TAMILNADU
Untouchability Modernised!
Ganesh
UNTOUCHABILITY practices are going "modern" now. This was evident from
the recent exposure in Nagarajapuram, a village that is there in the
outskirts of Coimbatore city. In the name of resettling the dalits,
they were driven to almost no man's land years ago. But the expansion
of the city and its sub-urban areas brought them near again. So the
profit minded real estate companies have resorted to a new strategy to
keep dalits away from their area. Blocking the way for dalits to have
access to the area, they expect the value of the land to remain high.
This has happened in many places and Nagarajapuram was no different.
In this place, hundreds of dalit families are living since 1976. The
real estate promoters have built a wall that was measuring 10 feet in
height and 2 feet in width and the length is close to a kilometre. To
have direct access to the main road, therefore, most of the people had
to take many extra steps. The building of the wall did not happen
overnight. But the landowners of the other side did it clandestinely.
It was carried out during the last two years. Dalit people on the
other side woke up only when the last 30 metres length of the path was
closed.
A team led by U K Sivagnanam, district convenor of the Tamilnadu
Untouchability Eradication Front (THUEF) recently visited the spot.
When the team was convinced that this is an untouchability wall
indeed, TNUEF decided to take up the issue. Next day, Tamil daily
Theekkathir prominently published the news and that created tremors in
the administration. At the very first sight, the officials were
convinced that the wall was unlawful. The sketch for the plots also
showed a 30 metres path. The people also complained to the officials
that the closure of the path had made them feel like imprisoned. The
only hitch was that the wall itself was on the border of not only for
two panchayats but of two taluks as well. This did not deter the TNUEF
to press for the demolition of the wall. A series of agitations was
planned.
Expecting a backlash, the district administration acted fast lest
there was some mass action. On December 25, revenue officials
demolished two portions of the untouchability wall. These two
stretches of 30 feet and 23 feet now provide the dalit people direct
access to the main road. Though the structure has remained largely
intact, the purpose of the land promoter has been defeated. Just after
the demolition, one could find joyful women and children walking
through the newly restored path.
Uthapuram was just a beginning in of exposing the untouchability walls
in Tamilnadu. Somebody sought to belittle its impact by saying that
villages are yet to be radicalised. Another wall in Periyar Nagar,
that is in the heart of "South India's Manchester," i.e. Coimbatore
city, exposed that too. One more wall was found in the municipal
limits of Trichy. Now in the news is Udumalpet, a small town in
Tirupur district. A wall has been raised by a realtor to block the way
for dalits.
The world is getting modernised. Yet the caste oriented society
somehow finds space to land its feet. The landing is atrocious. The
TNUEF, through its well oiled machinery, has conducted many surveys.
In its first state conference, a list of atrocities was released. But
the recent problems have brought new varieties of atrocities. In
another village near Coimbatore, a Dalit cannot talk on his cellphone
in front of a caste Hindu. He has to switch off his phone or cut the
call. When this came up, A Raja of the "spectrum" notoriety was the
union telecom minister. This village falls in his constituency.
"SOFTWARE" FOR
UNTOUCHABILITY
Another incident of untouchability has crossed all the limits. One Mr
Jayan had registered himself with tamilmatrimony.com in order to find
a life partner. He is a Christian and was registered in that category.
When a few proposals came for him, he surfed some of the profiles. In
one profile, "caste no bar" was mentioned. He was happy to see that.
But his happiness did not last for more than a moment. The very next
column said "SC/ST excuse." Jayan was furious to see that. He did not
stop there.
He called up the contact number and blasted them. His argument was:
people may prefer one or another particular caste in the matrimony
ads, but how come these people could say, "we do not want these and
these castes." He rang up a few newspaper offices to give vent to his
anger. He said, "This is untouchability modernised. In fact, the
website that offers this service should pull up its socks. The
software that serves the purpose of casteist requirements should be
thrown away by the tamilmatrimony.com."
The TNUEF had listed around 85 types of atrocities committed upon
dalits in Tamilnadu. In the states where the survey has been done,
Gujarat stands first. As many as 99 types of atrocities have been
listed by the Navsarjan, a non-profit voluntary organisation. It seems
that Tamilnadu is now poised to take Gujarat over by creating new,
"modern" types of atrocities.
The impact of the agitations run by the TNUEF is being felt. The
people have started looking up to the TNUEF for solving their problems
concerning social issues. Uthapuram is leading from the front.
Wherever an untouchability wall is found, people take inspiration from
Uthapuram. The unsolved problems in Uthapuram make the people more
steely. The TNUEF has announced a series of programmes for the next
year. The year 2011 is going to be an eventful year for the TNUEF.
VENMANI
LAUNCHED
CPI(M) state secretary G Ramakrishnan released the quarterly magazine
of TNUEF, Venmani, at Venmani village on December 25, 2010. The
quarterly is named so in the memory of Venmani martyrs. It was in the
fitness of things that the magazine was launched on the day of their
martyrdom. In less than a month of the announcement that such a
magazine is going to be launched, insurance employees belonging to the
All India Insurance Employees Association mobilised 1,500 yearly
subscriptions for Venmani. The first issue of Venmani has come out
with the draft charter of demands including the incorporation of a
dalit sub-plan in the state budget.
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