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Ashwin Mahesh

The Tamil Twist

The word is that Veerappan has appointed himself the newest deity of a hitherto unmarginalised section of our society -- the Karnataka Tamils. We are told that Kannadiga domineering will no longer pass muster and that the eminent forest brigand shall stand watch over the heartless masters in Bangalore who are viciously ostracising their native-born Tamilian brothers in the name of language and culture. Statues of Thiruvalluvar shall henceforth grace every potential hotspot in Bangalore.

In India's most cosmopolitan city, one would never imagine that language -- a millennia old language at that -- would be the divide de jour. But it is and in being so, has now brought us to times when a mercenary smuggler figures he will hold himself up as the saviour of his brethren, whoever they may be. Since he appears, by his demands, to speak in the name of the "large Tamil minority" in southern Karnataka, it is apt that one of his alleged beneficiaries should share in his newfound concern. To make things easier for those who find this new twist a bit perplexing, the following shortlist should help find cause where you may.

* The last thing we need is a saviour to extricate us from the clutches of prosperity and progress. True, Tamil Karnatakans are often low-wage labourers in Bangalore's various small-time markets. They drive trucks, wash clothes, work in factories along the industrialised strips towards Hosur and so on and so forth. But the old adage about middle-income jobs not being open to Tamilians, true or not then, is not relevant anymore. Increasingly, today's Bangalore Tamilian is a software professional and couldn't very much care for the government job that once seemed "lost" to him. If anything, smugglers peddling equal rights are wont to trample on those opportunities we are now able to grasp readily.

* But let us say you disagree. If you are even the least bit inclined to nod assent to Veerappan's demands, take a step back and ask yourself if this is the sort of representative your voice merits. The man's reputation for mindless violence, habitual criminal behaviour and ruthless excesses in his "profession" cannot be easily overlooked. This is not one among us and as much as his mushy Robin Hood masalas might play amongst illiterate jungle dwellers who have never seen a government programme they didn't hate, it is total hogwash in largely urban southeastern Karnataka. If he has got a grouse, it is not ours.

I admit a certain separateness amongst Bangalore's various populations, even those who live in mixed neighborhoods. Many of us, I will bet, had never heard of Rajakumar until the profiteer took him hostage and if he is a matinee idol par excellence, why, that must surely have passed us by. Whereas Rajnikanth and Kamal Hassan continued to do the rounds amongst family video gatherings long after the move from Tamil Nadu had been completed. And yes, the odd DMK politician campaigning in the state with slogans to "we shall usurp Hegde's throne" aren't exactly claiming to take Tamil voices to the Vidhan Soudha in the spirit of inclusion.

But there is a world of difference between the political tugs-of-war that are bound to range amongst any diverse population and the machinations of a criminal. Karnataka is an incredibly diverse place and the linguistic basis on which most southern states are founded, if applied rigorously to Karnataka, would dismember the state. Amidst half-way decent climate and growing opportunities, millions of outsides, notably Tamilians and Keralites, have come to live there. Coupled with the Coorgis, Konkans, Marathis, remnants of the old Nawab regions, the beaches in the far north leaning towards Goa and many other inflections on homogeneity, there is a lot to go around in political squabbling.

But let us not mistake what we are seeing now for any of that. In the city's upmarket colleges, in its glitzy software houses and growing traditional business centers, Tamilians are as much a part of the landscape as any other identifiable group. The majority of those folks don't just live there for work either, their children attend Karnataka schools and learn Kannada folklore, the Kannada language and sundry other things, and if you wait a generation or two, they will develop an overdose of Kannada pride!! That is India and that is what territorial integrity and the right to live anywhere should mean.

If that diversity is exemplified in one corner of the country, it behooves us to preserve the naturally forward-looking enterprise it has fostered around those parts. Whether Tamil Nadu farmers need more water is ultimately a legal matter devoid of our particular sentiments and to be objectively judged by the courts. Whether Tamil needs better status within the state is representative politics, to be fought at the ballot box. Whether reservation for Kannadigas can exclude native-born ethnic Tamilians is a legal matter too and more likely than not will be struck down by the courts.

Politicians who do not possess the patience to resolve these social issues in a civilised manner will attempt to benefit from bringing those tussles on to the streets. But the interests they claim to represent have never had much sympathy amongst Tamil families that actually live in town. If you had to choose between increasing opportunities with growing affluence on the one hand and the spectre of looting and arson targeting you on the other hand, you would make the call in no time. We certainly don't need champions for non-issues. Tamils in Karnataka are doing just fine, thank you, and the sooner politicians leave well enough alone, the better we can get on with the economic goals we're all pursuing.

The shenanigans of the political machinery are hard enough to fend off. To imagine that the self-appointed representation of a notorious criminal will inspire anything worth preserving is stupidity at best, and disgusting. Sure, he has us in a spot, with his hostages being rather prominent folks. But the only meaningful response a civilized society can make is this -- return the hostages unharmed and you will get a fair trial. Harm them, and you're toast. If Chief Minister Krishna can make that stick, he will have done a lot more for any of the alleged Tamil "causes" that the criminal Veerappan now professes to represent.

Ashwin Mahesh