DALIT ASSERTION TAMIL NADU: IN AN EXPLORATORYNOTE

M S S Pandian Tlte politicul biogrtrpll of Tanil Nadu elurittgthe 1990svt,as nwrkeclbt, inc.reasing cctste t'ttttflictshetv'eettllte bucku'ard cctstes and the Dalits. In the northern districtsof ttte snte, ttte backv'ardcu{c Thevarsund the DevendraKula Vellalctt's ,tierethe ket,players in siclt conflicts.In the nctrtherndi:;tric'ts, cotlflict was b1,cmd large, betyveen nxtst'batckward the the casteVlrtttiyars und the Pura|urs. Tlrc changing churctcteristics theseconflictspoint to the of ,trot tli, io,rii,ora fact castes tt()t 1tt| ktnger e-rercise du ideologicalhegennnt' r.tver batits itt Taiit Nadu turd the\,ltave the to afrirnt their uftlutritt'through cloninoncenreclicfted gl,r,iolence. Aguin.ttthis backgrouria, ,n, prese,tlnote is cttre-rplorotot'\: uuentptto rnderstandthe conditiottsthat nwde thischai'ge possible in contentporttryTtmtil Nadu. for theThevars wasa minimal 107.But in recenr riots,boththetally ofdeathsandthc lossof The politicalbiography Tamil Naduduring caste of the 1990swas distincrlymarked by escalating propcrty are more or less evenly distributed caste conflictsbctween backward the Finaily. losal caste castes and betweenthe two castes." the Dalits. In rhe northernclistricts the state, conflicts not rcmainany lon_eer local.Thcv do of as w h i c h w i t n c s s c d l m o s tc o n l i n u o u s a s t cc o n _ q u r c k l ys p r c a d o t l t h c rp a r r s n d c n g u l l a l a r g e a t c u ' flicts durin_tr this period, the backwarcl Suchlar-re-scalc caste area. ter-ritorial mobilisation was Thevarsr and rhc Dcvendra Kula Vcllalars p o s s i b l e n l y l b r t h e c a s t cH i n d u si n o the past(herealicr Devenclrars): wcre the key players. In N o w . i t t s c q u a l l y o s s i b l t ' l ot r r cD . r lt s l s w c l l p l thc northerndistricts,the conilict was, by and . I P a n d i a n1 9 9 7 ] W h i l c t h c s e e wc h a r a c t e r i s t i c s , n l u r g c .b e t w c c n h c t n o s th a c k w a r d a s t cV a n n i - areparticularly t c trueol'caste conflictsin northcrn yarsandtheParayars.r While the increasing scale Tamil Nadu, castcconflicts in southcrn Tanril o f c a s r e i o l e n c e n T a l n r lN a d u i n r c c c n i t i m e s v i Nadu too arc slowly acquiring thern. hasbeenwcll acknowlcdgcd, rvhatis of import a n c et s t l r ec h a n - u i nc h a r a c t e r i s t io f t h i s v i o _ g cs In short. backward thc castes nr)r do any longcr lcncc. excrcisc ideological hcgcn-rony thc Dalirsin ovcr TamilNaduandtheyhavcto al'l'irrn thcirauthority F i r s t o f ' a l l t h e t i n r et a k e nt o b r i n g p e a c e n i t h r o u g h o m i n a n c m c d i a r c c ly v i t , l c n c r[- a n d c h situations K ol'caste conflicthasbeenprogressively Againstthis backgrounil. prcscnr the increasingin Tanril Nadu. The caste violence nan,20001. -fhcvar.s noteis an exploratory attcmptto undcrstand thc between thc and Dcvendrars Ramain w nathapuram l94ll subsided five days.The c o n d i t i o n s h i c h r n a d et h i s c h a n g cp o s s i b l cn i in in Tamil Nadu.This notc is dividcd c a s t e v i o l c n c c b e t w c c n t h e r i n \ 9 5 7 i n contemporary n S I M u t h u k u l a t h u r o kl 5 d a y sr o s u b s i d c . h e l 9 g 9 i n t os i x s e c t i o n s .e c t i o nI o u t l i n e sh cc h a n g i n g r ro T configuration poweranong the castcs ol Bodi riots -onceagain,between which these two castes - continuedfor 23 days.The casteviolence are involvedin conflictsin Tamil Nailu.Section in southern l'arlil Nadu during 1985-116 in continuccl ill rlctailsforms of Dalit asscrtion southanil tbr nine ntonths.Second,in earlicrconflicts.it northl'anrilNadu. Scction providcs accounr IV an was nrostly the Dalits who lost thcir lives and of thercsponses lhestatc thcncwlyemerging of to property. For insrance duringthe Muthukulathur assertion the Dalits, SectionV analyscs of tlrc r i o t s .l 7 D e v e n d r a rls s tt h c i rl i v e s , h i l e ,o n t h e con(emporaryhistory ot' autonor.uous o w Dalit sideof thc l'hcvarsthcrewereonly sevcn deaths m o b i l i s a t i o in t h e s t a t cT h c l a s ts c c t i o n r i n s s n . b While 2.7-l-5houscs of thc Devcnclrars were together somcof the hroadissucs cnrcrging liom ciestroyed duringtherrotthecorresponding figure t h c d i s c u s s i oin t h c e a r l i e r - s c c t l o n s . n
M S s Pandianis Professor MatlrasInsrrtutc Deveroprnent in of studies,chcnnar - 600 020 I. Introduction

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II. ASYMMETRICAL POWER ACROSS CASTES

I will begin my account of the changing configuration of power between the castes in Tamil Nadu with the changeswitnessedby the Devendrars recentyears.The mostremarkable in advancement the Devendrars of during the past threedecades, been in the domain of formal has education.A recent study of the Muthukulathur region in Ramanathapuram district which witnessed worst casteriots betweenthe Thevars the andtheDevendrars I 957 bears in thisout.Perayur However,this advancement theDevendrars of which is located Kamudi Panchayat in Union, is in the materialdomain was not matchedby the a Devendrar village with 400 households. The social statusaccorded them by the casteHinto villagehas I I 0 graduates includingthreedoctors, dus, in particular the Thevars in south Tamil sevenengineers, five lawyers,one Indian Police Nadu.6 many places. In untouchability varied of Servicc official, one Indian Revenue Service forms is practised. Theserangefrom the day-toofficial and threedoctorate-holders. Veerambal. day practiceof keepingseparate glassestbr the which is located in KadaladyPanchayat Union, Devendrars local tea in shopsto their exclusion has 200 Devendrarhouseholds. has 66 graduIt from templehonours localfestivals(seesection in ates including two doctors,three engineers and III of this paper).As an illustration,let us rakea one lawyer. Keelakannicheriof Muthukulathur look at the practiceof serving tca in separare Panchayat Union has I 20 Devendrar households. glasses. Thirunelvelidistrict alone,a survey In This villagehas27 graduates includingl0 engi- has recentlyfound, the practiceis found in I 34 neers.Kalaiyur which is locatedin Paramakudi villages.T addition,we also have casesgross In Panchayat Union, has about 300 Devendrar sexualexploitation Dalit women by the Theof households.It has 24 graduatesincluding two varsin southTamil NaduvillagesIShanta, 984, | doctors.threeengineers and two lawyers[Shan- P p . 1 8 2 - 8 3 1 . mugabharati,1993, Pp. 103-041. While these villages may not be representative of the In contrast, substantial sections theThevars of educational condition ofthe Devendrars south who area major land-owning in caste southTamil in Tamil Nadu. they at leastgive us an idea about Nadu continueto remain as small and marginal what has becn at the most, possible for them farmers and as agricultural labourers.In other during the past few decades. words, their economiccondition is not substantially different from that of the bulk of the Along with such educational advancement Devendrars.This is particularly so after the which has found them jobs in the government gradualmaterialadvancement the latter. Sigof sectorthrough the reservation policy and armed nificantly.Thevars havenot takento education as themwith a new culturalcapital,s theyhavealso a means of economic and social advancement. strengthened their rather limited economicbase Comparingthe educational statusof the Devenby acquiring land entering tradingandmigrating drarsandtheThevarsin Muthukulathurregion,it to West Asian and other countries:'In the towns hasbeenobserved. Among theMaravarsthereare of Paramakudi. Muthukulathurand Ramanatha- those who have gained higher education.They puram the Devendrarshave enteredtrading by also occupy high posts. [But] in the region setting up commission shops for agricultural affectedby Muthukulathurriots,thereis a higher productsetc. Apart from agriculture,they have number of Devendrarswho are educatedcomalso turned their attention to non-agricultural pared to the Maravars [Thevars]. Devendrars pursuits... Migrationto Gulf countries. Malaysia have made good use of the educational

and Singaporehas helped them to progressfast economically. these All developments havetaken placeduringthepastl5 years(1977-1992). This has led to a sharp decline in the Devendrar agricultural labourers' [Ibid: 107].In their new role as landholders, small tradersand employees in non-farm sector,a sectionof the Devendrars has freed themselves from the everydayoppressionof agricultural employment Thevar-owned in farms.

