TN’s reset towards social justice
The death of a Scheduled Caste temple priest in Tamil Nadu’s Pudukkottai district a month ago has barely affected the collective consciousness of the state. The cold-blooded murder allegedly by a group of Caste Hindus is already a forgotten story. The probe is still on, though.
This is not an isolated case of a caste-related atrocity. There has been an unusual spike in such cases over the last few years. RTI-based data collection by an NGO recently revealed that 300 people from SC/ST communities were killed in caste murders across the state during 2016-2020. What is shocking is the abysmal conviction rate, which stands at 4.3%. The recent national crime report paints another gloomy picture: the rate of crime against women has gone up in the state, to 17.4% in 2020 from 15.6% in 2019.
Crimes against children too have shown a steady increase. These are indeed worrying signs for a state that is striving to bring in social justice to all. The state government seems to have realised urgency of the matter. With an aim to break the caste barriers, it recently appointed two dozen non-Brahmin priests in temples under its management. Five of them belonged to SC communities, making it another first for TN. The government also appointed a woman as an odhuvar, who renders hymns in temples. Recently, it announced that a panel would be formed to monitor the implementation of social justice in education, employment, promotions and appointments. The panel, comprising government officials, educationists and legal experts, will recommend an action plan to ensure social justice is delivered the right way.
The fact is many issues still remain unresolved. Just observing the birth anniversary of Periyar E V Ramasamy on September 17 as social justice day is unlikely to herald any change. Are we anywhere closer to the world envisioned by him? The answer is no. If alive, the social reformer, , who vehemently fought against Brahminical dominance and gender and caste inequality, would have been completely dejected. Having walked backwards for a while, TN seems to have now begun a long, arduous trek towards equality.