Echoing the “anti-Hindutva” stand integral to the INDIA, or the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance, Tamil Nadu’s Thol Thirumavalavan was one of the most vocal as he explained the direction of the newly formed unit of opposition parties for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
‘Thiruma’, as he is known by his supporters, is the president of the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) – a party that garnered a 1 percent vote share in the 2021 assembly elections in Tamil Nadu, a state with approximately 18 to 20 percent population belonging to scheduled castes.
Chennai-based political analyst Sumanth C Raman said the VCK’s contribution to the INDIA for Dalit representation is insignificant, as Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge is already seen as the face of the community. The party is simply being seen as a “sidekick” to the DMK.
“There is also an attempt by some groups in the DMK to jettison him, as a lot of the intermediate castes do not vote for the DMK due to the alliance with the VCK. The Vanniyar lobby in the DMK is unhappy with Thirumavalavan and there is pressure on some leaders to align with the PMK (Pattali Makkal Katchi). But (MK) Stalin has a soft corner for him as he has stood by the DMK through thick and thin. They are joined at the hip, and the VCK is used to saying things that the DMK cannot say openly,” Raman said.
While the DMK has projected a relatively moderate approach towards Hindu majoritarian politics, Thirumavalavan and VCK have taken a more aggressive and assertive stance in countering it, calling themselves “anti-Hindu” and “anti-BJP”.
Rejected father’s ‘Hindu-tainted’ name
It is a rare occurrence when a son renames his father as part of his ideology. Thirumavalavan did so to his father, whose birth name was Ramasamy. In line with his Ambedkarite and Dravidian philosophies, while rejecting all Hindu-tainted names in one of the VCK conclaves, he decided to give his father the name Tholkappiar after the author of Tholkappiam, the oldest extant book on Tamil literature.
The VCK chief uses ‘Thol’ as a short form before his name to make a statement. Thirumavalavan’s foundation has been against the increased oppression of Dalits and middle castes, with the dominant Brahmin population being the oppressor. He and his party have projected themselves as the face of “anti-Hindutva politics” in Tamil Nadu and, now, as a platform against the BJP-RSS. It should, however, be noted that he once entered into an alliance with the AIADMK after J Jayalalithaa walked out of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
Thirumavalavan, who holds a doctorate, has been at loggerheads with BJP and Hindutva outfits stating that they were forcing ‘Sanatana Dharma’ onto people, while campaigning against Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well. “The VCK and DMK are an alliance based on ideology. They are one of our staunchest and strongest allies. We have been opposing the ideology of the BJP even before 2019. This alliance is based on that and continues to be so; his ideology perfectly matches ours. Anybody who is anti-BJP in their ideology and supporting our party’s ideology is on board with us,” DMK spokesperson Saravanan Annadurai told News18.
‘Anti-Hindu’ stand recent development
A video clip of a speech by Thirumavalavan, seeking 100 percent voting by Muslims and Christians in the 2024 polls, had recently gone viral. In his speech, he argued that the two communities were in “danger”. In the clip, he is heard saying the BJP government was moving to incorporate “Sanatana Dharma, Varnashrama Dharma and Manu Dharma” into their new governing system while urging “Muslims and Christians, including those living outside Tamil Nadu or India, to return in time for the Lok Sabha polls and vote to remove Modi from power”.
“Thirumavalavan’s strident anti-Hindu stand is a recent development. It has emerged since the rise of Modi and the aggressive attempt by Hindutva forces to gain a foothold in Tamil Nadu,” said KN Arun, a political analyst from Chennai.
Annadurai called Thirumavalavan a “man with purpose”. “His ideas are clear; he has a definitive view of things and has never been afraid of expressing his views and is an influential leader in Tamil Nadu. His speeches are widely followed across the state, and he leaves a mark in the hearts and minds of people,” the DMK spokesperson added.
At a meeting in Trichy, the VCK president had urged Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin to bring “anti-BJP forces” under one banner. “The number of anti-BJP forces is high across the country, but there is a need to bring them on one platform. We urge CM Stalin to tour across the country and unite anti-BJP forces,” he had said.
