Chennai: Want to become a politician in Tamilnadu? And wondering what the basic qualifications are? Well, to start with, you have to get the following certificates from the following people / parties – community certificate from the DMK, nativity certificate from Naam Tamizhar Katchi’s Seeman and nationality certificate from BJP leader H Raja.
Even if you don’t apply, they will voluntarily give you one the moment you cross their path. For instance, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) which was fine with Kamal Haasan floating a party, meeting people (or voters) across Tamilnadu and hitting out at the AIADMK and the BJP, felt offended all of a sudden after the actor-politician called the party corrupt.
What followed was an acerbic article in DMK’s mouthpiece Murasoli, gifting sobriquets like donkey and ox (boom boom maadu) to Kamal. What was more stinging was the manner it slammed him by underlining his caste. The ‘Ulaga Nayagan’, who took pride many a time in openly declaring that he had disowned his Brahminical roots and always claimed himself a Periyariite and a rationalist, was criticised by Murasoli that his true colours had started to show up.
Stating that ‘something which was attached to his birth cannot be changed’ and “he is cheating his followers by approaching politics in the same way as he has done over his roles in movies”, the article also ‘praised’ him as a BJP agent.
Seeman, who himself is said to be having his roots in Kerala, has this habit of checking the mother tongue of his rivals. According to him, you have either to be a non-Tamil or an anti-Tamil if you criticise him.
Worse, he has started issuing nativity certificates even to Gods. While Murugan and His father Sivan are his muppattans (forefathers), “other Hindu Gods are not from the Tamil land”. But, he apparently doesn’t have any problem with Jesus Christ and Allah.
Raja, the darling of netizens, calls as anti-Indian whoever is opposed to the BJP. From meme-makers to bomb-makers, no one has escaped from his ‘anti-Indian’ jibe. Actors, too, are no exception, as it was Raja who was instrumental in creating awareness among many about the religion of artistes like Vijay.