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The The asymmetrybetweenthe condition of the and suchasstipends freehostels. concessions castepride of the Maravarsis a reasonfor their Thevars in the material domain and their caste during the 1990swith the indifferencetowards education.Lack of educa- pride got accentuated in comparison deliberateinterventionsof the All India Anna to to tionalconcessions Maravars the Devendrars is another reason for their Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam(AIADMK) govindifferencetowardseducation' IShanmugabha- ernment.J. Jayalalithain an effort to gain the p. and The rati, 1993, 1051. economic educational Thevarvotesto her party, symbolicallyaffirmed remainrathermarginal the so,calledcastesuperiorityof the Thevarsby of attainments theThevars Muthuramalinga Thevar.In when comparedto other backwardcastesin the officially canonising announced the 1993the Tamil Nadu government regionlike the Nadars. of birth anddeathanniversaries Muthuramalinga Thevarstreat their marginality in the material Thevar(ThevarGuru Puja) which fell on October policy of special 30 as a statefunction.In 1994,unveiling a statue domainasanoutcomeof thestate madea seriesof the to assistance the Dalits.Describing Thevars' of Thevarin Madras,Jayalalitha appealing to the Thevar caste announcements responseto the caste clashes that took place pride. She named a main road in Madras after between them and the Devendrarsin Bodi in Muthuramalinga Thevar; appointed a special G 1 9 8 9 , a n e s h r a m 8 9 , p . 2 , 6 4 1 ]n o t e s , ' T h e y [9 officer to managethe MuthuramalingaThevar is say,thegovernment givingtoomani [Thevars] Trust: openeda centreat Madurai Kamaraj unito and concessions privileges the Harijansin all versity to conductresearch Thevar; and offion and employment. fields, particularlyeducation o1'Kallar. Maravar. cially unifiedthe sub-castes One engineeringstudent of the non-Harijan Agamudaiyar under the single caste name of policy for the communitysaidthatthe reservation Thevar.In addition,Thevar'shousein Pasumpon Hindusof education and caste Harijans deprived village was taken over by the government and They complainthat employmentopportunity... into a statememorial." converted they have been made victims of politics and the described Harijansas the pamperedcommuof Following this canonisation Muthuramalnity...' inga Thevar by the AIADMK government, Pasumpon village has become almost a stagnation thematerial pilgrimagesite for leaders all political parties in Despitc theirrelative of domain. the Thevars carry the self-imageof a on October30 every year.o Ignoring the function to martial community which was supposed have at Pasumpon getsreadas a slight to the Thevars. In it onceruledtheTamil country. thiscontext. is The occasion Thevar Guru Puja is utilised by of important to note that they never assimilated different Thevar casteassociations and political as themselves part of the broad non'Brahmin outfits to displaytheir strengthand castepride in politicalcollectivity Tamil Nadubut organised the public. Thevarmilitancy on the occasion in can separately thebasisof theirdistinct be gauged on themselves from the following reportoutliningthe caste identity. During the early years of Inde- securityarrangements madeby the police for the pendence, they were mobilised as a castegroup Guru Pujaof 1998: by U Muthuramaling Thevar, a controversial which involved flag nearly ...amassive march, nationalist and a Thevar caste leader who and I 20 vehicles, was 5000securitypersonnel with Hinduspirituality. his combined nationalism taken out... to instil confidence among the Thevarandafterhis peoplein Ramanathapuram BothUnderMuthuramalinga district. The convoy, which startedfrom Rameswaram death, Thevars remainedloyal to different facmeandered through Mandapam. Uchipuli, tions of the ForwardBlock which has beenand party ofthe Thevars. Chatrakudi, Paramakudi, Ramanathapuram, still is an exclusive

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Parthibanur culminatedat Kamudhiin the ofthe landowners Vanniarsin Pcrunabut they and are evening. The 120 km flag marchwas led by arealsohighly differentiated internallyWhile all the DIG. Ramanathapuram Range.... the big farmersand most of the medium farmers The DGP. aftercarryingout an aerialsurvey are Vanniars,the largestproportionof small and of sensitiveareasof Kamudhi, Parthibanur. marginalfarmerstoo aredrawn from this caste'. Sivagangai, Aruppukottai Pasumpon and from Also theVanniyars this villageconstituted in the a statehelicopter,met the reporters... detail Iargest to segment amongthe landless households aboutthe massive security arrangements..."' lLazar, 1997,p. 1471. Similarly,a study of the Vanniyaroffensiveon the Dalits in Villupuram The AIADMK government alsoresurrected other town in South Arcot district on 25 July 1978, Thevar casteheroesfrom the past.For instance, whichleft behind leastl2 Dalitsdeadincludins at it erectedin Thirupattura memorialcolumn in a boy o[ 12.hasclearlybroughtour rharthe bulI I 994{br Marurhu brothers, who fouehttheBritish of the Vanniyars are not different lrom the and were hanged." parayars theireconomic in status.rl Despite their poor economic status, Vanthe niyar like the Thevars,take great pride in their casteidentity.If they claimedthemselves be tcl Kshatriyasduring the early decadcsof the 20,h century,they organised thenrselves into castebased parties the 1950s in andRudolph. [Rudolph 1967.Pp. 49-611. Though Commonwcalparry and TamilnadToilers Party did nor survrvefor long their very presence points to the fact of Vanniyars' refusal be partof the non-Brahmrn to collectivity.In the 1980s,the Vanniyarsonce Lct us now turn to northTamil Nadu.As we againpoliticallyorganised themselves a caste as havenotcdearlicr,the castes thatare involvedin group. Theirwell knownagitation, seeking per 20 castcconllicts hcre are the Vanniyarsand the centexclusive reservation thestate in services and Parayars. detailcdstudyof the economic A con- 2 per cent reservation the central services. in dition ol' thc Vanniyarsin norrhern districtsof halted entireroadtrafllc in northTamil Nadu thc 'Ianrilnadu bascdon secondary dataand Census for a l'ullweekin September 1987. Subseque nrly. village resurveysshows that though there is VanniyarSangamwas transformed into a fullsubstantial improvement their material in status. lledgedVanniyarpoliticalparty.PattaliMakkal it is unevenly distributed. thestudyconcludes, K a t c h i ( P M K ) . As '...there is a considerable improvementin thc c o n d i t i o no l ' V a n n i y a r s . o w e v e ri,t s e e m s n l y s H o The Parayarsof north Tamil Nadu are pria particularscction among the Vanniyarshas marily landless agriculturallabourers small or bencfited out of thesedevelopments whereas andmarginal a farmers 2000, Pp. l6-201. [Anandhi, majorityolthem still remain marginal as farmers, In thisregard, theyshare very same the economic agriculturallabourers, handloomweavers,etc. conditionas that of poor Vanniyars who constiVanniyars rvhoarepushed of rhevillages out also tutethebulk of themembers thatcaste. of Despite workashead-load workcrs, rickshaw pullers, etc., their economic marginality there has been in nearby towns'[Vidyasagar, 1988, 509].This increased p. politicalactivity among the parayars factis borncout by otherstudics well A rccent duringthe 1990s. as The heightened consciousness studyof a Vanniyar-dominated villagein South of the Parayars was facilitatedby the Ambedkar Arcot districtlound that ...itis not only thatmost birth centenary celebrations. In sumrning thechanged up situation power of between castes southTamil Nadu,we may the in notethat thc sectionof the Devendrars who have gained over the years in terms of material entitlements, in thethreshold seeking arc of social equality. The Thevarswho haverelativelystagnated in gaining and augmenting material cntitlements, armedwith a heightened ale sense of castepridc to establish their differenceand superiority.

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The unprecedented scalein which Babasaheb servicesduring weddings and festivals.The Ambedkar's birth centenary celebrated boycott continuedfor three years. In another was in Tamilnaduis a key moment in both height- village in the same region. the Deven<lrars ening and redefiningDalit consciousness ascended festivalstage in the and sought'silk scarf the srare. The celebrationswitnessedthe honours' normallyreserved Thevarheadmen^ fbr installation thousands Ambedkarstatues This eventtoo, resulted the Devendrars of of in wtthoften organised and financedby small-scale drawing their services the Thevarsas warer to local efibrts.and the circulationof hundreds distributors fiom thelocaltankIMosse,1997 Pp. , of low-pricedpamphlets includingthe trans- 3 0 - 3l l . lations ol' Ambedkar's own writings. Also therc was a proliferation of local-leve. Seeking equalhonours tcmple f'estivals in by organisations named afier Ambedkar Devendrars often lead to castetensionand has violence. After a gap of thirteenyears.in 1979, I A n a n d h i 2 0 0 0 ,p . 4 l ] . . theThevars ofUnjanaivillagedecided conduct to This is partrcularly in northTamil Nadu(lbid: the annual festival at the locai Kalani Pariya true 4 lnl.' Ayyanar templeThe festivai . wasto beconducted on the 4'r'and 5thof June that year. Devendrars Thus.in northTamil Nadu we find substantial staked theirclaim to conductthe festivalin their sections theVanniyars mostof theParayars localityon thesame of and day.With the intervention of to be sharing samepooreconomic the condition. the revenue authorities, was agreedthat after it While the Vanniyarscontinueto employ their thcT'hevars conclude had thcir festival 5'r'Junc on identityasa way of asserting caste thcir powerin the Devendrars couldconduct theirown festival. the overall situationof their marginalityin the They madeall arrangements conductthc festo materialdomain, the Parayars too have in the t i v a lo n 9 ' h u l y .B u t o n 2 8 ' r ' J u n eh c T h e v a r sn J t, i recenttimes come to questiontheir positionas a planned attack killed Ilve Devendrars ISamuga untouchables^ S i n t h a n a i e y a A y y v u M a y y a m . d :P p . l - 5 - 6 l S l n i ln 1997,the Kovilpatti town witnessed ciashes III F'ORNIS OT'DALIT ASSERTION betweenDevendrars the one side an<J on the With thesechangesin the configuration of Kammavars the othcr,over templehonours. on caste relations bothin northandsouth Tamil Nadu All theimportantcastes theKovilpattirownbur in the Dalits' self-assertion search equality fbr the Devendrarswere grantedthe honour of' and for has takcn varicd lorms. In mapping out these conducting day'sfestival a duringtheelcvcnday forms,letus firsthavea look at northTamil Nadu. Chitirai f'estivalin the Shenbagavalli Amman temple. The Dcvendrars who had beendcmandThe Dcvendrars, self-assertion functions both ing that they shouldbe allowedto conductthe at sacred and secular domains. Duringthe 1990s, temple festival on the ninth day which was southTamil Nadu witnessed increasing an num- allotted the Kammavars to went on a protest lasl beroI cascs thernseeking ol honours equalto the in 1997. a tcrnporary As arrangement, werc they Thcvars in local temple f'estivals.In 199L allotted two hoursin thc ni-ght ol'thc nrnthday to Dcvcndrars ol'Cakkur and Anjavayal ol' Siva- conducttheir ceremonics. Enthusiastic Devengangai taluk lif'tcd the ceremonialrope of the drarspastedpostcrsannouncing 'Dcvendra the templecar duling the villagelestivalwhich was Kula Vellala TempleCar Festival'.When they -fhcvar lirr rcservcd headmen. This wasobjected however, liited the ceremonial ropc at the to by the high castes the villa,se. response, instruction the districtcollector,. in In of Kammavar the Dcvendrarswithdrew their scrvicesto the youth.aidcd by the policcnrcn and the Thevars -Ihevars suchas irrigatingtheir lields by drstrib- attacked the Devendrars with stonesand other utingwatcrlhrm thelocaltank,grave diggingand mrssiles. The Kammavars took over the nullins

