With a brute majority in Parliament, the Bharatiya Janata Party is in a grand hurry to foist its divisive agenda and political tactics across the country. While announcing its new cabinet, the Narendra Modi government declared the home address of Union Minister of State for Fisheries L Murugan as Kongu Nadu, Tamil Nadu -an imaginary land. Sowing the seeds of bifurcation of Tamil Nadu on the basis of caste and regional strength of the BJP in the last two elections, this proposal has stirred the politics of Tamil Nadu. Tamil nationalist party Naam Tamilar Katchi leader Senthamizhan Seeman, in his sharp reaction, has said, “You are playing with fire. Nobody has asked anything like this in Tamil Nadu. If you are going to thrust this down our throats, let it be known that the day is not far when we will seek “bifurcation of India.” Considering the high profile debate on the subject, WSN editor Jagmohan Singh spoke to Seeman to understand the ramifications of the BJP stand.

CATCHING UP WITH NAAM TAMILAR KATCHI LEADER SENTHAMIZHAN SEEMAN, whose party emerged as the third-largest party in the recently concluded Tamil Nadu Assembly polls, brings to fore his firebrand image and his determination to the cause of Tamil nationalism in an unmistakable and unequivocal manner.

The discerning reader can easily see the mischief that is browsing in the dirty-tricks cell of the Bharatiya Janata Party and its ally the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazagham.  The area of Tamil Nadu chosen by the BJP as part of its sinister plan is dominated by Other Backward Classes -OBCs and includes the districts of Nilgiris, Coimbatore, Tirupur, Erode, Karur, Namakkal and Salem, as well as Oddanchatram and Vedasandur in Dindigul district, and Pappireddipatti in Dharmapuri district.  It is from this area that BJP won two seats in the Indian Parliament in alliance with the AIADMK. It is called Kongu Nadu.

Extracts from the Online Interview of Naam Tamilar Katchi chief coordinator Senthamizhan Seeman by WSN editor Jagmohan Singh.

Jagmohan Singh:  Vannakam Anna Seeman! How do you see this controversy over the formation of ‘Kongu Nadu’ by bifurcating Tamil Nadu?
Senthamizhan Seeman:  Vanakkam Jagmohan Singh. Thank you for your interest in Tamil affairs. Let me ask them, “Who are you to divide us? First of all, is India your country? You moved in here. We were born and raised here. What is the root of your lineage? Just because you have a brute majority you will do anything. If you divide Tamil Nadu, we will show you, who we are.”

Jagmohan Singh: How would you counter the government’s move?
Senthamizhan Seeman: We have many real demands which are still unfulfilled. Retrieve Katchatheevu and make it a part of Tamil Nadu.  The state of Tamil Nadu must get its full share of waters from the Cauvery River. Our right to  Get us our share of water from the Cauvery River. Uphold our right on Mullaperiyar.  Immediately stop the Karnataka government from building the Mekedatu dam.

Jagmohan Singh: The BJP government is going all out to foist Hindi on non-Hindi speaking states. What is your response?
Senthamizhan Seeman: The imposition of Hindi will not be tolerated. We are working towards accessing education in our mother tongue -Tamil, which is more ancient than Sanskrit.

Jagmohan Singh: Do you think that the federal relations between the state and Union government have been strained?
Senthamizhan Seeman:  I fully endorse the DMK’s stand to call the government in Delhi as the Union government –Ondriya Arasu rather than Central government –Madhiya Arasu. India constitutionally is a Union of states and if the centre creates disharmony by destroying the federal character of governance, there will be serious consequences.  To begin with, why are the states not being given their share of the GST? Why was there gross discrimination in the allocation of Oxygen and Vaccines to Tamil Nadu?

I fully endorse the DMK’s stand to call the government in Delhi as the Union government –Ondriya Arasu rather than Central government –Madhiya Arasu.

Seeman, Chief Coordinator, Naam Tamilar Katchi

Jagmohan Singh: Has anyone sought such a division as is being talked about now? BJP state general secretary Karu Nagarajan has said that “this is the first stage.”
Senthamizhan Seeman: Nobody has ever asked anything like this. Tamil Nadu has many administrative problems. Fix them first.  The split of several districts for administrative convenience is still a concern. Have we ever asked anyone to divide our state into two? So far most states in India have been demarcated on linguistic lines. If the BJP thinks that this is the first state, the last stage will be pretty serious for the party and the country.

