A DMK cadre frantically forwarded a video of Periyarist ideologue Muthukumar to the party’s WhatsApp groups in Chengalpattu district, south of Chennai, on Thursday afternoon.
In his video, local influencer Muthukumar explains why he thinks people should oppose the 131st constitutional amendment and the delimitation bill that proposes to increase the size of the Lok Sabha, demarcate seats according to the 2011 census and reserve one-third seats for women.
The Opposition fears the move marginalises states like Tamil Nadu that controlled its population far better than many other parts of India. Union home minister Amit Shah has assured the Lok Sabha that the seats would increase by 50 per cent for
all states.
“It is a complex issue that has happened at a time when all party workers are busy campaigning. To explain something like this, we have to meet voters multiple times. Even so, we managed to spread the word and black flags were flown at many homes here,” said the DMK worker, showing photos to The Telegraph but requesting anonymity.
In a video on Tuesday, Tamil Nadu chief minister M.K. Stalin swore on Ambedkar that the Centre would see the agitational DMK of the 1950s and ‘60s — a time of militant protests here for the state’s autonomy and against the imposition of Hindi — if it went ahead with the legislative changes. Stalin called upon people to hoist black flags
on Thursday.
On Thursday, Stalin burnt a copy of the delimitation bill and dubbed it a “black law”, alleging it seeks to make the Tamil people “refugees” in their own land.
“Poradavom, Velvom ondraga (Let us struggle, win together)” was among the slogans raised by Stalin and others clad in black.
It was, however, hard to find black flags in Chennai, barring a few outside the offices of the DMK and its allies and the residences of ruling party leaders.
Two black flags were tied at the Bethel Tea Stall in the slum of Nakeerar Nagar near DMK’s “Anna Arivalayam” headquarters in Chennai. The stall owner, Esthar U, said he wasn’t sure why the flags were put up but added: “This is a DMK neighbourhood. If the party asks us to put up a flag, it must be for a good reason.”
Local youth Praveen Kumar, who works at a club nearby, said: “These flags are to protest against (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi coming to Chennai.” Praveen said he backs the TVK party of actor Vijay because he crusades against rampant drug peddling here, which Praveen claimed the police turn a blind eye to. “DMK’s protest may be right, but my vote is for change.”
In Chengalpattu’s Vallancheri, an elderly domestic help of former Aligarh Muslim University history professor S. Chandnibi asked her to explain why the DMK had asked them to put up black flags. “She is aware that an unfair law was being brought, but did not know the specifics. I believe that delimitation and even the formation of states should also factor in area rather than merely population. The size of a state or a constituency should be such that its elected representatives should be able to govern it effectively,” Chandnibi said.
When asked for her opinion on women’s reservation in legislatures, K. Malliga, a sanitation worker in Nandhivaram-Guduvancheri municipality, said: “We already have 50 per cent reservation for women in local bodies here. What new thing is Modi offering? For many government schemes like MGNREGA, we don’t get the benefits because officials say the Centre has not released funds. Let Modi do his job on existing schemes first before promising reservation.”