In the past decade, politics at the national level has gained a notable trajectory. Amid rapid development, the strong Central government facing regular assault has become a theme of the national politics around which every new arising issue takes shape. While this is definitely a good indication, it has demerits too. At present, all the charges against the Centre are pressed with such fervour by the opposition parties that it almost creates a feeling of uneasiness within many minds that everything is not ok. The apprehensions like the Centre is swallowing the institution, democracy is dead and many other tropes are instigated to create unrest among the masses. While we have been busting the merits of such claims on a regular basis, what is far more important is how those states with non-BJP and strong governments are tested on the touchstone? The condition of West Bengal is well known but goes unseen are the conditions in states like Tamil Nadu.
While the prime opposition parties like the Congress accuse the Centre of being undemocratic and manipulating polls, they failed to address the same issue in Tamil Nadu. In the recently concluded bypoll for Erode Assembly seat, all prominent opposition parties, including the BJP, AIADMK and DMK among others, boycotted the poll alleging that DMK is habitual of exploiting the power to manipulate poll process, disrupting the level playing field.
Ironically, DMK contested this seat with support from its coalition partner Congress, the same grand old party that laments lack of democratic means of elections elsewhere. Nevertheless, the bypoll exposes the Congress supported dictatorial government which is just a tip of the iceberg. The conditions in Tamil Nadu are much worse. The concerns raised by the opposition in the state barely get attention from the national media. At present, the biggest issue in the state are sexual assault against the women and girls along with the drug menace.
Recently, a 17-year-old girl was gangrapped by seven students of a private college in Coimbatore. Following the girl’s complaint, the accused were arrested. BJP leader Annamalai slammed the Stalin government in his X post alleging that even female cops are not safe in the state. Making huge allegations, he further cited drug menace as the reason behind the rising ‘animalistic mentality’ among youth. His criticism was followed by AIADMK chief E Palaniswamy who accused Stalin for abandoning the safety of women.
This comes on a day when AIADMK students’ wing members staged a massive protest in Chennai on Tuesday demanding the ruling DMK dispensation to end the sexual crimes on girl students and women in Tamil Nadu. This was not an isolated incident as recently a senior police official was suspended for sexually harassing a woman constable. The AIADMK spokesperson Kovai Sathiyan even said that the educational institutions in the state were turning into a ‘hub of sexual molestation exploitation.’
Narrating the poor and concerning condition of women safety in the state he revealed that about 69 cases have been registered in the last one month adding that only 40 percent of such inhumane crimes are reported. He also highlighted a chilling case where a school teacher harassed 40 girl students. Meanwhile, AIADMK student wing secretary Singai Ramachandran, who led the protest, claimed that 63 school and college going girl students were molested in the last hundred days.
In Krishnagiri, a 13 year-old girl was sexually assaulted by three school teachers. Almost 10 days ago, a pregnant woman was pushed out of a moving train in Vellore after she resisted a sexual assault attempt. Earlier, Annamalai had quoted NCRB data stating that the state has seen a rise in crime against women by 31 per cent. These incidents paint a gruesome picture of the state which is unfortunately unknown for the larger parts of India. The state is on the path of becoming rape capital of India but it is not limited to that only. The drug culture is also a serious concern that the DMK government has failed to control. In fact, it has been trying to cover it with govt policy publicity and much-hyped Dravidian politics that it exploits to instigate divisive hate among the community to isolate them and keep them in queue behind him.
In December last year, DMDK leader VK Sashikala made allegations against the DMK saying that an average of 20 to 30 murders happen in each district of the state in a month. Sasikala cited the basic reason for these deaths is drug culture adding that this has been an issue across Tamil Nadu. She also cited an incident where a man was hacked to death inside Tirunelveli court premises. Regarding rising drug related cases, a report based on official data showed that seizure of narcotic tablets in Tamil Nadu saw a three-fold rise in 2024 as compared to 2023.
As per official data, 1.42 lakh tablets were seized in 2024 against 39,910 tablets in 2023. Last month, the Anti-Narcotic Intelligence Unit of Greater Chennai Police seized 16 kg of meth worth Rs 22 crore in Vadakarai near RedHills. The later probe led to 10 arrests and busted an entire lab where the incriminating drug was being produced in the capital city.
Now one can argue that drug cases are often found in most states of India. Although the case may be an isolated one, there are many other concerns that pose serious questions on the credibility of the Stalin government. As per a report from September last year, the Enforcement Directorate filed a chargesheet against former DMK member Jaffer Sadiq, his bestie Dravidianist actor-director Ameer, and others in a money laundering case connected to drug activities.
Moreover, in October last year, son of former Tamil Nadu Director General of Police Ravindranath was arrested for possession and pedaling of cocaine. He was arrested with his two accomplices x one of whom was a Nigerian national. The horrible conditions in the state highlight grave failure of law enforcement machinery under MK Stalin’s leadership. On top of that, the question that lingers is why molestation of girl children in schools, sexual harassment of female constable, gangrapes of minor, rising drug abuse cases and involvement of high-profils individuals is not a national discourse?
While the questions are raised on Centre on every big and small issue, which obviously is not wrong in most of the cases, it is unjustified that government like in Tamil Nadu be spared because they are not in Centre. A single rape in other parts of country is taken seriously and voices demanding justice are raised but when it comes to Tamil Nadu, no such big scale demand is solidifying.
The gruesome condition in Tamil Nadu is hard to change until people realise that beyond the Centre, states also need to get scrutinized and they can’t run away with their responsibility because popular discourse is decided by the key issues at the national level. Unless, unified voice seeking accountability is not raised such cases, be it of rape or drug, will not stop as till then the government will feel no obligation and pressure to act.