Tamil Nadu: VCK Distributes Manu Smriti, Takes on RSS in Ideological Battle

The Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) is taking on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in an ideological battle in Tamil Nadu. The VCK has started distributing one lakh copies of Manu Smriti: What it speaks about Women and Shudras on November 6 to ‘expose’ the ideology of the RSS. The booklet has selected portions from the text on women and non-brahmins.

The party selected November 6 to start the distribution of the books as it was the day when RSS obtained permission to conduct its route march across the state. 

The VCK has been demanding a ban on Manu Smriti; the first such protest erupted in 2020. The party claimed that women are subject to atrocities based on the script, while the caste structure prevails in the society based on the ‘Varnas’ prescribed in the text.

The party has accused governor R N Ravi of acting as an RSS man after his recent statements and speech praising ‘Sanatana Dharma’ and Vedas. The VCK has planned a political and ideological battle against the right-wing forces when the BJP and RSS are striving hard to strengthen their presence in the state.  

‘EXPOSING SANGH AGENDA’

The distribution of the 32-page book was initiated by Thol Thirumavalavan, the founder and president of VCK in Chennai on November 6. Thirumavalavan has written an introduction for the book, explaining the historical background of the Manu Smriti and the RSS agenda. 

“We wanted to counter and expose the RSS through the ideological and political battle on the same day when the RSS wanted to hold the route march”, said Vanni Arasu, deputy general secretary of VCK, while speaking to NewsClick.

The Madras High Court had granted permission for the RSS route march on November 6. The right-wing outfit cancelled the march and decided to approach the Supreme Court to appeal against the conditions imposed by the high court. 

“We decided to take the portions from the Manu Smriti which talk about how women and shudras should be treated. This is the ideology the RSS wants to implement in the country; so, we decided to explain this to the people,” Vanni Arasu said.

In 2020, the VCK had held protests demanding a ban on Manu Smriti to bring an end to the atrocities against women. Thirumavalavan, in a conference held in September 2020, blamed the Sananta Dharman for being the prime reason for the struggles faced by women. 

“We will continue to expose the Manu Smriti and carry out this as propaganda to create awareness among the public”, Vanni Arasu explained. 

‘RSS AGAINST HARMONY’

The VCK has been accusing the RSS and right-wing forces of dividing the society and creating communal tensions in the state. The party had time and again alleged that the RSS wants to enforce the Manu Smriti in the country despite the Constitution in place. 

“Across the country, the RSS and other right-wing forces are against the development of women and the shudras. Many parties have their own manifesto, but we believe that the RSS’s manifesto is Manu Smriti”, Vanni Arasu claimed.

“The affidavit filed by Yashwant Shinde is only the tip of an iceberg. Such an organisation getting strengthened in Tamil Nadu is horrible. We know the history of RSS which has been banned multiple times,” he added. 

The RSS wanted to conduct the route march on October 2, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, for which permission was denied. To oppose the RSS move, 30 political parties and organisations announced a human chain across the state.  

“How can Gandhi’s killers hold a march on October 2?” asked Vanni Arasu. “With a call to protect the communal harmony and defeat the RSS agenda, the left parties, VCK, Congress and Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) called for a human chain”, he added. 

Citing the denial of permission to the RSS march, the police denied permission for the human chain as well on October 2. Later, the parties organised the movement on October 11 which saw massive participation from different sections of society. 

AGAINST GOVERNOR 

Governor R N Ravi had stirred controversy with his comments on Sanatan Dharma, and policies of the union government including the national education policy (NEP) and National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET). 

“It seems that the governor is an RSS man. He was sworn in based on the Constitution but is propagating Sanatan Dharma and Vedas. He is acting against the Constitution and is not fit to continue in office”, Vanni Arasu.

The BJP has claimed that the recent version of Manu Smriti contains a lot of additions and deletions for political gains. But the VCK has decided to take on the right wing with political determination.