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of the temple car. In retaliation,the Devendrar youths attackedthe factories. the Kammavars of Union for in the outskirtsof the town [People's Civil Liberties,1997,Pp.294-99l.In the same vein, for the past three years, car festival ol SwarnamurthyIswarar temple in Kandanthevi because conflict of village has been suspended overtemplehonours.'u As much as the refusal of honoursin temple festivals, there are other means by which the Thevarsasserttheir power over the Devendrars. is, It was andto somedegree evennow, a practice in the Thevar-dominated villages that the Devendrars shouldplay songspraisingMuthuramalingaThevar during householdand comare Devendrars refusingnow munity tu'nctions. to acceptthis flat of the Thevarsin many partsof playingof songs Tamil Nadu.For instance, south in praise of Ambedkar and John Pandian, a system leader,over the public address Devendrar a marriage,was the immediatereasonfor during the Thevars attacking the Devendrarsin Keela one was killed Appanurvillage. In the clashes, to and about 700 Devcndrarswere-forced desert the villagefor weeks.r5

Companyarsenalin an effort to savethe Poligar 200 years back. It may fort at Panchalamkurich be noted here, that though different districts in Tamil Nadu carried the names of leaders belonging to various castes such as Thevar (Muthuramalinga Thevar),Vanniyar(Ramasamy Nadar (K Kamaraj) and Brahmin (C Padaytchi). noneof thedistrictswasnamed Rajagopalachari), after a Dalit. In fact, the DKVF has been asking the government to name a district after Immanuel Instead I 996,at the fag end in for Sekaran years.rT as of herperiod theChiefMinisterof Tamil Nadu, announced that a state-run transport J Jayalalitha corporationwould be named after Veeran SunAfier much pressure fiom the daralingam.rE DVKF the DMK governmentinauguratedthe Veeran SundaralingamTransport Corporation (VSTC) on I May 1997.As we shall seesoon, for this wasa short-livedsuccess the Devendrars.

Similarly, the Devendrars seek public by acknowledgcment meansof erecting statues This is resented in of their leaders publicplaces. by the Thevarsand mutual statuebreaking has of conflicts in south becomea major source caste of The self'-assertion the Devendrarsin the Tamil Nadu. secular domain primarily takes the form of Thevar of On 26 July 1995 a Muthuramalinga seeking public acknowledgement them as This is usuallysoughtby askingthe state statuewas damagedin a clash betweenThevars equals. after the"names their and Devendrarsat Veerasikamani,which in a of to mark public spaces leaders. At once, this is a move to end the chaineffect,ledto much violenceandlossof lives givento thecaste Hindu and properties in south Tamil Nadu. On 7 monopoly recognition of posterabusive of In leaders the publicsphere. June 1996,Dr. K November1995,a hand-written in Kula the Thevars was found in the base of a Thevar the of Krishnasamy, president the Devendra (DVKF), announced one statue at Idaikaal near Thenkasi. Protesting that Vellalar Federation lakh post cards would be send to the Chief Thevarsobstructedtraffic and attackedDevenan On Minister of Tamil Nadu askinghim to name a drarhouses. I 8 November1995, Ambedkar This lead to leader suchasImmanuel statuenearThenkasiwas damaged. aficr a Devendrar district While obstructionof traffic by Devendrarswho also Sekaran or Veeran Sundaralingam.'o immanuel Sekaran an emerging leader of the attackedthe shopsowned by the Thevars [Ma1996, 6-7,63,66,89).On 2 March Pp. Devendrars who challenged the authority of halingam, was duringthe 1996,a group of six peoplethrew bombs at and MuthuramalingaThevar murdered was a Thevar at Archanariots.Sundaralingam a damaged Muthuramalaing 1957Muthukulathur lieutenantof VeerapandyaKattabomman,who puram village near Wathirayirupu. This led to turneda human bomb and blastedthe East India picketing of busesin many placesin the region

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itselfpromised reinstall to a and the governrnent new statue.On 6 March, it was alleged,the in members o1'theDKVF, going in a procession flung a Madurai as part of their stateconference, chappal at a Thevar statue. Thevars let loose violence and public transportwas completely immobilisedin Madurai.They also washedthe pots of milk to cleansit of with numerous statue 'pollution'.'"In April 1997,the damage doneto Thevar statuein Kandamanur a Muthuramalinga in the Bodi region led to casteviolence and the deathof two in police firing. In September1998 the damagcdone to a Thevar statuein Viruthunagar led to the death of two personsand the government itself swiftly reinstalled new statue. a

of the Devendrars the village and how hitting in them economicallywas the motive of the police raid.

Secondly,the Thevarsresist rather violently any move to accordpublic statusto the Devendra Kula Vellalrs as equals.The fate of the VSTC is a casein point.As soonasthe VSTC buses the hit roadson I May 1997,the Thevarsbeganstoning them and also refusedto travel by them. Things got complicated with the arrestof the Devendrar 'In leaderKrishnasamy: themonthsfollowing the renaming of the transportcorporation and Dr. Krishnasamy's arrest, the districts of Theni, TirunelveliandTuticorin Madurai.Viruthunagar. witnessedperiodic eruption of violence and forceddisplacement thousands Dalits liom of of ofthe Thevarsto these assertions their homes.Police and district officials treated The response takesseveralforms.First of all the situation as a law and order problgm, and by the Devcndrars they try during casteconflicts,to hit the Deven- under the guise of seekingout Dalit militant drars economically.This flows from the aware- activists,conductedsearchand raid operations ness that it is their new-found material exclusivelyon Dalit villages' (Hurnan Rights which hasgiven them the space to Watch, 1999,p. 851.Under pressure entitlements, from the contestthe authority of the Thevars.The noto- Thevars.Tamil Nadu cabinet decided on July carriedout in Kodiyanku- 1997to drop the namesof caste,community and rious police rampage given to transport corporations and lam villageon 3l August 1995at the instruction other leaders of of Thevar ollicials, is a good instance this. districts.The cabinetdecidedto honour those eachwith a village. leadersby creating28 endowments, is Devendrar Kodiyankulam a prosperous corpus fund of Rs.25 Lakhsin theirnames l5 in As a memorandumsubmittedto the Chairmanof universities thestate. in The interest from thefund by the Indian Human Rights Commission, the DKVF notes.'In....Kodiyankulamvillage, about was to be utilised to provide scholarshipsto Thevarsdid not mind the 400 housesare there.Populationwill be around meritoriousstudents.2' names theirleaders of beingdropped. theydid but peoplefrom about I 00 houses 2300.Out of these, not want a Devendrar leader's name to be that is mostly in areworking in foreigncountries, in inscribed the publicdomain. 'Arab countriesand with that incomethey started small houses and purchasing some constructing The response theThevarsto the Devendrars of lands...'2r) The lorries,tractorsand agricultural erectingstatues their leadersin public places of police raid targetedexactly this material pros- is not different.As we havealreadyseen, mutual perity of the Devendrarsat Kodiyankulam.The statue-breaking becomewidespread south has in by inventory thc itemsdamaged thepolicemen Tamil Nadu.In othercontexts,the Thevarstry to of during the raid included televisions, video preempt the Devendrarsfrom erecting statues. recorders,tape recorders,sweing machines,air For instance, prior to the Bodi riots in 1989 just ctc. conditioners We may noteherethepolicemen a large number of statuesof Muthuramalinga also walked away with cashandjewellery worth Thevarwereerected variousplaces theTheni in in 1996,Pp. region.This includedseveralsitesconsidered lakhs of rupees[Mahalingam, several by This tells us aboutthe relativeprosperity the Devendrars as potential places to erect 38-391.

