Dear Amit Shah ji,
Congratulations on spearheading a historical win for the BJP and PM Shri Narendra Modi ji second time in a row. Your vision for BJP and Modi ji’s vision for India have been in sync with the future we Indians envisage ourselves.
As much as this victory gives me hope and joy, it also saddens me to see that my state of Tamil Nadu has been fiercely resisting change and losing out on the massive economic and social development that the rest of the country has been enjoying under your stewardship. Tamil Nadu, once a leading state in all development indices, has been lagging behind in growth and development these last few years due to the myopic leadership offered by the political class that rules the roost here. Political rhetoric that was relevant 40-50 years ago is still being peddled here to fool the gullible public. Caste differences are being kept alive and nurtured with vitriolic hate mongering.
Religious harmony has been dented with minority appeasement and fake narratives about Hindus. Our temples have been vandalized and robbed for years with no respite in sight. Our culture and heritage have been pawned at the doorsteps of liquor shops run by the State Government filling the coffers of the two dominant political parties. Corruption has been normalized and accepted as a fact of life. The state has been losing out to neighbours in bagging industrial projects due to the alarming growth in anti-national and anti-development agenda of certain political parties and other vested interests. Every new industry or infrastructure project is being blockaded to keep TN separate from the national narrative.
Having said all this, it is a fact that the North-South divide has never been addressed adequately by the ruling class of Delhi to bring TN closer to the national mainstream. Despite giving the country two Presidents and several Cabinet Ministers in the past, Tamil Nadu and Tamil people have never been understood by the National parties. Tamilians have been rightfully miffed at being stereotyped as Madrasis who dance to Lungi beats. Tamil, being one of the oldest and original languages of the country, is very different in syntax to Hindi and we genuinely have had trouble learning the tongue that you are so familiar with. The Dravidian parties have only used this divide to their advantage and have made the language chasm deeper by denying many generations of Tamilians the opportunity to learn Hindi. Even educated class has had trouble understanding the PM’s speeches and no efforts were made by the local BJP units to translate or subtitle them for social media consumption.
The TN BJP was in a wonderful position these past 2-3 years to develop the party in Tamil Nadu with both dominant Kazhagams losing their larger-than-life Chiefs. But the party has failed miserably in doing that and has faced a drubbing in these elections. TN BJP needs to be revitalized with energetic leaders who can set an alternative discourse in the political arena to counter the two behemoths. Young leaders like Karnataka’s Tejasvi Surya need to be identified and nurtured to connect with the very educated youth of TN. The state has a history of voting to power charismatic leaders who can shine bright on their own. A leader who has a great command over Tamil, who can connect with the masses and who is an able administrator is the need of the hour for TN BJP. Someone with these capabilities has to be identified and given charge immediately since the present leadership has been an abject failure. Dr Tamilisai is a very nice and capable individual but those qualities don’t make a leader.
I request you to set your sight on TN immediately and put all your energies at work here to bring Dharma to this southern most state of our country from where Lord Rama started his march towards Lanka. The state that gave Acharya Ramanuja, 12 Alwars of Vaishnavism, 63 Nayanmars of Shaivism, Maharishi Ramana, Thiruvalluvar, Mahakavi Bharathi and many many more freedom fighters that served Bharat Mata requires your urgent intervention to restore order and set us on a path of growth. I believe that Shri Narendra Modi ji is the dharma warrior that can save Tamil Nadu’s soul.
I pray to Lord Narayana to let the lotus bloom in my Tamil Nadu. Jai Shri Ram!