Andal is like my mother, I will never disrespect her’

D Govardan | TNN | Jan 18, 2018, 23:44 IST

Tamil writer and film lyricist Vairamuthu finds himself in the thick of a controversy over his reference to Hindu deity Andal as a 'dasi' in an essay he wrote earlier this month. What began as a demand for him to apologise has now snowballed into a larger controversy, with several Hindu religious sects joining in to give it a Hindutva political colour. Amidst the raging controversy, D Govardan of TOI spoke to Vairamuthu: 

How did you land yourself in such a controversy?
Tamil language is over 3,000 years old. I have been researching and recording the contributions of great stalwarts to Tamil literature, from Tholkaappiar to the recent Bharathiyar and Pudhumai Pitthan. I want to present all the works of these stalwarts in one book since the tech savvy millennial generation is not only moving away from Tamil, but also from the habit of reading. So far, I have written about 13 greats from Thiruvalluvar and Kambhar to Vallalar and Bharathiyar. For Naayanmaars, I considered Appar and I chose Andal to represent Alwars.
Andal's Tamil is something that I have lived and breathed for 40 years. I have looked at Andal from the eyes of a society and also a religion and in the context of the period she lived. I have gone far into her Tamil much more than a Vaishnavite. I not only celebrate her Tamil, but also her being the first voice for women's empowerment.
But, wasn't it your essay and narration on Andal that landed you in trouble?
I narrated the essay for about 35-40 minutes and it was well received. I cited several examples from works of others to drive home my appreciation for Andal and what she stood for. In the end, I quoted a research paper, which described Andal as a 'devadasi who lived and died in Srirangam Temple'. The reference was only used as someone who gave herself to god and who was created to serve god. Fearing that the reference itself may be misconstrued in the present day context, I elaborated further stating that devotees may not understand immediately and if they understand the context, they will accept that. My fear came from the use of the word 'dasi'. I only meant it in the rightful meaning and used it only as a passing reference to highlight empowerment of women. My fears came true, when someone misconstrued 'dasi' as 'vesi' and it has come to this. The source has not been questioned nor accepted. If the source is not wrong, how come the reference alone is wrong?
But, only you are under attack?
I did not use the reference even in the minutest extent to denigrate her. Just as my mother breast-fed me, Andal fed me with her Tamil and made me what I am today. How will I denigrate my mother? This is research work and writing and not everyone can understand. If I say that, they will again misunderstand me. I do not know - whether due to political compulsion or for something else, the whole thing has been distorted deliberately.

They are asking you to apologise?

I have expressed regret. The Tamil Writers collectively questioned me for doing that, when what I had spoken is the truth. When that is the case, what more should I do? If I wanted to defame her, will I go and deliver my speech in her birth place. I wanted to appreciate her literary contribution through my Tamil learning. In fact, this is the first time a rationalist has appreciated Andal's work to such a great extent. I have been truthful to my work and I have justice on my side.