A journey in political alliances
Known for his fiery and passionate speeches, Thirumavalavan finds support among a section of the Dalit community in northern Tamil Nadu. “His contribution in terms of numbers may not be much to the new opposition alliance as his influence is restricted merely to northern pockets of Tamil Nadu. In the 2024 polls, the DMK has the potential of ensuring that the INDIA gets at least 30 seats from Tamil Nadu. In that, the VCK can play an important role in at least five constituencies in the northern part of the state where it has a Dalit base. In the marginal constituencies, he can make a huge difference,” Arun said.
Born on August 17, 1962, at Ariyalur village in Tamil Nadu’s Perambalur district, Thirumavalavan entered politics at the age of 18. Under the guidance of M Malalchami of the Dalit Panthers Iyakkam (DPI), he took over as its head in 1989.
The DPI was later renamed VCK and, having worked on the ideology that launching itself politically was not on the agenda, the party later decided to collaborate with K Moopanar, who left the Congress to launch Tamil Maanila Congress in 1999. When Jayalalithaa pulled out of the NDA, the DMK went towards it and the TMC refused to join them; hence, the alliance broke over the tie-up with the BJP.
In this election, the TMC tried going independent and brought Thirumavalavan into mainstream politics by taking his party, then known as the DPI, as an ally. This was the first time that the VCK leader, who was in the fringes up until now, was mentioned. He was later elected to the state legislative assembly in 2001 for the first time.
In the 2004 Lok Sabha elections, Thirumavalavan contested from the Chidambaram seat but on the JD(U) alliance ticket and won by a wafer-thin margin. A couple of years later, the VCK aligned with the AIADMK and managed two assembly seats – Chengam (SC) and Harur.
He forged another alliance with the DMK in 2009 and became an MP from Chidambaram. He chose to maintain his autonomy and refused to use the election symbol of the DMK, the ‘rising sun’. He wanted to set a new precedent in the state’s political landscape and won with the symbol of the ‘pot’ forced upon by the Election Commission of India.
A decade later in 2019, as part of the DMK-led Social Progressive Alliance, Thirumavalavan achieved a remarkable victory by reclaiming the Chidambaram seat and was elected as the MP. The VCK won two seats in that election. At present, the party has four MLAs in the state legislature and two MPs in the Lok Sabha, as part of its alliance with the DMK.
The VCK has even stepped up its image to project itself at a national level. It has branched out to Telangana, Karnataka and Kerala to establish a more national presence, as explained by political experts. Though the party is mainly confined to Tamil voters in these states, they have also tried to rope in the Tamil-speaking community from states like Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.
Throughout its journey, the VCK has actively been part of a multitude of protests – from championing Dalit rights and seeking reservation to opposing the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) or the highly emotive issue of advocating for Tamil Nadu’s share of the Cauvery river water.
An opportunist?
During his public addresses, Thirumavalavan often reiterates that not only is he married to society but has also made it his life’s mission to fight Brahminical influence and discrimination against Dalits. He has actively protested against the ideology espoused by the Manusmriti (Laws of Manu) and has been seen distributing the Tamil translation of these booklets to “expose and make people aware” of its casteist approach.
“Thirumavalavan is an anti-Hindu personality from Day 1 as he has been attacking Sanatana Dharma. He has been trying to mislead the public about Manusmriti. He claims it is a book written by Hindutva saints. In fact, I have challenged him that the book that was burnt by him was written by Sir William Jones, an Englishman, and Wendy Doniger, an American. VCK’s Ravikumar and Thirumavalavan accepted this as well,” said BJP spokesperson Thirupathy Narayanan, while stressing that the leader’s effort has only been to fool the public for political purposes.
“Is untouchability only in Hinduism? He was in Delhi where he protested against the church against untouchability, so why only target Hinduism and Tamil Nadu? He is using his caste to support his party,” Narayanan added.
Narayanan further said the VCK leader has aligned with the Congress now when it is convenient for him. He had earlier vowed not to go with the party that has allegedly killed more than 1.5 lakh Sri Lankan Tamils. He is an opportunist, the BJP leader added.
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