Tamilians Have A Particular Grievance Against Dharmendra Pradhan

Amidst the rejoicing in Tamil Nadu after the capitulation of the Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and his resignation, the talk about his earlier insults to the Tamilian is flying around like a locust swarm. Quotes and recalls of his deeds and misdeeds are raining …some are not even aware of the why of his resignation. “Ashes flyback into the face of him who scatters them” is the famous Thirukkural quote; any person who does not rein in his speech, stands to regret that which tumbles out. Dharmendra Pradhan an accomplished BJP leader has many credits to his name. As a Petroleum Minister he was known as Modi’s Ujwala man, a reference to his scheme of free LPG cylinders to families below the poverty line. But his continued and vociferous push back of the Tamils when he tried to push through the New Education Policy (NEP) still rankles the state. When DMK MP Kanimozhi and others asked him why this new policy should be adopted, he shot back “Tamilians are uncivilized”, a slur he had to take back. But he hammered the state’s stance insisting that the Tamils are obsessed over language and use language as a political tool to oppose any new programme. Till Tamil Nadu accepts our NEP, we won’t release the education fund. Stalin and his party were enraged by this threat. The curse of the Tamils …is it too far-fetched or is it just an emotional outburst?