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Ayyvu Mayam,1989' statues Ambedkar [Periyar police p. 91.In Sivakasitown, which witnessed menin M ay 1997 . firing anddeathof threeThevar the removalof an Ambedkar they alsodemanded locality.-locatedin a Thevar-dominated statue

other things, came in the way of the Parayars However. autonornously. themselves asserting has acquiredcertain interesting their assertion they Significantly. formsduringthe pastdecade. combingthe struggletor land with are astutely During the identity politics and self-assertion. what is popularly thc region witnessed usinga conllictsituation, 1990s, theThevars Thirdly, The single landstrugglc. which knownasthePanchama forms of untouchability try to reintroducc the w.ts to t'etrieve of have gone out of practicelocally. Let mc give point agcnda the strugglg ConditionalLands or PanClasscs On as threeinstanccs illustrations. I Septernber Depressed to girl chamalandsgranted the Dalits by thc British a l9tl9. Panchavarnam, 12 yearold Parayar ccntury,and sutrsequcntiy in at the turn of thc 20'n whose fatherrvas rcsistingThevar authority Against taken over by thc caste Hindus. Thc strug-eic by aThevar. wasraped village, Alialaperi the Gurusamy, fatherofthegirl, spanncda large number ol' villages' lnvoived lhe localcustom. and caughtthe national of policestation. thousands Parayars in Kaariapatti er loclged complaint 'Ihe by This was preccded the Parayars villa-sc panchayat not only reproached attention.rr poranrlirr Gurusamy goingto thepolice,but alsobanned occupyingand colonisingstatc-owned partsol'the regionfacing and riding bokelandsin difl'erent l'rom wearingchappals the Parayars liom thc casteHindus IAnandhi' in Parayars, turn' refusedto carry stilf resistancc bicycles.'l'lrc 4t'43}. the dead bodiesof animalsand humansand to 2000,Pp. by in deaths Thevarhouseholds beating announce of aboutthe landstrugglcs What is significant heavily. drums. The con{'lictcost thc Parayars rn of thevillage the Parayars northTamil Nadu.is ihc manner out wercto migrate o1'them Sections behrndtherrlandedproperties IDietrich' rn rvhichthey havecombinedit with Dalit conleavrng As S , 1 1 - 7 t ) 1 . i m i l a r i yd u r i n gt h eB o d i r i o t s sciousness. Anandhi[2000' Pp. b0-6li suttts 1 9 9 2P p . , -fhevars the threatcned Devendrars i t u p : the of 19t39. One ol' the rentarkablcl'caturcsol thc prrrrin Kalutrakkantuthu Thevanpatti, Kullappa of chttni land agitation thc 1990s".is that it and NarayanaThcvanpattithitt Kauvndarpatti 'oldenlimcs' of'thc Dalits the landquestion fusecl together thcy shouldbchavcas they did in and their identitypoliticsat oncc.Thc instali n c l u d i n gt a k i n g t c a i n t h e l o c a l t e a s h o p si n lationo1'anAnibedkarstlrtucin thc pieceof werealsoissued glasscs. Sinrilarthreats scparate panchami land to be rctricved is a telling village [Periyar io thc Parayarsol Puthupatti ln in instance this regard. fact.tlreremovalol' of clashes Mayam. l9tt9,p. 291.Duringthecasle the Ambedkar statuesby the police had a Tamrl Nadu,the Thevaryouth o1' 1997rn south what beganas a definiterole in translating Mamsapurantirnptlsedthe l'iat that the Devenvillageintoil statc-lcvcl Karanai localeventin drarsshouldhe scrvedtea in coconutshellsand olthc partcltanri If issue. thc non-beneficiartcs not in glasscs. Thevar-owned tea shops the land grantsthroughout stalctook part in promincntlydisplayedcoconutshellsIPeople's the movemgnt. one of the reasons is , , b U n i r - r ln r C i v i l L i b e r t i e s1 9 9 7 p . 2 9 l l . on the undoubtedly dishonourshowered the statue. Ambedkar of Tamil Nadu the In the nolthern districts and evolving'One is ol'Parayars recent assertion with a new l'or this delayedassertionby the Bcing starvedof land and invested ol' the reasons following the Ambedkar centeis that thc PMK in its initial phase. consciousness Parayars ol' the of d attempte to forgc a broadfront composed the nary celebrations, Parayars north Tamil this noveland rathcrcff'cctive the Dalits and the religious Nadu haveadopted Backward c.rstcs. 'fhis and rhetoric of inclusivity among modcoI resistance assertion. rninorities.

v 0 L . J 2N 0 . 3 & 1

DAI.IT ASSERTION TAMII, NADU IN

509

addressing question uneven the of distribution ol' sociaipower.For instance, following the caste The response ol'the Tamil Nadu stateto the the andtheParayars self-assertion thc ensuingconflict between conllictsbetween Vanniyars and in Karunkudy villagein KattumannrkoilTaluk in thc Dalits and backwardcasl.es. one of macrc, is South Arcot district over drum beating.which from above.This takesthe fbrm of interventions in i x p c n m c n t i . i r i i lw r t h t h c r c s e r v a t i o s y s t e m o resulted policefiring in August 1985wharthe n n t policeadministration could think of was a milk s u i tt h ec h a n g i n g i t u a t i o n n dc r u d e c o n o m i s t i c s a c i n t e r v e n t i o n n a r e a s f c a s t ec o n f l i c t sI.n o t h c r producers is o co-operative. a policereportstates. As w o r d s ,t h c a c t u a lw o r k i n go u t o f u n e v e n i s t r i - A nerv welfare schemehas been designedby d bution of sociai porvcr among differentcastcs, starting a 'Karungudy Milk ProducersCorcmains basically outsidethe donrain of state operative SocietyLimited'....with -50members. intcrvention. 35 from Adi-Dravidtrrs l5 fromotherHindus and For thedairyfann, a big semi-permanent at shed First. lct us lake thc caseof'reservations. a cost of Rs. 1.60000is proposedalong with In 197I , the D)\'lK government increased SOST the piant,solarplantanda well with overhead biogas reservation I 8 per ccnt against A N Sattato the tank.Land for thescheme alsobeenassigned has nathan Committce'srccommendation continof to the Block Development Officer Kattumanu i n gi t a t t h ep r c - e x i s t i nlg v e lo f l 6 p e rc e n t . n e O narkoil;it is f'eltthat suchwclfareschemes will the other hand the BackwardCastereservation bring togetherthe opposing communitiesby was incrcasccl 3 I per oent(from 25 per ccnt) to in The though the Comrnitteerecommendcd to be instillinga spiritof brotherhood workspot. it scheme has beeninaugurated 27.3.86by the on i n c r e a s etd 3 3 p e r c e n t .S i m i l a r l yi n 1 9 8 9f o l o of l o w i n g t h e V a n n i y a ra g i t a t i o nt,h e D M K g o v - Director-Ceneral Police.Madrasat Cuddalore.to rntroduccd ernmenl compartmentalised reservation scttingaparta substantral per b.v20 Equallyillustrative theresponse is cent ior thc most Lrackward denotified and ofthe stalc comtlut nrunities ol the overallBackwardCasteres- to the rnurder six Parayars of includingthe local crvatlon ol 50 pcr uent. The Vanniyars have panchayat president and vice-president,ar incrcased theiradnrission prol'essionai to courscs M e l a v a l v un 1 9 9 7 : i l ' i v c - t o s i x - t b l d I ' o l l o w i n g h e n e w s y s t e mo f ' F a m i l i c s f t h e v i c t i m s a db e e ng r a n t c d s 1 . 5 t o h R rcscrvation. 1990once againthe DMK gov- lakhs In eachon behalfof thegovernment aparlf'ronr ernnlent introduced scheme awarding the of five Rs. 50,000 to be disbursedalier rhe case ro be rnarks applicants professional bonus to to courses disposed An exclusive of. primaryschoolat the who had no graduatc their family. While the in costof Rs.2.5lakhsfor thebenefit thechildrcn of schemcwas struck down by the Madras High olthe villagewasunderconstruction. w houses Ne Court.it bcne-l'itcd most the Dalits duringits the were being built for the familiesol'the victims p o n l y y e a ro i i n r p l e m e n t a t i o P a n d i a n1 9 9 4 , . In , and the village provided with adequate srreer 2 2 2 ) . W h i l c t h e s em o v e s a r e s u r e l ym e a n tt o lighting.Work relatedro the installatron one of benefit thc marginalizedcastesincluding the Dalits thcy do not address issueof everyday deepborewellhad becncompletedand work was the nearing completion another. response a for In to n c g o t i a t i oo l ' p o w c ra t l o c a ll e v e l s . n request, ordershad beenissuedfor carrying out to in The top-downmacro thinking of the stateis repairs 50 houses the colony at the cclstof 3 . l l l a k h s .A m i l k c o o p e r a t i vs o c i e t yl b r t h e e alsoevidentin the nanner in which it responds benefitof women in the colony had beenset up to casteconflicts.Its response alwaysbeen has madeto providebankloansof onc of providing thc victims of casteconflicts andarrangements with economic compensations,rather than Rs.4,000eachto womento buy milch animals.2'
lV. RIISI'ONSES Ot'THE STATE

