Defying casteism

Published : Jul 14, 2006 00:00 IST

Dalits in a village in Tamil Nadu's Thoothukudi district take up cudgels against caste oppression.

S. VISWANATHAN in Thoothukudi

ONE of the first decisions of the newly elected Tamil Nadu government was to pass orders facilitating the appointment of people from any caste as archakas (priests) in temples provided they have the required qualifications. The path-breaking decision is expected to put an end to the monopoly of caste Hindus in temples. Expectedly, the reformist measure received the approbation that it deserves.

Even as political parties and progressive people were hailing the government's action, Dalits in a remote hamlet, K. Velayuthapuram, in the southern district of Thoothukudi were fighting for their right to livelihood and equality. About 200 Dalits belonging to 43 families have been ostracised by the caste Hindus. The stated "reason" was that they celebrated the annual festival of their temple without obtaining the caste Hindus' "prior permission", as they used to.

The social and economic blockade "ordered" by the informal "oor (village) panchayat" virtually drove the minority Dalits, all belonging to the subgroup of Arunthathiyar out of the village. The drastic action of the caste Hindus, about 2,000 and belonging to 357 families, deprived the Dalits of even the limited access they had until then to water sources in the village, shops, schools, and so on. Above all, the blockade robbed them of their jobs as agricultural labourers or as workers in the many match factories in the region.

The "panchayat" decision came after a Dalit elder of the village, M. Subramanian, was allegedly assaulted a day after the festival (June 7) by a group of caste Hindu youth for having brought "holy water" from Courtallam Hills as part of the celebrations. Subramanian lodged a complaint with the police. He said: "They are intolerant of the very idea of giving a `holy water' wash to the deity in a Dalit temple. They do not allow us to enter their temple, but want us to do all the dirty work connected with a festival. They will not allow us to bathe in the public tank, though they use the tank for bathing their own cattle." The police recorded a first information report (FIR), arrested eight persons and registered a case against them. "This was enough for the caste Hindus to wreak vengeance on us," said a Dalit youth.

Unable to bear the ostracism about 100 Dalit men, women and children proceeded to Kovilpatti, the taluk headquarters, about 25 km away, on June 12. They marched into the office of the Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) in an attempt to draw the government's attention to the injustice. The RDO, who received their petition, told them that action could be taken only after he met the District Collector who is based at Thoothukudi. The Dalits told him that they would not go home unless the government assured them of steps to protect their lives and provide basic needs. They wanted the Collector to listen to their grievances. The Dalits, who had come prepared to meet any eventuality, began cooking their food within the office compound. The police made an unsuccessful attempt to disperse the crowd. When the talks the RDO initiated then did not make any headway, the Dalits persisted with their demand for a meeting with the Collector.

Responding to their plea, the Collector, Dr. R. Palaniyandi, rushed from Thoothukudi, about 55 km away. After a peace meeting, the Collector agreed to give police protection to the Dalits and promised steps to redress their grievances. He asked them to go back to their native village without asking for an alternative place of residence.

Besides Subramanian, K. Kanakaraj, district secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), M. Mariya Das, State president, Arunthathiyar Mahasabai, and M. Bharatan, director of Kalam, a Tirunelveli-based human rights organisation, were among those who participated in the talks. "What surprised one was the stubbornness with which the affected people confronted the developments and the way they effectively presented their case to the officials," said Kanakaraj. According to him, Subramanian, who has little formal education, effectively presented the Dalits' case. Assisting Subramanian in this were Veeralakshmi and M.S. Muthiah, a naiyandi melam (a percussion instrument) artist of the village and a winner of the Kalaimamani Award of the State government. "It was perhaps Subramanian's emotional, but factual and coherent account of the incidents that helped the officials realise the need for state intervention," said Bharatan.

The Dalits' petitions listed over 20 forms of untouchability allegedly practised by the caste Hindus of K. Velayuthapuram. Besides denial of access to common water sources and the temple, or the right to walk into the caste Hindu areas with footwear or ride a bicycle or a scooter (none should possess one) and the practice of supplying tea to Dalits in coconut shells or separate tumblers, there are many other cruel ways in which untouchability is practised in the village. For instance, no Dalit should go for higher education, no outsider can be brought into the village without the caste Hindus' permission, no Dalit should apply for a government post and none of them should take up jobs outside the village. Besides, Dalits are engaged for free compulsory labour such as cleaning of the path to the burial ground and also of the roads in caste Hindu areas during festival days.

Subramanian's son, Muthukrishnan (23), explained how he lost a Central government job because of the hostile attitude of the caste Hindus. Four years ago, an Extra Departmental Post Office was sanctioned for the village and he was called for an interview to the post of a sub-post master, reserved for the Scheduled Castes. He arranged for the security deposit for the purpose, but he could not attend the interview because the caste Hindus opposed it on the grounds that they cannot stand before a Dalit boy to buy stamps and other postal articles. He is currently holding the position in another village, which was prepared to provide space for the post office.

M. Kalyani (23) had a similar experience when she could not respond to a call for an interview for the post of a nutritional meal administrator reserved for the S.Cs. S. Mariappan (38), a painter, said he had to leave the village when he bought a two-wheeler which he thought would help him take up assignments in neighbouring villages and towns. The reason: he could not ride the vehicle through the caste Hindu streets.

S. Ganesan (25), a physically disabled person, could not for a long time use the tricycle presented to him by the government because the caste Hindu "road rules" could not be violated. It needed a lot of "recommendation" and persuasive skill to convince them of his need for the vehicle. Even the family of M.S. Muthiah cannot use the public tap located in front of its little home, because the tap is not meant for Dalits. To get water, they have to walk to the Dalit "colony" some distance away.

Collector Palaniyandi told Frontline that as a follow-up to the talks he had with the Dalits he visited them at K. Velayuthapuram on June 14. He was convinced that the foremost task was to make them self-reliant. He had already made arrangements to provide old-age pension to some of them. Self-help Groups for women would also be formed soon. Arrangements would be made to provide training in tailoring and other useful vocations. He said he was looking into the complaints of the practice of untouchability and would do the needful. He said he was trying to get assistance from governmental agencies to provide financial aid to Dalits to run shops in their areas.

The affected people still live in fear. Even 10 days after the government's intervention, none of the villagers could get their jobs back, even in the match factories, Subramanian said. However, a new confidence seems to be gaining ground among them. Even without waiting for the government assistance the Dalits have made a small beginning by opening a tea shop-cum- provision store with whatever little resources they could mobilise from among them. Dalits in some neighbouring villages pitched in by sending rice and other essentials for sale in their shop, which they have named "Samathuvam". For them "Samathuvam", meaning equality, has perhaps become a symbol also of liberation.

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