As Karuna battles for life, row breaks out between atheists and believers

Kalaignar has all along been an atheist, says party leader

While the DMK patriarch M. Karunidhi is battling for life in hospital, an unseemly war on how to express grief and hope has broken out between his followers professing his brand of anti- god rationalism and those who believe in worship.

Dravidar Kazhagam leader K. Veeramani, a close ally of Mr Karunanidhi, issued a statement reminding the DMK cadres that their atheist leader is a nonbeliever and so they must desist from undertaking “distressing rituals” seeking divine intervention to heal him. “Kalaignar is in hospital due to infection and age- related ailments, and is recovering due to proper medical treatment. Using this opportunity the enemies of our rationalist principles could inject their religious superstitions opposed by Kalaignar. We must guard against this”, said Veeramani in the long sermon splashed across the DK’s organ, Viduthalai.

While none from the saffron outfits reacted to the DK chief ’ s attack on the Hindu ‘ superstitions’, the DMK came out with a stinging slap almost telling the rationalist leader to clam up. Former Chennai Mayor Ma. Subramanian, MLA and close aide of the party’s working president M. K. Stalin, said while it was “universally known” that Kalaignar has all along been an atheist in the footsteps of DK founder Periyar, one must allow people to follow their own beliefs and must refrain from finding fault.

Unmindful of the rationalist sermon from DK chief Veeramani, the DMK followers continued their fervent prayers in various forms beseeching God Almighty to send their Kalaignar back home. Such demonstrations of camphor- vermilion piety continued outside the Kauvery Hospital and elsewhere in Tamil Nadu. The chief of DK, the parent organisation of the DMK, Veeramani went on a tirade, “Kalaignar is fighting the germs of disease. Let us not permit the germs of superstition to enter,”

He also listed out a couple of instances of DMK members indulging in Hindu rituals. “It was distressing to see on TV the sight of someone breaking a pumpkin outside the hospital.”

I wanted to come and see Karunanidhi. He is doing well and is stable. He is a tough man like the people of Tamil Nadu. — Rahul Gandhi, Congress president

— PTI Congress president Rahul Gandhi visits ailing DMK president M. Karunanidhi, who continues to remain in the intensive care for the fourth consecutive day, at the Kauvery Hospital in Chennai on Tuesday.