Jagmohan Singh: How do you see this proposed caste-based bifurcation of Tamil Nadu?
Senthamizhan Seeman:  How can one accept a caste-based division?  This is a disastrous political move, which will destroy the social fabric of Tamil Nadu. 

Jagmohan Singh: Would you propose any administrative reform as an alternative?
Senthamizhan Seeman:  Instead of dividing Tamil Nadu into two, create four new capitals -Salem, Madurai, Trichy, and Kanyakumari. Putting it all together in one place -Chennai puts undue pressure on a city. Capitals should be divided and this has been endorsed by Jagan Mohan Reddy and Mamta Banerjee.

Jagmohan Singh: BJP insists that Tamil Nadu will be divided into two. Your call?Senthamizhan Seeman:  Let me show them how to divide. The Indian Union can be divided into 36 countries. This will bring peace, prosperity and progress and also satisfy the aspiration of regional and national identities.

Jagmohan Singh:  Some sections of the BJP have denied this move but in the same breath have talked about the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Kashmir.  BJP leadership also says on the sly, “If we pursue this, nobody can stop us.” What would you say?
Senthamizhan Seeman:  If the BJP is a just government, it should divide India into two, not Tamil Nadu. Divide India into two parts: North India and South India like North Korea and South Korea, East Timor and West Timor; create two parliaments. If the BJP thinks it will come to power if Kongu Nadu is established as a separate state, let them know that even if the Kongu belt is divided into six parts, still they do not have any chance. 

 If the BJP is a just government, it should divide India into two, not Tamil Nadu. Divide India into two parts: North India and South India like North Korea and South Korea, East Timor and West Timor; create two parliaments.

Jagmohan Singh:  What is your view of the fight between Aryan and Tamil heroes?
Senthamizhan Seeman:  The BJP has been advocating that ‘Rama’s Bridge should be declared a national symbol’. You are welcome to do that, but then you need to tell the Tamils, “Why did Rama come here? Why did he build a bridge to Lanka?  They must understand that Ravana is the great king of Tamils. He ruled the Tamil nation -Sri Lanka. Instead of declaring Rama’s bridge as the national symbol of India, it is time to declare Sri Lanka as the Tamil nation.  The moment I tell the harsh truth like this, they turn silent. If they trouble Tamil Nadu again in any move, I will not hesitate in reiterating these facts -loudly and categorically.

Jagmohan Singh:  At the moment there are mixed voices, which is the typical BJP way of initiating such drastic and sinister moves. Should the BJP start a campaign on this, what will your party Naam Tamilar Katchi do?
Senthamizhan Seeman:  If the BJP pursues their nasty dream, then I will start voicing for bifurcation and division of India. I will fight more vehemently than them. I am certain that there are many across the country who will join this campaign once I set the ball rolling.  They are waiting for someone to put the cat among the pigeons. I am confident that once I start, it will gather momentum and become a  mass peoples’ agitation.

Jagmohan Singh: You recently talked about Arunachal Pradesh. Can you elaborate
Senthamizhan Seeman:  It will be interesting to see the Indian Prime Minister and the Bharatiya Janata Party talking about Arunachal Pradesh.  Does Arunachal Pradesh belong to India or China?  Why do Indian parties campaign only on the sidelines of Arunachal Pradesh rather than the northern part of the state?

Jagmohan Singh: What do you think of Kashmir where the government of India is making moves at delimitation to usher in an electoral process?
Senthamizhan Seeman:  The government of India must release all political prisoners of Kashmir. The full statehood of Kashmir must be restored. The aspirations of the people there have been crushed with the large presence of the Indian army there. No political process will succeed without taking into confidence the entire population of the state. 

Jagmohan Singh: What is your message to the new Union Minister of State for Fishers L Murugan, who is at the heart of this controversy and who hails from Tamil Nadu?
Senthamizhan Seeman:  God has given Murugan the opportunity to serve the people of Tamil Nadu and the country. He should ensure that Tamil fisherfolk are not obstructed, harassed and imprisoned by the Sri Lankan army when they go fishing in the Indian Ocean.  The Indo-Sri Lankan Fishing dispute must be resolved, keeping in view the demands of the Tamil fishermen and fisherwomen. 

Jagmohan Singh: What do you want to tell Prime Minister Narendra Modi?
Senthamizhan Seeman:  Shall I initiate the move for bifurcation of India or will you nip in the bud this evil talk of bifurcation of Tamil Nadu?