Dravidatva redefined, but nothing to ‘fear’

Protection of Tamil, fighting the imposition of other language(s), achieving a casteless society, fostering humanism and communal harmony, adhering to rational principles, eradicating poverty through non-violent means, achieving state autonomy and a genuinely federal structure — that is how Karunanidhi has summed up the core principles of his party.

The sudden provocation for his three-page exposition was the ‘‘misinterpretation’’ of his comments at a news conference the previous day, he said. He had only noted that anything not acceptable on a rational perspective, anything that could encourage caste or religious divisions or that sought to deny humanism or human rights would be antithetical to the DMK’s philosophy, even if one were to call such principles Dravidatva, but the comments had been misunderstood by some New Delhi-based newspapers, Karunanidhi said in his statement. Of course some newspapers had made it look as if he was positing Dravidatva against Hindutva, in the context of the Prime Minister’s musings, whereas he did not do any such thing.

But it is quite interesting that Karunanidhi chose to give such an anaemic presentation. There is nothing that should scare or put off anyone in the principles he has delineated. It is a typical Congress-speak, all things to all men, and all women.