Tamil Or Telugu? MK Stalin, Chandrababu Naidu Lead Battle Over Chess Champ Gukesh’s Heritage

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Tamil Or Telugu? MK Stalin, Chandrababu Naidu Lead Battle Over Chess Champ Gukesh's Heritage

New Delhi:

Gukesh Dommaraju’s historic World Chess Championship win Thursday – the 18-year-old is the world’s youngest ever chess champ – has triggered a battle for credit between Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, with the chief ministers of each state claiming him as their own.

Tamil Nadu’s MK Stalin set the ball rolling.

At 7.25 pm on Thursday the DMK leader posted on X, saying Gukesh’s “remarkable achievement… helps Chennai reaffirm its place as the global Chess Capital by producing yet another champion”.

“Tamil Nadu is proud of you,” Mr Stalin said, sharing a photograph of himself placing a gold medal around the young champion’s neck.

Two minutes later came the tweet from Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu. “Hearty congratulations to our very own Telugu boy…” the TDP boss said.

“The entire nation celebrates your incredible achievement. Wishing you many more triumphs and accolades in the decades to come,” Mr Naidu said and signed off with a headshot of Gukesh.

Who Is Gukesh Dommaraju?

Gukesh Dommaraju is of Telugu heritage, but was born and brought up in Chennai. His parents, reports indicate, are both medical professionals. His interest in chess developed relatively late, but his talent soon became obvious and a young Gukesh, then only eight, became a FIDE-rated player.

X Users Battle Over Gukesh

A battle to claim his origin and ancestry has erupted online – and swiftly devolved into a larger debate on ethnicity and language, much of which is a shared history within the southern states.

Many pointed out the Tamil Nadu has provided significant financial support for the chess star; one X user posted a screenshot of an April news report that said the government had gifted him Rs 75 lakh.

“Gotta appreciate your audacity to even ask this question. This is only one example of what the Tamilnadu government did for gukesh,” the user handle ‘Cyborg’ said with the image.

“Gukesh Dommaraju, a Telugu grandmaster in chess, was backed by the proactive state of Tamil Nadu, which supported his career. Now Telugu states should start replicating what Tamils do to nourish talent…” another user handle, Uravanna, said.

A third user posted a number of tweets defending Tamil Nadu’s claim over Mukesh, one of which read, Gukesh is a Tamilian. Just like i am one. Tamil Nadu’s chess culture, Tamil Nadu’s infra and Tamil Nadu was instrumental in his success. No other state can take credit. Not that it matters. He is an indian. But finding his ancestry and caste in some part of the country is funny.”

But not everyone seemed to agree.

In fact, one user took on the “Gukesh is a Tamilian” post and said, “State is not equal to ethnicity of language… U r a Telugu from Tamil Nadu, so is Gukesh…” and also referred to the United States’ incoming Second Lady, Usha Vance, an American citizen of Telugu heritage.

Perhaps the strongest defence of Gukesh as a Telugu came from an X handle that calls itself ‘The Telugu Collective’ and describes itself as “dedicated to Telugus and Telugu Heritage beyond Andhra, Telangana”. In a lengthy post the handle sought to define ethnicity and domicile status.

“Tamilian is an ethnicity: it’s something one must be born into… If your parents are not Tamil but you live in Tamil Nadu, you are a Tamil Naduite… Gukesh is a Telugu by ethnicity, born to Telugu parents. He is not a Tamilian. However, as a resident of Tamil Nadu, he is a Tamil Nadu domicile Telugu.”

And then there are a number of other users who insist, some in Hindi, the Tamil vs Telugu question pales before Gukesh’s overall identity – an Indian – and the magnitude of his achievement.

“Gukesh is a Telugu or Tamil guy… isse farak padta hai (what difference does this make) … He won a medal for India…” one user said.

Gukesh is like Telugu Ganga… Originated in Telugu Lands & Satiating thirst of Tamil Capital Chennai… moreover, he’s an Indian first – So let’s all take pride in his victory,” a second said.

“Wasn’t Expecting To Win”

Gukesh followed Viswanathan Anand to become the second Indian to become a world champion and the first since 2012. “I was dreaming of this moment for the last 10 years. I am happy that I realised the dream (and made it) into reality,” he told reporters after the historic triumph in Singapore.

READ | “Historic And Exemplary”: PM Modi Reacts To Gukesh’s Chess Feat

He also received fulsome praise from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other leading politicians, including Congress MP and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi.

Interestingly, both Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh have a history of chess champions.

From the latter, Koneru Humpy, Pentala Harikrishna, and Harika Dronavalli are among those who made their marks on the world of chess. From Tamil Nadu, there is, of course, Viswanathan Anand
and then Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa. From Telangana there is Arjun Erigasi and V Varshini.

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