BJP'S BID TO EXPLOIT PONTIFF'S ARREST A FLOP IN

UNCLAS E F T O SECTION 01 OF 02 CHENNAI 001470

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
NOFORN

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM SOCI IN
SUBJECT: BJP'S BID TO EXPLOIT PONTIFF'S ARREST A FLOP IN
TAMIL NADU

REF: CHENNAI 1418


1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Although the BJP and Viswa Hindu
Parishad (VHP) shouted themselves hoarse about the arrest
of Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswathi, their protests have
fallen on deaf ears in Tamil Nadu. A call for a bundh
(strike) failed, no non-Brahmin parties joined the
protests, and even Tamil Brahmins are not up in arms. This
poorly conceived maneuver is isolating the BJP from the
local parties and is highlighting the lack of resonance in
the South of BJP-style Hindutva. END SUMMARY.

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BJP BUNDH IN TN: FULL OF SOUND AND FURY, SIGNIFYING NOTHING
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2. (SBU) Following the arrest of Shankaracharya Jayendra
Saraswathi on November 11 for conspiracy to murder
(reftel),the BJP and VHP organized a series of protests to
capitalize on alleged public anger. However, the
demonstrations gained little to no traction in Tamil Nadu.
The latest, a nationwide "bundh" or general strike, led to
isolated incidents of stone throwing in Tamil Nadu, but
otherwise failed to disrupt daily life. Business in
Chennai continued as usual.

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DMK QUESTIONS THE MOTIVES FOR THE ARREST
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3. (SBU/NF) After an earlier intense campaign for the
Shankaracharya's arrest, DMK President M.K. Karunanidhi has
now attributed "political and personal motives" to the
chief minister's decision to arrest the pontiff.
Karunanidhi congratulated the police for their success and
termed the arrest "an honest act, he said, "As far as
Jayalalithaa is concerned, there is a background of
vindictiveness." According to G.C. Shekar (protect),a
senior Chennai-based journalist, Karunanidhi may be
receiving inside information on the investigation from the
principal investigating officer, Superintendent of Police
Shaktivelu. "Karunanidhi might have heard from
(Shaktivelu) that the evidence linking the Shankaracharya
to the murders is not firm. So he might have wanted to
have a political escape route for himself," Shekar
speculated. Other press reports hypothesized that
Karunanidhi was attempting to back off from a cause that
was directly benefiting his political rival.

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OTHER LOCAL PARTIES KEEPING QUIET
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4. (SBU/NF) Rather than using the Shankaracharya issue
to further their own political agendas, the majority of the
local parties in Tamil Nadu have remained silent about the
arrest. Neither the MDMK, the PMK, the Congress Party, nor
the Dalit Panthers have spoken out against the arrest or
joined the VHP's protests. According to R.K. Radhakrishnan
(protect),a senior correspondent for The Hindu, "Except
the Brahmins, nobody is bothered (by the arrest)." Less
than 3% of Tamil Nadu's population is Brahmin, and the
other parties do not readily take up Brahmin causes.

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TAMIL BRAHMINS UPSET, BUT NOT TAKING IT TO THE STREETS
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5. (SBU/NF) Tamil Brahmins are shocked and upset by the
Shankaracharya's arrest, but are not participating in great
numbers in the BJP/VHP protests. According to
Radhakrishnan, the Brahmin community is instead "engaged in
their highest form of protest: writing letters to the
editor of The Hindu." More than anger at the arrest
itself, the prevailing feeling amongst Tamil Brahmins seems
to be resentment over the post-arrest treatment of the
pontiff. "Ninety percent of the Brahmins feel the
Shankaracharya should have been treated more respectfully
by putting him up in a guest house instead of in jail,"
Shekar said.

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CM STICKS TO HER GUNS: "I HAVE EVIDENCE OF HIS INVOLVEMENT"
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6. (SBU) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa was not
cowed by the BJP's threat of strikes and disturbances. On
November 17, she told the state assembly that she had
"shocking, firm evidence of (the Shankaracharya's)
involvement" in the murder. "Some may question the
propriety of the arrest of an influential religious head.
The government does not expect bouquets for arresting him,
nor does it fear brickbats for not arresting him. The
government headed by me has taken the action under the
principle that all are equal before the law," she added.

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AFTER BUNDH FAILURE, ADVANI SOFTENS BJP MESSAGE
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7. (SBU) Acknowledging the bundh's flop in Tamil Nadu, BJP
President L.K. Advani warned the state government not to be
misled by the people's silence. He said that a large cross
section was deeply anguished by the manner in which the
Shankaracharya was arrested and treated. However, he
stopped short of attacking Jayalalithaa personally. The
police had asked the courts for an additional two days'
police custody of the Shakaracharya for further
investigation. However, the Kanchipuram court refused to
extend the Shankaracharya's police custody, so that his
status moved to that of judicial custody. (The effect is
to spare him further direct, "private" police
interrogation.) Advani used this ruling as an excuse to
call off the bundh.

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FAILED PROTESTS ISOLATE BJP FROM DRAVIDIAN PARTIES
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8. (SBU) COMMENT: By organizing protests in Tamil Nadu, the
BJP has pushed the local Dravidian parties away at a time
when it should be courting them. Instead of wooing either
the AIADMK or DMK in anticipation of the 2006 state
elections, the BJP is irritating both parties by trying to
rouse sentiment where there is none. In addition, the BJP
seems unaware that it is viewed as a Brahmin party in a
state that is 97% non-Brahmin. Even the non-BJP political
leaders who joined the protest, such as Sumbrahmanian Swamy
(Janata Party) and former President Venkataraman, are
widely regarded as elite Brahmin leaders. Absent an
external threat, Hindutva is a difficult sell in Tamil
Nadu. Unless threatened by a force inimical to all Hindus,
Tamilians tend to identify themselves on caste or
linguistic bases, and tend to view the BJP's message as
Brahmanical and suspect. END COMMENT.
HAYNES