The Thamate (Drum) Performance:

A resilient theory towards anti-oppressive futures1

This paper problematizes the performative arts that have been theorized by the high
culture academics and repositions to claim that the Dalit struggle across India and specifically in
Karnataka has redefined the cultural reproduction towards a dignified existence. It further
explores the use of the THAMATE (Drum) to historicize the Dalit struggle for selfdetermination and justice for their oppressed and exploited situation in the modern Independent
India.
The Dalit2 communities across India, in spite of the colonial and post-colonial gruesome
contexts they never let their spirits. Persons like Ayothee Thass to Dr. B.R. Ambedkar stood for
their lived cultural traditions to contest the neo-Hindutva forces as well as the emergent casteist
politics in independent India. They strategically adopted both the modern Human Rights
perspectives as well as cultural ethos to assert their identities. Its from this background that the
paper posits that the cultural symbols of Dalit communities need critical re-look into their
semeiotic significance that sustains their everyday life. Before, looking briefly into the Thamate
(Drum) with all its symbolic significations, theoretically one has to situate the context in which
certain ideas get their epistemological significance. For instance, Raymond Williams in his book,
Culture and society traces how the words like industry, class, democracy, art and culture got
their new meanings because of the Industrial Revolution in Europe and due to this the modern
societies were reorganized based on these new meanings. For instance, the word industry was
meant as a particular attribute, which could be paraphrased as 'skill, assiduity, perseverance and
diligence. But, in the last decades of the eighteenth century, industry came also to mean
something else; it became a collective word for our manufacturing and productive institutions,
and for their general activities. Adam Smith, in The Wealth of Nations (1776), is one of the first
writers to use the word in this way, and from his time the development of this use is assured.
Industry, with a capital letter, is thought of as a thing in itself an institution, a body of activities
rather than simply a human attribute. Industrious, which described persons, is joined, in the
nineteenth century, by industrial, which describes the institutions. The rapid growth in
importance of these institutions is seen as creating a new system, which in the 18303 is first
called Industrialism.3 The second word is democracy, which later attained the meaning of
democratic (political) representation in the newly emerged nation-state. The third word, class,
can be dated, in its most important modern sense, from about 1772. Before this, the ordinary use
of class, in English, was to refer to a division or group in schools and colleges: 'the usual Classes
1

This paper was an outcome of a co- presentation at an international seminar at JNU, New Delhi,
organized by the Social Anthropology Association, London University. The theme of the presentation
was Dalit performance art, cultural politics and the renegotiation of identity which was
jointly theorized by Prof. David Mosse and Fr. Packianathan and by me. Im grateful to Prof. David
Mosse and Fr. Packianathan for their stimulating theoretical inputs and discussions.
2

The word Dalit as an ethnographic phrase denotes specific untouchable communities in the Hindu caste society.
Theoreticians like Gopal Guru notes that this terminology doesnt have common acceptance among the Dalit
Communities in India. But irrespective of the differences the terminology has come to stay both in the academics as
well as among the languages in India.
3
Raymond Williams, 1959, Culture and Society 1780-1950, Anchor Book Edition, USA, p. xii

