Udhayanidhi Stalin row: What is Sanatan Dharma that Tamil minister 'wants to eradicate'?

Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin’s son, Udhayanidhi, is in the eye of the storm after his remarks on Sanatan Dharma – equating it with diseases such as dengue and malaria and asking for its eradication.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has seen red over his remarks with Home Minister Amit Shah and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman voicing their strong opposition to Udhayanidhi’s remarks and accusing the Opposition bloc, INDIA, of spreading “hatred, poison and attacking the country’s culture and tradition’.

The Dravida Munnetra Kazagham, Udhayanidhi’s party, has defended their heir-apparent, saying his statement was “twisted” while several leaders of the INDIA bloc said leaders should refrain from making such comments.

As the row gathers speed and the political war of words escalate, here’s a better understanding of what is Sanatan Dharma and who said what in this ongoing political storm.

Sanatan Dharma explained

To understand the anger over Tamil Nadu sports minister and Chief Minister MK Stalin’s son, Udhayanidhi Stalin, one has to understand what Sanatan Dharma is.

Sanatan dharma is a term that refers to the eternal Truth of Hinduism. The roots of this phrase can be traced back to ancient Sanskrit. Sanatan means “that which is without beginning or end” or “everlasting.”

Dharma, which has no actual direct translation into English, comes from the word Dhri that can roughly be translated to “to hold together or sustain.” Dharma is often interpreted as meaning “natural law.”

Sanatan Dharma as a whole translates into the “natural and eternal way to live.” It is widely considered to be the original term used to describe what is modern-day Hinduism. According to ISKCON, Sanatan Dharma is the duties which take into account the person’s spiritual identity as atman and are thus the same for everyone.

According to Encyclopedia Britannica, Sanatan Dharma consists of virtues such as honesty, refraining from injuring living beings, purity, goodwill, mercy, patience, forbearance, self-restraint, generosity, and asceticism. Religious experts note that following this code allows one to reach moksha, a state of spiritual liberation, self-knowledge and enlightenment.

The teachings of Sanatan Dharma is laid out in holy Vedic scriptures. It is also included in Mahabharata which has 1,10,000 four-line stanzas and Ramayana, consisting of 24,000 couplets. News18 reports that of all the holy books comprising the Vedic scriptures, the sacred text of Bhagavad Gita is considered to contain its most essential revelations.

According to experts, the concept was first spoken by Lord Krishna and registered in the Atharva Veda. The Bhagavad Gita also confirms that Lord Krishna had instructed the Science of Sanatan Dharma millions of years ago to Vivasvan, the demigod of Sun. Krishna also instructed the same to Arjuna, once again in the battlefield of Kurukshetra.

Over the years, many prominent personalities have upheld the belief; Mahatma Gandhi had proudly proclaimed to be a Sanatani Hindu. He had said, “Sanatan Hindu Dharma is not circumscribed like the proverbial frog in the well. It is as broad as the ocean. Thus interpreted, it is the property of all humankind, no matter by what name it is called.”

Swami Vivekananda was also a fierce believer and defender of Sanatan Dharma. According to a report by The Swarajya, he advocated tolerance towards other religions, but held Sanatan Dharma as supreme. He did not advocate tolerance towards abuse of Hinduism.

Former Chief Justice of India SA Bobde has also hailed this belief, saying Sanatan Dharma is timeless and pure. “There is nothing in it against any kind of people. Indeed it originated when there was no other religious thought in this world… It is indeed the oldest.”

Also read: Udhayanidhi Stalin’s call for Hindu genocide does BJP a big favour in Tamil Nadu

Udhayanidhi’s remarks and storm over it

On Saturday, addressing a meet of Tamil Nadu Progressive Writers and Artists Association, Udhayanidhi said Sanatan is against equality and social justice.

The young minister alleged that Sanatan divided people on the basis of caste. He argued that the argued is inherently regressive, dividing people on the basis of caste and gender, and is fundamentally opposed to equality and social justice. He then reportedly equated it with diseases like “dengue, malaria and COVID-19” and called for its eradication.

Shortly after his remarks, Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai accused Udhayanidhi of “calling for genocide of 80 per cent population of Bharat, who follow Sanatan Dharma.

Later, Home Minister Amit Shah accused INDIA bloc, of which DMK is a part of, of “insulting” Sanatan Dharma for vote bank and appeasement politics. BJP president JP Nadda appealed to people to reject the opposition grouping, which is spreading “hatred, poison and attacking the country’s culture and tradition”. The BJP alleged it is clear that “a complete eradication” of Hindu dharma is the “primary agenda” of the Opposition alliance.

Describing the DMK leader’s remarks as “hate speech”, the saffron party urged the Supreme Court to take appropriate action against him.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also took aim at Udhayanidhi and the INDIA bloc, sharing an old video of Tamil Nadu Congress chief KS Alagiri saying that the purpose of the alliance in the state is to destroy Sanatan Dharma.

Sworn by the Constitution of India, Minister @Udhaystalin calls for the eradication of Santana Dharma, “like mosquitoes”. On the dais, listening without protest is TN Minister for Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments @PKSekarbabu.
President @INCTamilNadu says purpose of… pic.twitter.com/ITi7yodx4H

— Nirmala Sitharaman (@nsitharaman) September 3, 2023

However, Udhayanidhi himself has rubbished claims that he called for genocide. Taking to X, he said, “I never called for the genocide of people who are following Sanatan Dharma. Sanatan Dharma is a principle that divides people in the name of caste and religion. Uprooting Sanatan Dharma is upholding humanity and human equality. I stand firmly by every word I have spoken. I spoke on behalf of the oppressed & marginalised, who suffer due to the Sanatan Dharma.”

He further added that he was prepared to confront any challenges, be it in a court of law or the people’s court.

Bring it on. I am ready to face any legal challenge. We will not be cowed down by such usual saffron threats. We, the followers of Periyar, Anna, and Kalaignar, would fight forever to uphold social justice and establish an egalitarian society under the able guidance of our… https://t.co/nSkevWgCdW

— Udhay (@Udhaystalin) September 2, 2023

In the meantime, the Delhi Police has filed a complaint against Udhayanidhi under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the IT Act, citing his statement as “provocative, inciting, and defamatory against Sanatan Dharma”.

But amid all the opposition he has received for his remarks, Udhyanidhi, who is a well-known Tamil film actor and producer and joined active politics ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, has also received support from a few. His father, MK Stalin, in his podcast – Speaking for India – said that the BJP has taken “religion as their weapon" to hide all their flaws. Congress MP Karti Chidambaram also said on X, “Sanathana Dharma is nothing but code for a Caste Hierarchical Society. All those batting for it are hankering for the Good Ole Days! Caste is the Curse of India.”

With inputs from agencies