Chennai: The ongoing sanitation workers’ protest and the midnight arrests of over 300 protesters in Chennai earlier this week has become yet another sticking point within the ruling DMK-led coalition in Tamil Nadu, with allies the Congress, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), CPI, and CPI(M) worried about how it could dent the government’s image.
What began as a sanitation workers’ agitation against the Greater Chennai Corporation’s move to privatise waste management in two zones escalated into a political war of words, bringing focus back to friction between the DMK and its allies.
The sanitation workers’ protests began about 15 days ago, with hundreds of contract workers staging a sit-in outside the Greater Chennai Corporation office demanding full-time employment with the corporation instead of work allocated through private contractors.
Images of sanitation workers being dragged away by the police and detained in different locations across the city sparked an outrage among rights activists and DMK allies.
While VCK leaders openly criticised the Greater Chennai Corporation and Greater Chennai police’s handling of the protest, CPI and CPI(M) announced a protest condemning the DMK government over the midnight arrests.
Speaking to ThePrint, VCK deputy general secretary Vanniyarasu said the way police dealt with protesting workers was unacceptable. “That is not the way the police should act against oppressed people. They should have treated them well and the Chennai corporation should have held talks with the workers to solve it amicably,” Vanniyarasu said.
Similarly, the CPI(M) also condemned the police action and demanded that Chief Minister M.K. Stalin intervene in the matter.
Speaking to ThePrint, CPI(M) state secretary P. Shanmugam criticised the administration’s handling of the situation. “They speak of social justice governance. If the working class, especially Dalits are not included in it, then it is not real social justice governance. The Chief Minister should resolve the issue and make the protesting sanitation workers permanent employees. That’s their demand and it should be resolved,” he said.
While the CPI(M) held a huge protest in Egmore condemning the midnight arrests, CPI’s student wing held a protest near Nandanam college in the city.
Similarly, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president K. Selvaperunthagai also demanded the intervention of the chief minister, but didn’t condemn the arrests. “It is sad that the sanitation workers were removed last night on a court order. Even if the court said so, the police should have approached them with a motherly attitude,” he said in a statement on 14 August.
Although the allies condemned the police action, they stopped short of directly blaming Stalin and DMK
The state government held a cabinet meeting on 14 August to discuss damage control. However, chief among the slew of initiatives they announced was free breakfast, unlikely to pacify those who are demanding permanent jobs.
“Sanitation workers across the state will be provided with breakfast by the concerned local body. It will begin from Chennai and will be extended across the state,” Finance Minister Thangam Thenarasu told the media on 14 August afternoon.
Also read: YouTuber says ‘sanitation workers’ dumped sewage in his home, points finger at TN Congress chief
‘Friction in alliance will reflect among party workers’
Political analysts say the friction among leaders on issues like this would percolate down to the party workers across the state, especially the allies’ cadre. Political analyst N. Sathiya Moorthy told ThePrint that the sanitation workers’ protest is more than a labour issue.
“It is yet another test of the alliance’s social justice claim by the DMK-led state government. It will dampen the image of the DMK and its allies on the ground. More importantly, the allies will be losing their hold on the ground. For instance, VCK’s strong vote is from the Dalits and if they do not speak up for sanitation workers, it will affect them,” he said
He added that repeated public disagreements within the DMK alliance could embolden the BJP and AIADMK to exploit caste and class divisions in upcoming campaigns. Political analyst Raveendran Duraisamy, however, said the situation is more likely to damage the allies than the ruling DMK.
“Although it would damage the reputation of the alliance, the DMK might not lose its traditional vote bank since it is still eight more months before the state goes into assembly election mode. Tamil Nadu voters often decide based on broader Dravidian versus BJP narratives, and that gives Stalin some breathing space,” Duraisamy told ThePrint.
This is not the first time that the DMK and its allies have been at odds. Over the past three years, a series of incidents have tested the alliance.
It all began with the protest in October 2024, when workers of the Samsung plant at Sriperumbudur struck work over wage parity and working conditions. While the CPI(M)’s labour union stood in solidarity with workers, demanding the state government intervene and recognise the union, the DMK government negotiated for a swift resumption of production, putting the demand in abeyance.
VCK also criticised the state government on the lack of worker-friendly reforms, prompting DMK ministers including Industries Minister T.R.B. Raja to step in and mediate between the labour union and Samsung.
Similarly, in May 2024, when the state government organised the Muthamizh Murugan conference in Pazhani in Dindigul district, VCK alleged that Hindus had been given special seats at the conference. He also questioned the government for organising a conference that emboldened what he termed the Hindutva agenda.
Just last month, after a 23-year-old Dalit man in Tirunelveli was killed allegedly by his partner’s brother for being in an inter-caste relationship, VCK, CPI and CPI(M) demanded the DMK-led government bring in a separate law against honour killing. Congress, VCK, CPI, and CPI(M) separately held protests across the state to raise this demand.
Similarly, VCK leaders have repeatedly alleged their cadres were denied permission to hoist party flags in certain villages. One such flashpoint occurred in March 2024 in Cuddalore district, leading to tense stand-offs between VCK workers and the police.
Political analyst P. Sigamani said that these incidents have left behind a simmering resentment within the allies’ party workers. “For now, the sanitation workers issue is in front of the DMK-led alliance. Although DMK allies continue to voice discontent within the safe boundaries of coalition politics, the true cost of this friction will be known only when the elections are closer,” Sigamani told ThePrint.
(Edited by Viny Mishra)
Also read: Trash piles up across Chennai areas as sanitation workers protest privatisation move