JOURNAI, INDIANSCHOOL POLITICALECONOMY OF OF

JULY-DEC. 2OOO

The othersideof these top-down economistic Sundaralingam.2t is once againa nove to This interventions the refusal is ofthe state address confine the public recognitionof Dalits to an to the question socialpowerat local levels. of This exclusive Dalit domain. comesout quiteclearly from thedismaluseof the Protectionof Civil Rights Act (1955) and the The stance of the Tamil Nadu state is not ScheduledCastes and ScheduledTribes (pre- dissimilar. It evolved a consensus againstthe ventionof Atrocities) Act ( 1989)in Tamil Nadu. erecting new statues of instead acknowledging of Analysingthe cases underthe Protection Civil it as a move by the Dalits of to asserr theirequality, RightsAct for the year 1986,NationalCommisThe all-partymeetingconvenedby rhe DMK sion for Scheduled Castesand Scheduled Tribes government 26 October1998to find on solutions found that though Tamil Nadu had a credible for the casteconflictsin southern Tamil Nadu recordof disposingof the cases registered 'Installation under resolved that of new statues should the PCR Act the neroutcomedid not favourthe be permitted only afterobtainingthe prior perDalits.Over 90 per centof suchcases thestate in mission the government the responsibilitv of and ended up in acquittal.26 situationhas nor The of theirmaintenance vested those in who installeo rmproved overtheyears. a recent As reportnotes. them. Even with regardto the existingstatues. 'In Tamil Nadu from 1992to 1997,some 750 theirmaintenance shouldbe the responsibility of' casesof atrocitiesagainstDalits were registered the organisations individualswho installed or annually thestate by police.However, number the them.28 Justice Gomathinayagam P. Commission ofconvictions secured protection by ofcivil rights of Enquirywhich lookedinro the policetiring in cells... wasvery low. From 1992 l997only four to Sivagiri, Singathakurichi Kodiyankulam and ancl ourof 1,500 cases to a conviction, led despite the 'fully justified' the policeaction,recommended fact that in 1997as many as l18 villageswere in consideredby the government to be .atrocity a total ban on the erectionof statues public places.2'The Justice MohanCommittee, S which p r o n e '[ H u m a nR i g h t sW a t c h ,1 9 9 9 p . l 9 l ] . , probed causes caste the of clashes Tamil Nadu in the in Equally imporlant is the fact of the state's also recommended avoidance, future,ol' whetheron behalf of the sovreluctance, thc face of oppositionfrom caste erectingstatues in or Hindus.to accordrecognitionto the Dalits by ernment privatepersons.t" reinscribing public realm.As we have seen the It is of critical importance remember earlier. Tamil Nadugovernment the to here wentbackon its act of naming the transportcorporationafter that the ruling party in Tamil Nadu during this Sundaralingam. other words, recognition periodof Dalit assertion eirher AIADMK was In rhe accorded the Dalits in the wider public sphere or the DMK. Their failure to affirm the cfforts by to by acknowledging powerat locallevels, the contributionof a Dalit theDalitsto reconfigure has notable, had beenwithdrawnandthe recosnition. alienated them from the Dalits. While the DMK in an effort to keep the Thevarsin good h-u*our, attemptedto stem this new Dalit politics bv was downsized and confinedto lessconflictual invoking its old languageof pan-Tamit uniry university campuses. Similarly,in April 1998. M which is no longerconvincing the Dalits the fbr Karunanidhias theChief Minister of Tamil Nadu AIADMK hasopenlysupported Thevars. the The rnaugurateda small township of 200 houses other partiessuch as the Congress, Cptr and the namedafter Veeran Sundaralingam Gavama- the CPI (M) did not step into the vacuum ro in giri, the village from which Sundaralingamaddress issue Dalitempowerment. these the of All hailed.The housesin the township,which had haveopened an uncolonised up political space for facilities such as a public park school and com- the autonomous mobilisationof the Dalits by munity hall were allottedto the descendants Dalitsthemselves. of

voL. t2 No.3&4

DALIT ASSERTIONIN TAMII- NADIJ

Harijans by his provocative speeches. directed The first wave of response the asymmetry againstthe non-Harijans. Harijanscalled him to between material thc condition theDevendrars Pallor Padai Thalapathi(Commanderof pallar of and their caste-based socialstatus, well as the force). At present twenty criminal cases are as failure ol thc Dravidian and other parties to pendingin the courtagainst him...' [Ganeshram, addrcss their aspirations,was in the form of 1989,p. 240l.He became popularamongthe so in converslon to Islam. Between February and Devendrars southTamil Nadu that politicians from mainstream partiescourtedhim for support. September I abour 198 2600Dalitsin thesouthern districts ol Tirunelveli. Ramanathapuram and The high point of John pandian'spolitical Maduraiconverted Islam.The villageswhere to :onversionhad taken place includedthe now_ career was the incidents leading to violence famous Mecnakshrpuram Thirunelveli in district between the Devendrars and the Thevars in from wherc about 1000 Dalits embracedIslam Bodinayaknur, Thevaram,Theni, Allinasaram and rechristened their settlement in Rehmatnasar andUsilampatti all located the sourh-rv-esr of Madurai- duringOctober1989. , r [ M a t h e w ,1 9 8 2 ap . 1 , 0 2 8 ) . ]T h e c a s e f M e J n _ The riots which o akshipuramillustratesrather clearly how the lead to the loss of 30 lives and propertyworth asymmetrybctweenmaterialadvancement First, Muthu_ and lakhs was a resultof two events. socialdegradation the Dalits was at the hean pillai, a Devendrar of women,was murdered 9 on tlf their conversionto Islam. The villaee was Septemberwhen she had gone to the nearby 'Many relatrvelyprospcrous: to of them aie edu- fbrests collectfirewood.It is ciaimedby thl cated: some work in governmentdepartment Devendrars that she was rapedand murderedby i n c l u d i n g o l i c ea n d s c h o o l A m o n g t h e mt h e r e three or four Thevars.Bodi rural police refuseb p . area f'ew cioctors auditors and the complaintby the Devendrar too' [lbid,p. 1,03 l. to register I and Despite theirmaterial all advancement, were they were forced to picket buses.Second,the thev s t i l l t r e a r e d s u n r o u c h a h l e s t h e l o c a l l yd o m - refusalby Raju Pillai the local panchayat a by presi_ i n a n tT h e v a r s M a t h e w ,1 9 8 2 p . 1 , 0 6 9 ]I.n c o n _ dent belonging to Pillai casre,ro permit the , I verting t<l Islanr, the Dalits gave up several Devendrars give a big reception Thangavelu to to benefits: freccducationupto post-matric ministerin theDMK ministr who stage. thehandloom scholarshipl'or higher studiesfrom state and wasvisitingMeenakshipuram distribut.iounr. to cenrralgovernments. books and specialhostel Thangavelua Devendrarswas visiting the area facilities. cluoras in educational institutions. for the first time afterbecoming mi-nrster. the reserved jobs, etc. Ubid).32 other government In words, they were willing to trade of economic Againstthisbackground, Johnpandian visired entitlements socialequality. for the area and in a public speech asked the Devendrars ask for Raju pillai's daughterin to The sccondand overtlypoliticalphase the marriage of and ifrefused,sheshouldbe carriedoff. autonomous nrobilisation the Devendrars The demand by Pillais and Thevars rhar John of in southTanril Nadu wasinaugurated the arrival Pandian be arrested,despite the Devendrars' by of John Pandian.A firebrandspeakerwith a apology and the efTortsby the DMK leadersto record and imageof 'criminality',he couldstrike bring in peace,led to the riots which lasted for a fearinto thc heartsof the Thevars:.....From his full week.33 studenrdays he has been watchedby the police for his involvementin severalcriminal cases. While John Pandian's mode of politics,even including some murder cases,.. startedthe while energising Devendrars He the for a politics of DevendrakulaVellalar Sangam consistingof confrontation, not build did up an organisational Pallars. He was unrestrained using words in structure any worth, it was Dr. in of K Krishnasamv caste mcetings. He became popular among who met that need.Krishnasamy a cardiologist

V. AU?'ONOMOUS DALIT MOBILISATION

5t2

JOURNAL OI- INDIAN SCHOOL OF POLITICAL ECONOIVY

JULY-DEC,2OOO

w h o h a dh i s i n i t i a lp o l i t i c a t r a i n i n gn t h eD M K , l i I n t h e 1 9 9 8L o k S a b h a l e c t i o n s . e P T w a s e rh lbrnrcdtheDcvendra Kula VellalarFederation a constituent in ol'theThird Front led by the Tamil 1995.TheFederation tookup a wholehostoflocal M a n i l aC o n g r e s(s M C ) .C o n t e s t i nig n i n eL o k T n instances atrocities of against Devendrars. S a b h a o r i s t i t u e n c i etsp o l l e d1 0 . 5 7 c r c e n to l ' the In c i , p 1996.fbllowing his commendable work among the votespollcd in thescconstituencies. perIts thc Dalit victims of police atrocities Kodiy- fbrmance in wasimpressive theconstituencics in ttl' ankulzrm, popularity his soared the regionand Periyakulam Thenkasi, Thirunelveli and in was electedto the Tamil Nadu StateAssernbly Ramanathapuram which fall within sourh'Ianrrl (Reserved) ilom the Ottapidararn constituency. NaduwherethePT rscxtrelnely active(sccTable O n t h c e v c o l ' t h c 1 9 9 9L o k S a b h a l e c t i o nh e l ) . A n a u t o n o m o uc o n s t i t u c n co f D e v c n d r a r e , s y translbrmed DKVF into a politicalparty named votesfieed from mainstream politicalpartiesis the PuthiyaTamilagam(PT). thusall too evident.
Table l. Votes Polled by Puthiya Tamilagam in the Lok Sabha Elections 1999 Lok Sabha onstituencl C {t) PenyakuianL ( Nagapatlinarn Reservcd) i'rthukottar T h e n k a s( R e s e r v e) i d T h i r u n cv e l i l Niigiris P , ' l l a c h(l t c s c l v c L l ) i l { a n t l n a} r l p ul , r r t l i irrrtrccngoie
'l'oltl

Total votespolled ('> \

Votes polled by Puthiya arnilagarn T

c)

7oof votcs polled by Puthrya anrilagarrr T (:l )

6.66.934 6.96.219 7.80.8 52 6.77.205 6.10.090 7.42.722 6.13.t53 6.,10.69'1 8 . 1 5 .l3 7 62.73.066

