RSS stamps its presence in Tiruchy

TIRUCHY: Much to the delight of the BJP functionaries here, who are looking to gain a foothold in the delta districts, considered to be the ‘cradle of the Dravidian and Communist politics in Tamil Nadu’, the RSS on Monday stamped its presence with a route march, the first of its kind in Tiruchy.As many as 142 volunteers took part in the route march, which coincided with Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa’s public meeting in the region. Ignoring regional politics, the leaders of the movement stepped up their attack on the Congress-led government at the Centre, with a vociferous call to fight corruption. RSS south TN propaganda secretary Krishna Muthusamy denied that the RSS had incited the protests by Anna Hazare and Baba Ramdev, while adding that that they would strongly support any movement against corruption.Referring to Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh’s open assertion that the Congress had begun its fight against RSS, he said:”these leaders do not know the history of the Congress, which praised Queen Victoria in its first resolution. Mahatma Gandhi himself had opined that the Congress should be dissolved after Independence.”Even though the RSS has a marginal presence in the southern and western districts, this is the first indication that the movement is working hard to gain a foothold in the delta districts, which were considered to be a stronghold of Dravidian and Left politics.The Communist parties established a strong base in the region after Independence. They had launched powerful movements against ‘feudal landlords’ in the past and they retain a strong base in the rural areas of Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur and Thanjavur districts even now.The region is also known for the rise of hardline Dravidian politics and holds the record for the highest number of public meetings addressed by DK founder Periyar E V Ramasamy. Firebrand Dravidian leaders like Pattukottai Alagiri, who is the role model of the DMK chief M Karunanidi, hail from this region, fondly referred to by senior Dravidian leaders as the ‘backyard of Periyar’.