in Logic and Philosophy. It is only at the end of 18th c., that the modern structure of class, in its
social sense, begins to be built up. First comes lower classes, to join lower orders. Thus, the
importance of these words, in our modern structure of meanings, is obvious. The changes in their
use, at this critical period, bear witness to a general change in our characteristic ways of thinking
about our common life: about our social, political and economic institutions; about the purposes
which these institutions are designed to embody; and about the relations to these institutions and
purposes of our activities in learning, education, the arts and culture that attained a sort of
imagined truth.
Its in this context that a new name, aesthetics, was found to describe the judgment of art,
and this, in its turn, produced a name for a special kind of person aesthete. The arts literature,
music, painting, sculpture, theatre were grouped together and shown to be the cultural artifacts
of human civilization. But the materiality of these was, that the illegitimate wealth that was
accumulated in Europe during the saga of colonial plunder, legitimized. Therefore, one is forced
to located these developments and how, in the same context, visual art, music, dance forms,
theatre, artifacts, religious or heroic iconography and mythic representations all were used to the
politics of recognition and of rebellion. The processes of cultural production are inbuilt into the
dynamics of colonial modernity that differentiated the civilized and discriminated against the
barbarian who was considered as less-human.
From this theoretical background, performing arts too cannot escape the space of time
and time of space dynamics. They all part and parcel of the complex journey of socio-political
realities of everyday life across communities. Performing arts therefore, take these historically
embedded contexts in which they attain their significance. But if one looks into the historical
trajectory of the Dalit Performing Art both the academicians as well as the post Independent
general public have consumed and spoken of them as Folk-lore- Art Forms. (To patronize
these, the Karnataka Govt., has constituted JANAPADA (Folklore) Academy and Yakshagana
Academy). But they cannot be termed as Folk-Performing Arts because they are all part and
parcel of the livelihood contexts the lower caste communities and hence the terminology FolkPerforming-Arts doesnt specify anything but the secularized or generalized caste-hierarchy
that dictates the terms of negotiations across caste-communities. Therefore, Dalit Performing
Arts communicate the specificity of the communities that are driven to survive at the periphery
of the caste Hindu society. As part of this, the paper situates the THAMATE or the Drum in the
dynamics of asserting and conflicting Identity Politics in Karnataka and there by trace its
trajectory into the modern Dalit activism in the state. A variety of performing arts are practiced
across Karnataka by the Lower Caste communities like Dance- Drumming (Thamate Vadya),
Singing Songs Kamsale padagalu, Mukhaveena4, Thogalu Gombeyata (Leather Dolls),5 Those
who perform killekyatha dance are called Killekyathas These are lowest in the caste
hierarchy. Suthrada Gombeyata (Thread Dolls), Neelagara Troupes,6 Burrakatha,7 Veera
4

This is a short pipe-like instrument in the shape of olaga that produces deep sonorous sound. The Yakshagana
music, which employs thirty-two ragas, mainly depends on this instrument.
5
They are leather Dolls. Those playing thogalu bombe (Dolls prepared out of dead animals skin) are known as
gomberamas. These gomberamas are originally from Marata region. These artist's perform Mudalapaya (Eastern
genre) Yakshagana. These were previously performed by nomadic communities, and after the government provided
them with shelter, they have settled in villages cultivating land. The long instrument these artists use is known as
uppanga. Those who perform killekyatha dance are called Killekyathas These are lowest in the caste heirarchy).
6
A Troupe of professional singers of the miraculous birth and achievements of the legendary persons called
Manteswamy and male Mahadeswara. They are also known by names such as Mantedavaru, Mantedayya,

Makkalakunitha (the Chivalrous Childrens Dance) 8, Chowdike (A small Rhythmic skin

instrument)9 , Gorva Dance and other performances that even today have given space for the
dalits and others to negotiate their spaces in the public domain.
Apart from these, there are others like dollu kunitatha (A Big Drum Dance), the
Bhootharadhane etc that has religious connotations attached to these performances. In all these
performances, the performer as well as the on looker join together to ward off the evil that strikes
the communities. By this it is said that the troubled communities attain solace. But the dilemma
is that they also help in consolidating the feudal structures of caste particularly during the village
festivities that are performed annually.

Gorava Kunitha(Gorava dance)

Manteswamy, Dharege Doddavaru etc, follow the tradition of veerashaiva Bhakthi movement originated among the
dalit communities in Karnataka (Today these forms are taken by the cinema world and become a popular genre of
performance.
7
Burra Katha - The story of the skull - is popular in the Telugu speaking regions and also in the boarders of
Karnataka. This is quite a popular form of singing among the dalit artists. Today, Burra Katha Eeramma is well
known singer. She uses the instrument called Thamboori while singing. She is saqid to have more than 1lakh songs
in her mouth.
8
This form is unique for Mandya district. This consists of dance accompanied by songs eulogizing the valour of
those who sacrificed their lives for the country. This is performed on Village festivities and marriages. The
instruments they use are known as Nagari (A big half-type Drum). Today the youth from dalit communities are
taken to the performance.
9
The devotees of Ellamma belonging to the Dalits sing the praises of this goddess. Its also considered as ritualistic
song sung on various occasions in the village.