87.429 .22.316 29.453 1.86.220 L 12.9.1I 7.6t2 9.280 96.334 I 1.535 6.63.90 I

r3.ll . tl I 178 27.19 18.-5 I 1.02 l5l I-s 03 I :i6

I0 57

S o u r c c D a l i l l l l t r u s u .N o v e n r b e r 9 9 9 , . 1 6 . : 1 p

to grab the iand and to disrupt thc Arnbedkar Mantrarn, Udayars began crectin-s wall arounci a t h el a n dc n c l o s i n gh ed r i n k i n gw a t e r a n ki n t h c t r villagcusedby the Parayars. This lcd to a scrics of violentconfrontations bctween boththecastes. Parayars took up the issuein the MadrasHigh Court and got a stay on the construction the of wall. The wall as it stoodat tltetintc ol'thc court There was simmeringconflict bctweenboth stay was of 1500metersin lengthand 9 f'eet in the castestbllowing Ponnusamy U 1 Upadesiyar, h e i g h tI D a l i tM a n i t h a r i m a iK a z h a g a i n 9 9 5 ] . a Parayar,contcs(in_q the post of panchayat for What is significant aboutthc casrc p l e s i d c n i n 1 9 6 5 .T h i s l a t e n tc o n f l i c to f y e a r s t conllicr in translbrmcdinto open conlrontation following Kodunkaalvillage is that the Parayarscould the Ambedkar centenarycelebrations 1990 organisea hunger fast in l'ront of thc Disrricr in during which the local Parayar youth formedan Collector'soffice and takc up the issuc in thc organisation namcd Kodunkaal Ambedkar MadrasHigh Court. In addition,thcy had sent Mantram.The Mantramfunctioned from a oiece more than 40 petitions to statc l'unctionarics o l ' p o r u m b o k ca n d i r n c a s u r i n g b o u t l 0 a c r c s ) rangingfiom theChiefMinisterto thc Scheduled l a thathad becnusedby the Parayars a common Casteand Scheduled as TribesCornrnission rhe to propertytbr thc pastseveral years. an attempt localThasildar a pcriodoi cight nronrhs. In in The

In nr,rtirTamil Nadu also thereis an autonor r r o um o b i l i s a t i oo f t h eP a r a y a r s .u t i t i s r c c e n t . n B anri organisationally yet as elaboratc in not as :routh Tamil Nadu.HereI would takethe cascol' Kodunkaalvillage in Villupuranrdistricl which rvitncssed caste classes between Parayars the and uppcrcasteUdayars 1994-1995. in

voL. t2 No.3&1

DALIT ASSERTION TAMILNADU IN

5t3

petitions did nor resultin any concrete response all over Tamil Nadu. The intensityof mobiliflromthe stateand in fact, the local police sided satron was suchthatthe DMK in its manifesto for with thc Udayars. However, petitions these index the 1996 election,promrsedto get back the theremarkable degree knowledgethe Parayars Panchama of landsto the Dalits.if elected powto have about the network of governmentdepart- er.mentsand functionaries who are responsible to intervene the situation. in Further,it also points Alongsidesuchmobilisation the Dalits by of to the resources availableto Parayars however theNGOs the Dalit Panthers India,headed of by minimaltheyareto confront localupper the castes R. Thirumavalavan beenactivein thisresion. has andto negotiate with the state. Thoughthe Dalir Panthers wereexrremety mititantandconstituted mainlyby theParayar youth, Another leatureof the Kodunkaalconflict was the mainstream parties were not very much ihat the mobilisation of the Dalits was not worried about them because they did not parttcmcdiated any politicalparty.But rheyhad the ipate in electoralpolitics. In June 1999. they by support thc local NGOs. This is a generaliseddecidedto participate the 1999 Lok Sabha of in f'eature Dalit rnobilisation northernTamil elections. justitying their decision, of in In ThirumaNadu.The SocialAction Movement(SAM), an valavan claintedthat the coming together the of NGO founded by a Jesuit priest Rev Martin, BJP and the DMK had poseda gravedangerto would illustrate us the role of NGOs in aiding TamilNadu."Like thePT,theDPI werealsopart to theautonomous Dalit nrobilisation northTamil of theTMC-led Third Front. in Nadu.The SAM works amongvarioussections ol the marginalizcd suchas lower castes, tribals, Facedwith the challenge a Dalit political of women and laboulcrs:and has given rise to a party confronting the mainstream partiesin the n c t w o r k f o r g a n i s a t i o n sh es r r e n g t o I S A M ' s electoral o T. h domainfor the first time the Chidampopularityilnrong thc Dalits came to the fore param constituency from whereThirumavalavan during the Pancharrra land strugglewhich was contested witnessed unprecedented violence poll launched the Dalits in 1994in Chengalpattu let looseby the PMK and the DMK. The Dalits by district. were preventedfrom voting in several places [Aadavan, 1999b]. Despite the poll violence. The SAN{ organised 'SavePanchama a Land Thirumavalavan polled2.25.768 voteswhile the Commlttee' with reprcsentative Dalit youths winningPMK candidare 3.45.33 votes. got I The fiom affecred villagesand members different impressive of performance Thirumavalavan of sigDalit organisltion. conlrontation lts with thestate nalstheautonomous consolidation theParayar of ied to the mobilisation thousands Dalitsand votesin the nonhem of of district.Also this is evident t w o D a l i t s w c r c k i l l e d i n p o l i c e f i r i n g o n l 0 from the fact that, though the TMC, the pT and OctobcrI 994in 1l'ont theSub-collector's of office theDPI werepartof thethird front in theelection. in Chen_ealpattu whereDalits had congre- The Dalit voters's rown commitment wasmoreagainst gatcd to reprcsent their grievance the Sub- thelocallyoppressing to castes thanfor theelection collector. Most of theDalits who constituted that partners the front. For instancc, Mayiladuof in congregation that day were women Crawn thuraiconstituency. on Dalits optedto vote for the fron Mahulit' Sakthi hyakam. The deathol John Congress candidate Mani Shankar lyer than thc Thomasand Ezhumalailed to state-level mobi- TMC candidate Krishnamunhy. doing so. K In lisationof the Dalits by bringing rogerher127 theyensured defeat thePMK candidare the of who Dalit organisations underthe umbrellaof Dalit i s a V a n n i y a rS i m i l a r l y i n C u d d a l o r e o n s r i t u . , c JointAction Committee: a rally organised and by ency,they votedfor the DMK candidare who is theCommittee l9 November1994in Madras an Udayarinstead the TMC candidate on of who is city had the participation one lakh Dalitsfrom a Vanniyar[Aadavan, of 1999a, l5]. p.

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Despitethc autonomous mobilisationof the The castcviolencc in V Puthupatti, village a Dalit castesboth in the south and north Tamil closc to the Srivilliputhurror.vn south Tanril in Nadu and a rcalisation thcir politicalstrcngth. NaduduringI 999and2000assunrcs of significancc the possibilityof different Dalit casres both Devendrars coming in this contcxt.In this villa_ue, together looksremoteat themoment. The newly- and Parayersconstitutethc Dalit population rs acqurred self'-definition the Pallars Deven- Whilc thefonnerarcmembe of thepT, thelatte of r as draKula Vellalars andits sanctification thepT are with the DPL In Marcir 1999llve parayars by to mark out the Parayars Arunththiyars caste belon_eingtheDPI wcrekilledby rhesupporrcrs and as of thePT in a dispute overcrcctin-r{flag post.In a inferiors. Krishnasamy avoidsthe inclusive term a reprisal, eightyhutsof the PT supporters wcre Dalit and instead refersto eachDalit castcby its b u r n td o w n .T h c s i r n n e r i n g o n l ' l i c tu r n e di n t o c namc.'o This is an obviousmove to distinguish openviolence onceagainin Junc200(). This tinrc himse as the leadcrof the Devendrars. April lf In thc Parayars killed six membcrs ol'thc p'I'r') 1998,Krishnasamy also demanded the State in VI. IN LIEU OI'A CONCI,USION Assemblythat the Adi-Dravidaand Tribal Wclfare Departmcnrbe renamcdas Social Justicc T h e a b o v e e x p l o r a t i o n sn t o t h c c h a n ! r i n c i Departnrent.rt Adi-Dravida is a term which c o n t o u r s f D a l i t p o l i t i c si n l ' u r r r r N a d u t , i i n g i o l nornrally rcf'ersto the Parayars. is wiclcly outa setof complex It issucs considerarion for whilc pcrccivedthat Krishnasamy's g demand was to a n a l y s i n c a s t c o n l l i c t s . c ensurc Lhatthc Dcvendrars are not subsumed Firstofall, it pointsro theneedro be sensitivc undera category which rcfersto the parayars. to specifichistoricsof difl'crcntcasrcs rhar are i . Imporrantly, as part of the socio-political i n v o l v e d n c o n f l i c t sA s w e h a v es c c nt h eT h c lvho have historically assertion thc Devcndrars, sectionof their vars and the Vanniyar-s of' a r c t u s c do s u h m e r s t h c i r . s p c c r lcc s t cd c n t i r r c , t c iu i i n t e l l e c t u a li s c o n s t r u c t i na n e w c a s t e i s t o r y . g h in the non-Brahmin ollcctivity. rc thc rrncs c a I n t h i s n e w c a s t c i s t o r y . a l l a ri s c l a i m e d o b c h P t p r i m a r i l y n v o l v e dn v i o l e n c e g a i n srth eD a l i r s . i i a a corruptionof the term Mallar the Chieftainof I n t h i sc o n t e x ti,t i s p e r t i n e n t c x p l u r c h y o t h e r to w the irrigated tracts ancient of Tamil country, who castes not at leastovertly involved arc in cas{c wasalso known as Devendran Indir.an. or Guru- conllicts. We havc also sccn that th<lugh thesamy Siddan a onc-time associate Krishna- Devendrars theParayars of and do notshare sinr lar a i samy who is in thc fbrefrontof promotingthis processof nraterialaclvancenrcnt. both havc ncw history,is candidaboutthesupcriority o1,the r e a c h e d s t a g e l ' s o c i o - p o l i t i c a l s e r t i o n .h c a o s T Devcndrars over otherDalit castes. he notes, reason this is dilfcrcntin cachclsc. This lirct lor As 'When thc Devendra Kula Vellalars combined too elnphasiscs nccdto takc into acc<lunt the arc thc with other castesand ref'erred by common specific histories ofcastes unclers{andins in to casle nomenclature, struggles, our historyand culturc conflicts. get concealcd. Thc degradation othcr castes of Secondly, we conccdethal wc necd to bc if becomes parrof us...Othcrs impose us whatis on attentivc the hisroricspcci{'icitics dil"fcrcnt to ol -- Dalit art.Dalit literature. not ours Dalit culture. s con , - las wcll asl all thoscthingswhich arcdcgracling c a s t e i n u n d c r s t a n d i n - e l l i c t sh o w l a r c a nw c enrploythe catcgories backwardcast{ls ol' and suchas bcatingthc drunr,drinkin-q, scavcnging, Dalits (as I myselfhavedonc in zrl'ew placesin rx beel'-eating...Signilicantly, drum-beating dur- thispaper) largecollectives explainin-e as in caste ing deathsin uppercastehouseholds and becf- conflicts'i To reliame this qucstion,how far eating are associated with Parayars and Thevars and Vanniyars representative lhe arc of scavcnging associated is with Arunththiyars. backwardcastesin Tamil Nadu? Similarlv. in

