Bhagavat Gita

D.M.K Party Spremo Dr. Kalaigar Karunanidi is under siege for belittling Bhagavat GitaThe issue erupted into a full blown controversy when Ram Gopalan, the Tamil Nadu State Organiser of Hindu Progressive Body(HPB) presented a copy of Bhagavat Gita to Dr.Karunanidi expecting him to read and change his agnostic principles taught to him by his mentor Periyar E.V.Ramasamy.In return Dr.Karunanidi presented to Ram Gopalan a critical study written by Veeramani (another disciple of Periyar E.V. Ramasamy) entitled The Other Side of Gita which contains damaging criticism of the reverent epic.In Vellur, Karunanidi's effigy was torched and in a large gathering agitating and condemning Karunanidi, Ram Gopalan spoke and touched on the question of the rise in the population of Muslims in India. He suggested that the trend should be checked and advised the Govt to enact a law forfeiting the voting rights of people who have more than two children. He said the so called POTA should be reinforced rather than revoked.Mr. Kaudaman who is the Director of the Centre for Vedic Research in Chennai has lodged a police compliant on Karunanidi, with Commissioner of Police Mr Natarajan demanding court proceedings against the D. M. K. leader for ridiculing and insulting the incarnation of Lord Krishna and the Hindu holy book Gita.Dr.Karunanidi's( D.K.K) Response:In the opinion of Karunanidi, the Dravidians should give importance and priority to KURAL ( an illustrious 2000 year old magnum opus of highly ethical teachings written by Valluvan a great Tamil sage) not to Gita because according to the octogenarian leader D.K.K., Kural teaches equality and dignity of humanity but Gita enshrines and preserves the so called god created division of humanity into castes.DKK further goes on stating that according to Gita, it is considered praise-worthy for communities to be engaged in occupations assigned to them on the caste ladder. On the other hand Kural loudly declares that by physical and mental characteristics humans may vary in their make-up but it emphasizes that humanity should never ever be compartmentalised based on castes.By a selfish motivation and hypocritical convention, DKK argues,Gita may be a great epic, but it has absolutely no place in the hearts and minds of the ancient Tamil culture whose concepts of unity of humanity is far more refined, advanced and highly admirable.DKK continues, in his own words:"I do not say that Gita should not exist but I am highly in favour of my beloved Dravidian people taking the KURAL as their life's guiding philosophy. Does it bring loss to Ram Gopalan or anybody else if I say I prefer to follow the teachings of Kural and advise my people to do the same? Why does the Hindu Progressive Body leaders vent their anger at me. Let them read and appreciate what they want to but let them not prevent me from cultivating what I want to. Has anybody read Dr. Ambetkar's views on Bhagavat Gita? I have simply amplified only some of the views of the Indian nation builder.My effigy is torched because of my stand on the reading of Gita. This is sheer politicking of a pure non-political issue of literary criticism. I will never give up my time honored and well cherished principles of human dignity taught by my Dravidian concept of life disregarding whether my own colleagues defend me on this issue or defect me. I am ready to walk alone and will never recede, neither surrender to the forces of politically created racial discrimination"Report by P.V.Kodimeeran,Nungambakkam, Chennai. PS: On 17th September Mr. Ila Ganesan the BJP Chief of Tamil Nadu State answered the controversy stating that he gives equal appreciation for both Bhagvat Gita and the Kural the Tamil Scripture (by email - name and address supplied)