BJP in Tamil Nadu

It is a matter of concern to the people of Tamil Nadu who want a clean government that while the rest of India went with BJP, our state gave a mandate to a party which is dynastic, perceived as corrupt and self-serving whose leaders loot the resources of the state (and the country given a chance). It is not that people are enamoured of the Dravidian parties but do not see a viable alternative. But of BJP has to make a reasonable headway in this state, it needs to reinvent itself and address the basic problems which have prevented it from making its mark here.

Main Problems:
1. BJP is seen as an anti-Tamil party and very likely to impose Hindi on the state.
2. BJP is perceived as a pro-Hindu party and therefore anti-minority. There is a big Muslim population in the state and increasing Christian population on the southern parts. Though so far there has been no big communal disturbances, one can see increasing radicalisation and polarisation using BJP as a threat.
3. BJP comes through as a pro-Brahmin, anti-reservation party by the locals and in their blind and often self-defeating Brahmin hatred fanned by all the Dravidian parties without exception, it is very difficult for BJP to get a foothold unless this image is countered.
4. BJP has no grassroot level workers nor leaders who are acceptable to the local population or charismatic enough in their own right.
5. BJP has no TV channel of its own in Tamil Nadu unlike state-level parties which indulge in mud-slinging and slanted news coverage using their captive channels.
6. All the schemes that the current central government is trying to do carry Hindi names which do not strike a chord with Tamilians. Also the negative propaganda about Aadhar linkage, demonetisation and GST implementation is not being countered by the local BJP in a way that common people can understand.

Possible solutions:
1. Develop state level leaders from high profile Tamilian (preferably non-Brahmin) bureaucrats and professionals with impeccable integrity and national spirit.
2. Develop a proper Tamil name for BJP (like Indhiya Makkal Iyakkam or some such).
3. Enlist the support of neutral media houses and request them to report about BJP and the central government initiatives fairly to counter the negative propaganda indulged in by politically slanted media.
4. Establish a media and social media presence in Tamil language to counter anti-BJP propaganda.
5. Coin Tamil and English terms for various national level initiatives like Swatch Bharat and popularise them through media and social media in Tamil and English.
6. Gradually promote the Tamil arm of RSS (with a suitable Tamil name of course) to act as the grassroot core of BJP and a volunteer force.
7. Take a few actions of headline importance. For example, announcing a target date for Vande Bharat trains to replace Chennai-Kovai and Chennai-Bengaluru-Mysuru Shathapdi trains can give an impression that the government cares about this part of the country too.
8. Initiate a few central projects to improve people's daily life while making sure that they will not cause unnecessary controversies. Remember that the opposition here is waiting to scuttle them regardless of the good that they will bring about. Bullet trains and 8-lane highways are seen as projects for the elite.
9. All Dravidian parties are seen as corrupt and aligning with them is not a good idea at all. Most people vote for Dravidian parties because they are unable to see any viable alternative. Congress party has been unable to provide an alternative as their leaders are suspect too.

Unless some of these or other suitable steps are taken, anti-national forces will gain ground here.

MK Stalin thought that Rahul's congress will score a big win and with his local DMK successes he will have a major say in the government at the centre and derive its benefits as usual. He is now frustrated that his winning the Central election in a big way is not going to help. Unable to withstand remaining in limbo for the next few years, he is attempting to bring down the present state government (not that they are doing a fantastic job in handling our problems like water crisis). He has also started making seditious statements in public speeches like having a separate Dravidian homeland (if the other states approve of course, which I hope they are not foolish enough to attempt). more