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clubbing rogether the Devendrars and the Parayars Dalits would we lose out the distincr as processes by which different Dalit castes empowerthcrnselves?

Anaithu Makkal Thevar Peravai appealed theThevaryouth to to tutor themselves methods selfdefenceso asto Drotect tn of themselves lKudiruvun. I I October 19981. 5. Significantly, a vibrant Dalit literary movement has emerged in Tamil Nadu during the past decade:and it is remarkablysuccessful in

turning upside down receivedlit_ Thirdly, in thc caseof Tamil Nadu,we have erary canons.SeePandian[1998a, 1998b]. found that it is the lessadvanced sections the of 6. This is, however,not to say that unrouchability nor has backward castes whichareentering into conflicts undergonechangesin South Tamil Nadu. ln the 1930s.the with the Dalirs.For them,caste identityseems Thevarsof Ramanandcould issuefiats prohibiting the Dalit to compensate fbr their marginality in other women from wearinggold and silver ornaments, flowersand domains. This challenges rhe widely held sandalpasteas well as coveringthe upperpart oftheir bodres. assumptlon it is theadvanced that sections the Dalit men were prohibitedfrom wearing clothesbelow rhe of backward casrcs who giventheirnewly acquired knee and above the waist, wearing sandals and carrying economicand social status,enter into conflict umbrellas.In additionthey were also prohibitedfrorn using non-earthenware cooking [Hutton, 1977, pp.205_06j. for w i t h t h e D a l i t s .D o e st h i s m e a nt h a tw e n e e dt o Suchprohibitions not exist in southTamil Nadu any ntore. do break ll'cc I'ronrthe academic commonsense In fact, given their materialadvancemenr of and the ability of our times and rhe politicallycorrectpositionof Devendrarsto challengethe Thevars caste authority, caste demonising backward thc castes opposition namesare not utteredin day-to-dayconversatlons several in ro in the Dalits'l Instcad,is there a needto evolve a places.lnstead, castes referredto by anglicised are acronyrns. liameworkol'analysis wouldsimultaneouslyFor instance,Maravarsare refened to as MR and pallars as that address nrarginalities both the oppressor P L [ M a r x .I 9 9 7 ,p . 3 l ] . thc of 7. Mnnitha Unnrai Kunkruu, January I99g. p. 26. andthe oppressed situations suchconflict? in of

Thesc qucstionsmay not elsewhere. lhcy are so far But Tamil Nadu is concerned. NOTES

8. Kudiruvurt 20 October I 994. 9. In order to avoid leadersof tjifferent political parties be of relevance surfacingat Pasumpon thc at sanre tinre during the g uru puju, as contemporary the govemment irself has been allotting time for different parties,SeeDirut lvlulur,20 October 1994. l 0 . T h e H i n d u , 2 8 O c t o b e r1 9 9 8 . l l . K u d i r a ' u n , 2 6 O c t o b e r1 9 9 4 . f 2 'The Villupuram Atrocity', Ecottotrtit: tuttl politicul Weekly,l4 October 1978.

L The tcrrn 'Thcvar' wils one of the caste titles of the M u k k u l a t h o r x s t cc o n s t i t u t e d y t h r e ed i s t i n c ts u b - c a s t e-s c _ b Kaliar.Mlravar lnd Agarnudaiyars. the popularparlanace, In howcver.the tcrnt 'Thevar' refersto the Mukkulathor caste ln 199.1 Tarnrl Nadu governmentheadedby J Jayalalitha the offrcrally mcrgedand namedthe three sub-castes Mukkuof lathor as Thevlrs. 2. DevendraKula Vellalar is a recently-elnployed term of honorific self-rcpresentation the pallars who are a Dalit by caste. 3. Parayarsars lhc rnostnulncrousof the castesthat are treated untouchables Tanril Nadu.Thoughtheyarefound as in throughoutTantrl Nadu their primary concentration in the is northcrndistrictsof the state. 4. Though the Thevars pride themselvesas a martial comrnunity,they rn the face of retaliationby the Devendrars arc now seekingprotectionfrom the state.Dr. N Sethuraman. Presidentof AII India Thevar Peravai demandedrecently, conrpcnsatton rhc farniliesof thosekilled and askedthe for govcrnmentto protcct the Thevarsin Ramanathapuram dis_ trict l'fhe Hinlu. 5 October t9981. Similarly, Malaisamy a retiredofllccrol'thc IndianAdrninistrative Servicewho heads

13. While the Devendrars not, by and large.consrder do Ambedkar as a leaderof their caste.the parayars take great p r i d e n h i m .F o r r n s t a n c eh o u g h h en e o - B u d d h i s r o v e l n e n r i t, t m in Tamil Nadu is not numericallystrong,tt rs exclusively a Parayar movement. 14. Kadiroan, 28 June 1999. 15. I-heIndiun Express, 8 DecemberI 995. I 1 6 .I n d i a n E x p r e s s . 2 Tu n e 1 9 9 6 . J 17.Junior Vikatun,I I May 1997. 18.The choiceof the name of Sundaralingam insteadof ImmanuelSekaranis important.While Sundaralingatn was rn anti-colonialhero.Immanuelwas someone who conrested caste-based hegemony. this context,the choiceof the namc In of Sundaralingarn a way of recognising Devendrars is the and at once not acknowledging their desirefor casteequality. 19.Junior Vikutun,I March 1996. 20. A copy of the memorandumis in the author's pos_ session. 2 l . T h e H i n d u , 2J u l y 1 9 9 7 . 22. Junior Vikatun,14 May 1997.

