Tamil Nadu Finance Minister PTR Thiaga Rajan has drawn flak for using the word ‘schizophrenic’ against state BJP chief K Annamalai. In a tweet, Thiaga Rajan said, “So… the schizophrenic ‘Kannadiga till I die’, except when ‘100% Tamil’, OR ‘IPS-version’ threat issuer, turns out to be the Fake-News-Dolt-in-Chief?? And his position on Petrol/Diesel in GST is 100% opposite of BJP Govt’s @ Delhi, UP, Gujarat etc. (sic)”
The minister was hinting at comments made by Annamalai when he was an IPS officer in Karnataka about him being a Kannadiga, before later stating that he is 100% Tamil after becoming the state BJP President.
The minister was responding to the BJP chief’s statement that Thiaga Rajan did not attend the GST Council meeting in Lucknow as he was attending a “baby shower function of his sister-in-law”. Several persons have now objected to Thiaga Rajan using the term ‘schizophrenic’.
G Manonmani, a professor of political Science in Chennai, told IANS, “The minister is mocking a psychological condition. It is not a good thing in a civil society.”
Deepaknathan, a social activist, had tweeted, criticising the minister for his choice of words.
Political dissent is core of democracy and politics for which, we as disability activist we don’t have any opposition but using disability and disease and calling some body as schizophrenic is not acceptable. Disability is not deficit, Disability is part of diversity @ptrmadurai
— பேராசிரியர் தீபக்நாதன் , Prof Deepaknathan (@Deepak_TMN) September 22, 2021
I think using psychosocial disability conditions like Schizophrenia as a tool to label political opponent to make a dig can never be appreciated.Learned finance minister’s @ptrmadurai choice of words to indict a political opinion maker by way of using mental illnes is unfortunate
— பேராசிரியர் தீபக்நாதன் , Prof Deepaknathan (@Deepak_TMN) September 22, 2021
Thiaga Rajan, however, retorted saying that he had studied psychology for five years as a graduate student, and no negative connotation was meant by him.
I studied Psychology for ~5 yrs as a grad student. I chose the word w/ my understanding from study. Have you ever heard me say this about any other politician?
Don’t imagine yourself the guardian of mental illness, crusading against negative connotations when none was intended.— Dr P Thiaga Rajan (PTR) (@ptrmadurai) September 22, 2021
Sir,you have stood with people with disabilities on a numerous for which I have appreciated but herein users and survivors of psychiatry are people with disabilities at the lowest rung of the society sir and stereotypes on them is even high now.Btw Am psy epidemiologist from UK
— பேராசிரியர் தீபக்நாதன் , Prof Deepaknathan (@Deepak_TMN) September 22, 2021
R Padmanabhan, Director, Social Economic Development Foundation, a think-tank based out of Salem, told IANS that the term ‘schizophrenia’ should not have been used in this manner. “The state Finance Minister seems to have lost control over the word. It should not have been used to insult anyone,” he said.
Source: The News Minute