But the Thamate (the Drum) is the master performance that solely remained as the
cultural symbol of the dalit communities till today. This Percussion instrument made up of
leather is widely in use in rural areas as well as urban areas on a variety of occasions. No annual
fair or festivity can take place without the beating of Thamate. In an interview with Mr. Dingri
Narasappa, a thamate artist from Raichur (Northern district in Karnataka) said that in the
primordial times the only known instrument of rhythm was mrudanga that was madeby the
ancestor of the Madiga community. Due some reason, this drum was broken into two parts. As it
broke a sound THA-BOLA emerged. Here, one can glimpse at the notion of the philosophy of
sound or the concept Rhythm that became of part and parcel of communities journeys to the
present There are a variety of drumds toda. If we look into the use of this percussion
instrument we find four phases:
The first phase of its significance starts in the rurality of life. It can also be called as the
conventional use to herald the news of a death, or of a catastrophe or a panchayat meeting or of
village harvest festival or a fare or a procession. Most of the significations here encircles around
the cyclic life and death of the people in the village. But as the feudal agricultural structures
emerge in the rurality the thamate was used as the precursor of power of the dominant castes and
the dalit artist was just a person to carry out the orders of the feudal lord in the village. Its often
said that it was this village idocy that was responsible for the inhuman treatment of the Dalits.
Therefore, this phase is the most controversial element in the cultural signification of the
thamate.
The second phase starts with the arrival of the modern nation-state with its promises of
citizenship with certain fundamental rights to the individuals. This slowly led to the rearticulation of Dalit quest for redeemed Cultural Revolution among their lives. This certainly
marks the departure from a given caste identity towards rediscovered traditions of Buddhist
past. Historically this move though it was heralded by Pandit Ayothi Thass, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar,
Ratte Malai Srinivas, Mr. B.Shyamsundar and others, but actually in the context of Karnataka it
was in 1973 that the real emergence of the Dalit Collective Self the Dalit Sangarsha Samithi is
felt. It was a irony that the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi declares emergency period in the
country. In Karnataka the well-known Devaraj Ars was the Chief Minister. During his Chief
Ministership all communities in Karnataka and specifically the lower caste communities got their
much wanted attention and they ventured boldly into the fields of education and Govt. jobs. This
gave rise to the community associations to come up across the state. Thus, an association called
Dalit Kriya Vedike ( Dalit Action Forum) was functioning in 1973 at Badravathi, Shivamoga
district of Karnataka. Similarly in Mysore, Progressive Writers and Artist Association had come
up. This later organization invited the then law minister Mr. B. Basavalingappa A Dalit MLA
to address them in Mysore. A staunch Ambedkarite as he was, he denounced the Kannada
literature as Boosa Sahitya (Kannada Literature as Cattle Fodder). This gave rise to state wide
protests by the upper caste communities and because of it he had resign for his ministership.
However, the turn of events urged all the likeminded individuals and groups come together to
launch the Dalit movement across the state under the leadership of Prof. B. Krishnappa. The
other important individuals of the time were Mr. Devanoor Mahadeva, Mr. Indoodhra
Honnapura, Mr. K. Ramaiah, Dr. Siddhalingaiah, Prof. G. Govindaiah, Mr. Sagar and so many
others. Journals like Shudra by Shudra Srinivas, the Dalit by V.T Rajashekar, the Panchama etc
came to denounce the caste hegemonies. This period along with the Dalitha Sangarsha Samithi,
the Dalit writers believed in their emancipatory agenda and started different genre in Kannada
writings that gave fillip to the cultural world of the Dalit communities. It was one of the writings

that Devanur Mahadeva takes the Thamate as the moving symbol to herald the much needed
democratic changes in the village Karnataka. (The Story is called the Amaasa). Thus, the
second phase marks a radical departure from the conventional understanding of Dalit cultural
world, to understand the potentiality of cultural tools and specifically the performing arts among
the dalit communities. Thus, the constructed shame attached with the performing arts was shed
and reinterpretation of their cultural heritage come to the fore front. Thus, the Dalita Sangarsha
Samithi had its own cultural wing that particularly took the Thamate as the symbol of mobilizing
the cadre and the people at the grassroots. Dr. Siddalingaiahs radical poetry was tuned and
adopted for the mass awareness programmes. Street theatre was also deployed for the same.
From here onwards, the rhythm of Thamate moves towards social perspective incorporating the
emerging aspiration of Dalit activism. For instance today the thamate has attained a status of an
independent protest symbol called Thamate Chaluvali (Thamate Protest movement) in oder
to drw the Govt. machinery as well the public towards the Dalit issues. Thus, it became a public
symbol of campaign, which was later adopted by the farmers movement and other civil activists
in the state.
The third phase of the Thamate starts with the campaigning for public support for the
govt. welfare programmes like pulse polio, adult literacy campaign, anti-Devadasi (temple
prostitution) system, Sarva Shikshana Abhiyana campaign, etc. Its interesting to note that the
rhythm how the democratic state took to the cultural symbols of the lower caste communities in
order to reach out to them. Even today, this modus operando is very popular. The same is also
adopted by the NGOs and also the political parties to draw the public support in the state for
their programmes. The following photo highlights this:

