. The Dravidian movement by allowing people from the margins of society to occupy political centre stage has just allowed this deep corruption of our society to be very visible.I'm not justifying corruption or mediocrity but it is just a reflection of ourselves, warts and all. Karunanidhi is just a small actor in this larger social setting. But his role in keeping alive a movement that prevented Hindu(another name for Brahmin) domination in the political and cultural milieu of Tamilnadu is important. Even in his old age, he still could ask " Which college did Ramar study". Would all these sophisticated Congress leaders like Kamaraj or Nehru have ever done that.<br /> To deny him that role is to be biased. He did think of the welfare of ordinary (Saamaniya) Tamils. But there are always limitations for a political leader. We ordinary Tamils have to show that we can be a "people of character". Karunanidhi has done his part by preserving for us a secular environment in which all of us can thrive. It is for us to develop institutions that we can all be proud of. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com