Pa Ranjith Controversy: Complaint Against Director For Comments On Raja Raja Cholan

Bala, the Tanjavur district head of the Hindu Makkal Katchi has filed a complaint with the Kumbakonam superintendent of police against director Pa Ranjith for calling Raja Raja Cholan’s rule a dark period when the lands of Dalits were seized and many forms of caste oppression came in place.

According to a report by Dinakaran, Bala asked for Ranjith’s immediate arrest saying he was a threat to national security. “Director Pa Ranjith has associated caste to Raja Raja Cholan’s regime and humiliated women. He has spoken against our sovereignty, this will instigate caste differences. We ask for his arrest and action against him under the National Security Act.”

Ramdoss’ Pattali Makkal Katchi, AIADMK and BJP in Tamil Nadu reportedly condemned him. BJP’s H Raja said on Twitter that his speech was part of a larger conspiracy to convert Tamil people to Christianity.

“I strongly condemn Pa Ranjith’s speech against Maamannar Raja Raja Cholan. He is the next person after DK Veeramani (Dravida Kazhagam head) to speak in such a way. They all belong to the Joshua conversion camp. Their aim is to make ours a Caldwell land.”

The director has been abused and trolled on social media with clips from the speech going viral, and the tag “#PrayForMentalRanjith” trending on social media since yesterday.

In his speech in Tanjavur, Ranjith had urged Dalits to fight caste oppression and to speak up without any fear. “The biggest inspiration for us should be BR Ambedkar who was never afraid till the end. He stood alone against everyone,” he said.

The director said many people referred to him as ‘jaadi veriyan’, but there was a big difference between caste pride and opposition to caste. The dravidian parties in Tamil Nadu have spoken about caste but have done nothing to better the lives of Dalits, he said. “Can you clear the land of all the mutts and distribute them back to us? Close to 40,000 acres of land is with the mutts. Isn’t land our main problem here? Why can’t you re-distribute it among us? Why hasn’t the Tamil Nadu government done this? This is our land. It has been taken away from us on many occasions and in many different ways.”

He further said that it was absurd that people from different castes were fighting over the caste that Raja Raja Cholan belonged to. “There’s no need for him to be from my caste.” He said, “I would call his rule as the dark period. It is when our land from Thanjavur delta was grabbed by conspiracy. Caste practices and oppression that we follow to this day started during his rule. The devadasi system which sold our women was also started during his period.”

He said the government must understand the state of Dalits and not make their oppression worse, and urged Dalits to read Ambedkar, saying they have nothing to hide anything about their lives. “Everyone has started thinking about their emancipation. There’s no need to hide our lives. If you say a cow is god, then I’m the one who eats that god,” he said.

“Even if a thousand problems come my way, I will stand my ground. I’m trying to be the guide for myself. I follow Ambedkar. I believe there will be a change,” he said.

Social media has hit out against him with threats and abuses calling him ‘Hinduphobic’, and saying that they will boycott his movies hereafter.

Ranjith has directed movies like Kaala, Kabali and Madras, and produced Pariyerum Perumal (2018). His banner Neelam Productions is backing two upcoming films, and he is also currently working on a biopic on the tribal leader Birsa Munda.

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