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ll For a detailedsrudy of thc panchamalanclstruggle. a t l a c k i n g l o h np a n d i a na l s o u s e da h u s r v ci a n g u l g c . agarnsr s c eA n a n d h i( 2 0 ( X ) 1 . D a l i tw o n r c n n o o i l ' e n c e r l n c r r e n t c no c o l n n r u n a l . o tt violcnc. 2 4 . O f l l c c o l l h e l ) e p u t y I n s p c c r o r e n e r a lo f p o l i c c . G w a s r e c o g n i s c id t h r s ' . n Proteclion of Civil llights. ^t/ori,rll(:ul lttlttrnuLliott tts orL J-1.For a dctaiiedsturiyttf thc hrstorvr.rfpanchlrna lano 3 L l 2 . 1 9 8 5 ,N { a d l a s .. r i . t a r c n r e n to . 2 6 , n S N g r a n t s n dt h e P a n c h a n llta n r ls t r u g g l es c c a . [ A n l n t l h i .l ( X X ) 1 . 2 5 . T l t el l i t i l u . 3 A u g u s r1 9 9 7 . : l i . f l , e l l i t u l u . l h J u r r cI 9 , ) 9 26. Ileltort ol tlt<, lYtttitntulCornarssiotr l.rtr SL.lteduletl 3 6 .l t h a sb e c nr e c c n r l y c p o t . t ctd a tI ) r . K r i s h n l s t n t v r ('uste.; h uttl Stlrctlult'l'l ribt,s;t\tt.ocitieton St.ttcduled has C)ttste.s , r uttd Stlrcluletl l-ribcs - 0tuses dild Renplies, Delhi. I990. a s k e di ) a l i t P e r u r n a la n o l ' l j c ch c a r . eo l . t h e v o u t h - r v i r r gr 1 . , P u r h i y a a n r i l a g a nn T h i r u v a n r rd i s r r i c t .t o T i p 34. drop the tcrrrr 'l)alit' f r o n rh i s n a r n e S e el l l a s c n d r r a n|.9 9 9 .p . . j 6 i . 2 7 . J u t t r t r Y i k u t t t t . 2 ( tA p r i l 1 9 9 g . 3 7 . ' l l t eI t i r t d u , 3 0A p r i l l r ) 9 t i . 2 8 . T h a l T i n t i t . l 7 O c r o b e r1 9 9 g . 38. Kttyitlrustnur,Fcbruary_lVIarch 2 9 . ' l ' h eH t r n l u .l - 5 N o v e m b e ri 9 9 9 . 199S.pp. rl_.5. l ( ) 7 | r cl l i n t t u . 2 . j O c r o b c ri 9 9 g 3 9 .J u n t o r V i k u t u n .l g J u n c2 0 t X t . 3 l i l l c c n . r k s h r p u r a r lo n v c r s r { ) nn o t o n l y e x u g h t cr s thc l r c n t l o n o f t h e n r ( i o n a la n d r r r t c r n a t i o n an s d l a , t a l s o REI.'I'I{I,NCES tl r lcad l o d c h a r e sn l h c s l a t ca s s e ! n b i y n d t h c p l r l i a r n c n t . i a F u r r h c r . A a d a v a n .1 9 9 9 a ; ' T a n r i l a g a A r a c i : r 1 , a l i)la l i t Y e z h u c h i . r 1 h o o ku p t h e H i n d uu r r l r o t J o x y .o r i n s t a n c cH . V . s F . Seshadn, D u l i t l l l u n r s u ,N o v c r n b c ( i n T a l n i l ) . r n l o p - r a n k i n el l l c l i ( ) n i r r , vo f t h e R a s h t r . i v S w a v a r r r s e t , a x a .l.lte Aadavan, l\)91)I-t. idtnttlsu ltt l/Ltt (llt rut l tltu e; ChitluntltLr S u n g h . r o t c o l r h c c o n v e r s i o nt h u s : W s r u t n ' l h t t k u t l t i ' l ' l t c t . t t l t l K u l d \ . . t I u n l ( t tO u t t i t , t t 'Thc l Ltitttttt w u r u o f c o n v c r s i o n s r v c c p i n gh e s o L r t h e rp a r l t n of Y t t r t tt t tk t l . I h l r t V c l r y r . e t l u . e ; r . c l i t N T a n r i lN r d u . . .W a si n d e c d l a r n r i n gF l i n d uo r g a n i s a t i o n s a . l i k e A n a n d h r .S . , 2 0 0 0 : L u t t l t o t l t e D u i i t . t ; l , u t t c l t t l t r t tL t t t t r ! t h e S a n g h h c H i n d u l \ 4 u n n a n r.h c V i s r v aI l i n r J up a r i s h a c l t i rhc S t r u g g l c r T ' u n i l M r r l u , l n d i a n S o c i a lI n s t i t u t c . u Banga_ A r y a S a r r u l r h c H i n d u S l r n u d a y aV a l a r c h i l V { a n r a m , lhe iore f i r n d u T er n p l eP r o t c er o n C o l n r n i t t c en t l o t h c r H r n t l u l r s o e l l D a l i t N l r n r r h aU r r r n a iK l z h a g a n l .i 9 9 - i : \ t , i l l u p u n t n t r Lltttira n d r c l t g r o t r s r g a n i s a t l o ns ! r . u n g n t o a c t t o n .T h e 1 , o s r forrncd t t u t u t tR o i u n k u a lK i n t n u t ! t i l I h ( ( n l u t ) t ( 1 r t r t t t t t . i t t i p 'flindu ut. l l r c r r r s e i v cn t o rs i ) r t r u r n a lrv l a i y a n t(' C c n t r cf u r I I l n d , , Lncilnal {tn Iltnll) L i n r t v .S o u r l n I i , S Sc a r rIr, r s r t c - d r ls u r v e y c clli r r t an l t h ea l . f e c t c u D i c t r i c h . G a b r r c l e . l 9 r ) 1 . I l t l l t , r r r o t t t ; u t l r , l \ o t n e t t . t lt,lort r r l l l g c s r n t h c l i r u r d i s t n c t so f T a r n i l N a d u :a n t l o n tn t rtt rn l ntl i u. Il t l i u i o t t. lit rt l t t.qt..l ) r,r. thc basis t i olt ntt tt t, l lon r on o f t h a r r c p o l r . r h e l . l O \ 1 d e c i t l e dr o l e u n c h a w i d c s p r e a d India llooks. Dclhi. n r o v c n l c nlti r r s t 0 p p i n g u n h e r . c o n Y e r s i olun t lt o r c c l a i n t 'Corrrrnunllisrn l s . ts . . G a n e h r s t nS . . l 9 l J 9 : t n T a r u i lN a i l u A S lu d ) ( h cH i n d ul b l d a l l r h o s e h o h a d b c e n u c o n v c r t c d , l s c s h a d r ; . o f B o d r R i o t s ' . I : t t n t o n t i t .t t t t r ll , r t l i t i r . r t l l i . r t 1 r . le8tl.p. 5lll I ) e c c t n b e2 . r J 2 . T h ! . c o n l c r s i o nt o I s l r r n b y t h e l ) a l i t s h e s i r n p r o v c t r l J u n a n R i g h t sW a t c h ,1 9 9 9 : I l t o k t , t t l , r o p ! c . ( l t t . s r e i t , l t u rt Y t l r c s o c i a lr c l a t i o n s c t r r c e nt h c I ) a i i t s a n d o t h c r si n b Ag t ti t t .tt I n d i u 's ' Un Io u cl tu lt I t , . t . . c * , y r r r k N Meen_ a k s hp u r a t n n do th e rr i l l a g e s n i t s v i c in r t y .A s a r e c e n t t a i , e , r e p o r t t l u l t o n .J . H . . 1 9 7 7 .C u . s t i n I n r ! i t t . I r . \ \ , ( l t i l( , ! . . ! u i ( t u ) tu t ( i r r c l t t a r k s . W h c t h c r y o u s p c a kt ( ) c o n v c n s .n o n - c o n v e n s p . Oligrrr, xlord University resslJorn.fuy. O or r c - c o n v c n sI.) a l r r s . h e t . a r s r N , l u s l i n t s ,n o n e p o i n t . K r r t r t l r r r .. . ] 0 0 0 . ( i r s l r l , t o l t t t rt , , t i l , 1l l , t ! i i ( , , t t t , . / , j r r \ . , r ( . \ \ T T o o thcrc r s b r o a d a g r c e l n e n t s o c i a l r e l a t i o n sh a v e i m p r o t , e r i A (.'rirtutl Interlrctution ol Drtnrinrttice. : Working papcr and c \ , ' e r y o nh a s b c n c l i t e d . ' f o t h e c x r c n ti t h a s h a d c 5 r . I n s t i t u t cb r S o c i l l a n r lE c o n o r n i c h t n g c .B a , i g a l , , r c . l C a sobcrins r n { l u e n c e n t h c u p p c rc a s t e st,h e l v l e c n l k s h r p u r a n rc i t l c n r Lazar,S., 1997 1.'ontt.r stt.ie.s Ii c rviLn./,izl,,sl.. .!,rir,r, o : und oi ;i in t n I l u t , t l f u n i l N r u l u J a u a h r r l . r N c h r r rL r r r v c r . i r l . s e e t n so h a v ch i t L r n t o L r c h a b i lritts c l f , t l c a s ti n t h c t . l y a \crr vicinitl,, p l ) e l h i ( U n p u b l i s h c d h . l ) .T ' h c s i s ) . l S a i n a t hl,9 9 9 r l . I t l a h a f r n g a r n .I . . 1 9 9 6 ;K o d i v t t t k t r l t t t t t L l u r t t r u r t t _ p i t t t t r r t n , N 3 J . F o r d c t u i l so f t h e B o d r r i o t s c e l D i c l r i c h , 1 9 9 2 .l , p . I n i n r a n u eP e r a v a iA a n r a t h u( i n . l - a r n i l ) . l , r 74-71: and Pcriyar i\4ay'arn, l9ll9l. In the rnainsrrcaln press 'Yenkalukku and upper castercprcser)tations the Ilorji riot. John pan_ M a r x . A . . 1 9 9 7 ; J ' h a n i l , a V c e d uA l i a - O o r u of 'lhuko'. Kaeti N i r u p p i r i t t t i , o v c r n b e r(.i n T a t n i l ) . N dian's speechappears thc kc_v as montent lcadrngto thc riot. l v { a t h e wG e o r g e , 1 9 8 2 a :' p o l i t i c i s a r i o n l . R c l i g i o n : , l n t h i sc o n t e x t w c n e c dt o t a k ci r r t oa c c o u n t ) i e t r i c h , s o , Con_ [ | 992. v e r s i o nt o I s l a m i n T a r n i l N a d u _ p a r t 1 . . L ) t . o r t r t n t t t . p . 7 6 1 a u t i o n : . . . a s p i r a t i otn c q u a l i t l , i s c e n sl n c i tti o s a incitcrnent PolitiLul lfeeAi.y, Junc 19. o f c o l n r n u n av i o l e n c e . .T h c p r o h l c r n e r c i s t h a t t h e v e r b a l l _ h N 4 a t h e uG c o r g c , 1 9 8 2 b :. p o l i r i c i s a t i o n f . R e l i g r o n : . o a s s a u l to f J o h n p a n d i a nl w h o i s c e n a r n l yp a t r r a r c h a l Corrand vcrsion to lslarn in Tanril Nadu - parl Il. f:tortotttit v l o l e n tr n h i sc x p r e s s i o) h a st r c e n a k e n o b c a I n o r eg r i c v o u s unt! n t t PolitiLul lI'cek1r', June26. l n J u r yt h a n t h e a e l u i r l n t u r d c ra n d n l u t i l a t i o no f t h e [ ) a h t l v l a t h e u C c o r g e 1 9 9 7 :' T h e i \ , t c u n i n g . . o f i \ . l c l a v a l a v,u7 7 r r u'olnanN{uthupillai. t tlte saluc tilne when the postcrs A Hittdu. 30 Scprcnrher.

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