DMK ally VCK and Indian National League, a Muslim party, have called for banning and cutting janeu. As a “counter” to TN BJP president K Annamalai’s statement that if BJP comes to power in TN wearing hijab inside educational institutions will be banned. Reacting to this DMK’s ally VCK’s Vanniarasu tweeted that wearing janeu will be banned in TN.

The hijab issue in Karnataka has reached TN as well with Dravidianists supporting the Muslim girls who want to wear hijab inside educational institutions. Despite claiming to follow the “women’s rights activist” Periyar aka EV Ramasamy, Dravidianists have been campaigning for allowing hijab inside educational institutions and ridiculously blaming Brahmins for the issue. Cartoons depicting a Brahmana pulling at the hijab of a Muslim women were shared by many “Dravidian stock” accounts and one even equated it with Draupadi being disrobed by Dushashana.

DMK ally wants to ban janeu

Meanwhile K Annamalai, president of TN BJP, had said that whichever faith students belong to they should follow the uniform code in educational institutions. He also said that wearing hijab in educational institutions will be banned if BJP comes to power in TN. Reacting to this DMK’s ally Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi’s Deputy General Secretary, Vanniarasu had tweeted, “There will be a time when VCK rules TN. At that time wearing janeu will be banned. It is the first and foremost job in destroying Sanatana”.

When Twitter users countered him, he asked “Is janeu a Hindu identity or Brahmin identity? and “If hijab is a religious identity what else is a janeu?”. Many pointed out that even though Brahmins are singled out for wearing janeu, many other castes in TN like Kshatriya Kula Vaniyars, Valluvars, Kammalars, Nadars, Chettiars, Rajus, etc also wear janeu and even conduct janeu changing ceremony on Avani Avittam. References from Sangam Tamil literature were shared to prove that contrary to Dravidianists’ claim that it is an Aryan invention, janeu has existed from the Sangam age.

Muslim party calls for cutting janeu

In the meantime, Indian National League, an offshoot of Indian Union Muslim League has called for a “janeu cutting” protest. In a media statement the party’s state president Abdul Rahim has announced “Let us cut janeus worn by Godse’s descendants in Kanchi Sankara math”. Brahmin organisations have condemned this and lodged a complaint with TN police.

The foundation to this Hindu hate was laid by Periyar aka EV Ramasamy way back. Periyarists proudly claim that those who cut janeus of Brahmins were applauded by Periyar in his magazine Viduthalai. In 2017, Periyarists organised a “protest” on Avani Avittam and made pigs wear janeu. A poor pig lost its life in the process.