BJP in Karnataka to draw the support of the people, use thamate to inaugurate the march towards the
people.

The final phase comes with the emergence of Slum Janandolan movement in Karnataka. This
comes in a time when the LPG policies of the state is appropriating rights based movements as
well as dismantling the anti-caste movements in the state. It all started when a group of young
friends came together to campaign for slum issues. As they delved deep into the slum realities
they took up an ethnographic study of Bangalore slums and realized that their main reality is
urban-caste-discrimination that dries their activism. Taking up this issue on various platforms
they slowly got organized into a movement called Slum Janandolan network in Karnataka. Here
again they took recourse to their cultural richness of the communities that were living the slums
and started celebrating their existence in the cities as Slum Habba, their slogan was We too
know how to smile! The first of its kind started in Bangalore about three years ago. The
following photos highlight the efforts:

Bangalore Slum Habba: Youth have fashioned a new dimension by learning the rhythm

In the conventional use of the Thamate, only elders would use the precursor instrument.
But the slum today has shed away the pollution attached to the instrument. Now it has become
the symbol assertion of their identity in the urban spaces.
Last year, in massive rally that took place in Hubli, Medha Patkar came to inaugurate the
slum Habba Rally. The following photos capture the episode:

Slum People have joined in Hubli to assert their existence in the cities

Medha Patkar inaugurates the rally by garlanding Dr. B.R. Ambedkars statue at Hubli

Medha Patkar inaugurates the Slum Habba by beating the Thamate (2011)
Thus, slum janadolan today taking the musical instruments of the dalit communities in urban
spaces try to regenerate their cultural ethos to claim their due spaces in the urban space in
Karnataka.
However, traditionally the above forms were described as folk performing arts. All
communities as they change historically their performing arts too have under gone change
modifying themselves to the needs and the contexts that make them functionally relevant. The
various social movements have used these art forms effectively to give a fillip to the struggling
masses to regain their lost dignified self in face of LPG onslaught. Its this search for the
dignified existence that the concept of aesthetics is rearticulated to capture the everyday lives of
the communities. In this context even the modern electronic media have taken to these forms as
effective communicative symbols.
Most of the writers who try to theorize Dalit performing art visa vie social change always
take to the high culture perspective living away the everyday contexts of the communities at
the grassroots. Though there are contestations on this, culture production and theory in relation
to issues such as multiple and hybrid identities that are indigenous in nature needs to address the
coping mechanisms associated with the Dalit performing arts. The dawn of democratic spaces do
affect these performing arts. The artists as part of the civil society do negotiate their citizenship
to claim their fundamental rights without sacrificing their cultural ethos. Rather these cultural
strategies assure them better bargaining skills with caste ridden social spaces. Thus, the Dalit
performing arts act as the symbols of resistance to hegemonic control over resources.
However, the artists marginality within the cultural discourses of art and aesthetics in India
is an issue that challenges the mainstream perspectives like Sanskrit Traditions RASA theory.

Dalt performing arts as a collective tool highlights this marginality that itself becomes a voice to
present and represent their agonies through their performances. The primary task of the dalit
artists and writers is to dismantle the towers of theory but give expression to the life. Thus, in
one of the interviews the Dalit intellectual Devanur Mahadev said, The dalit aesthetics needs to
be constructed in place of what is rejected, the rejection of the triadic concept of sathyam,
shivam, sundaram. Therefore, the true dalit aesthetics will be constructed through the
replacement of the Hindu notion of Indian aesthetics by freedom, equality, fraternity and social
justice, which are the soul of dalit performing arts.
By
Dominic D
Associate Professor
Dept. of Kannada Studies
Bangalore University PG Centre
Kolar - 563101
Email: dominic.davidappa@gmail.com