Welcome back , periyarji!

One can see it coming. Or rather see him coming. The long dead icon of the Dravidian philosophy, whatever it means, is all set to be resurrected by, you guessed it right, Kalaingar Karunanidhi, the self-styled favourite co-born of the famed father. Dead dad Periyar, in all his rational glory, should be with us any time now, if current trends in the Kalaingar ‘ s keen brains are any indication.

In a fit of sudden revelation, the Thaanai Thalaivan seems to have regained every ounce of lost memories and is also on the verge of re-discovering all his old rational tricks. Only that a freshly invoked Periyar will have to put up with being addressed as Periyarji, in tune with his disciple ‘ s latest linguistic lisp wrought by an Aryan affliction. And instead of a red carpet welcome, it will be a yellow-towelled one.

Now one may ask where had these memories gone to graze during the past few years. Well, you see, there was this communal cloud that had shrouded the already dark glasses whose power had also to be increased to perceive clearly the pleasures of real power at the Centre.

Also the tide of events three years ago had catapulted the Kalaingar and his party, so unexpectedly into the BJP camp that Periyar had to be hurriedly packed off to the pavilion, lest he played spoil sport to the protege ‘ s power games.

Now with the communal mist lifting, albeit partially – only over coastal and interior TN, according to the latest political weather reports – Periyar should have no problems doing a home-coming. Incidentally, he could also be used to boost the sagging fortunes – well, not really – so let ‘ s say, to maintain the swelling fortunes of the former first family – families – of the State. The grand reunion between the ghostly father and his ghastly off-springs is certain to be a tear jerker, with more tears flowing from rational but well concealed eyes. No matter if crocodiles squirm with inferiority complex.

There are of course a few roadblocks on the rational route. Reason why Periyar will remain a State subject for the present. At the Centre there is the not-so-naive nephew to reckon with, who is unlikely to relent from his rewarding stint in the corridors of power. It certainly may not suit him to renounce the cosy comforts of Lutyen ‘ s Delhi and respond to a nostalgic uncle ‘ s urgency.

There are also other co-borns who are not going to relish any reduction in their stature as members of the ruling combine. But the intelligent Thalaivan knows his ropes and so he has left it dangling, just in case. Hence the partial roll back of the relationship with BJP that accommodates Periyar at the State level even while the nephew retains his rightful role in the capital.

This deadly dichotomy has been drafted to deceive and it must have taken all of the Kalaingar ‘ s script-writing skills to conjure up such a comic but consummate contradiction. In TN, it is the boot for cribbing Krubanidhi while Ila Ganesan now becomes ‘ Illai ‘ Ganesan but in Delhi it is annan Advani all the way. Here RSS is taboo, but there, well, the Kalaingar has never heard of the RSS.

TN BJP is a closed chapter but NDA remains an open book. Endorsement of POTO will be in toto even if the AIADMK supports it, but not a quarter for annadhanams, even if the BJP supports it. In secular Tamilnadu minorities are pets but in communal India they could bite, so beware. Now this sort of a situation should confound and confuse all rational beings but not Karunanidhi who is adept at handling any kind of duality.

Periyar ‘ s predicament is precarious given the fate of his pet themes like atheism,self-respect and anti- Brahminism, and added to that is the ignominy of being at the beck and call of Karunanidhi. But the latter seems to care less, remembering his icon only at fits and starts, in between bouts of amnesia and always to suit his convenience. But what could a dead man do? Can he turn his head away the next time the Kalaingar comes to garland him? Well, the rational Kalaingar knows that statues don ‘ t squirm unlike the pious people of Periyar ‘ s TN.

So for now there is no stopping the advent of Periyar or rather, Periyarji into the increasingly voluble rhetoric of the Kalaingar and his co-borns. So, welcome back Sir, and good to see you at Arivalayam after all these years! But for New Delhi, you have to await for the nephew’s nod, Sirji.

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