Ilaiyaraaja faces criticism for comparing PM Modi with Dr BR Ambedkar

Ilaiyaraja, the legendary music composer, is recognised for his modest beginnings. Despite coming from a deprived Dalit caste, his unrivalled skill and unwavering determination propelled him to enormous success not just in the Tamil cinema industry but also in Bollywood. Despite having a large fan base across the country and being adored by everybody for his contribution to Indian film, the music maestro is being chastised for contributing the preface to a book.

In the prologue to a book titled ‘Ambedkar & Modi: Reformer’s Ideas, Performer’s Implementation’, published by Bluekraft Digital Foundation, Ilaiyaraaja alluded to startling parallels between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Dr. BR Ambedkar.

‘The book brings out some striking parallels between the personalities of Dr BR Ambedkar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Both these striking personalities succeeded against odds that people from socially disempowered sections of society face. Both saw poverty and stifling social structures from close quarters and worked to dismantle them. Both dreamt big for India, but both are also practical men who believe in action rather than mere thought exercises’, Ilaiyaraaja wrote in the foreword.

According to the prologue, Dr. Ambedkar would be proud of Prime Minister Modi for adopting pro-women laws like the triple talaq bill, as well as social reform programmes like Beti Bachao Beti Padhao.

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Now, the famed music composer is being chastised for frequently ignoring the Dalit community’s hardships and the beliefs of Dr. BR Ambedkar and legendary Tamil social reformer Thanthai Periyar. He even declared himself a non-Dalit a few years ago, defying his caste background. And now, the artist has sparked yet another debate by equating Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar.

Meanwhile, several political elites were outraged by Ilayaraja’s prologue in the book. TKS Elangovan, a DMK MP, attacked the prologue, claiming that whereas Ambedkar tried to improve the lives of oppressed Dalits, Modi did not. Many internet users were offended by it and chastised the musician for it.