VILLUPURAM: With the Tamil Nadu assembly elections looming in 2021, political parties are coming up with strategies to win votes. The Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) has called for consolidation of 60 of the 74 sub-castes among Dalits in Tamil Nadu under the banner of 'Adi Dravidar'. The aim is to gain political strength.
The party's senior leader and Villupuram MP D Ravikumar in a webinar organised by the party had said, "Members of the Paraiyar group and fringe sub-castes under SC list must identify themselves as Adi-Dravidar, which will be the precondition to annihilate caste within the scheduled communities."
As a party that had been the voice of scheduled communities in the state, VCK is going through restructuring of the party, appointing new functionaries and strategies. Meanwhile, a webinar about dalit leader Rettaimalai Srinivasan on his anniversary was held, headed by the party chief and Chidambaram MP Thol Thirumavalavan on September 18.
It was in this meeting that Ravikumar proposed integration of the communities for the better. The proposal has met with opposition from a section of Dalit activists and thinkers. In an interview with The New Indian Express, Ravikumar explains his perspectives on the issue.
Q: What is the need for such a coalition of caste sub-groups and how is it possible to convince each group that have experienced caste oppression distinctively to become one?
A: The different caste experiences of these groups itself happened because of the different identified each hold. Had they become one, then the identity and experiences would be similar. Moreover, the distinctive nature of each sub-group doesn't represent their social capital but become factors for oppression. For instance, the Puthirai Vannar community may be in a few thousands and are denied any kind of political representation because of the faint numerical strength. Now if they identify themselves as Adi Dravidar instead of the existing sub-caste, then a representation for them will be possible. It is not a forceful conversion, it is only a wilful choice put forth before the communities and so far we have only been receiving positive support for the idea.
Q: Why the identity of Adi Dravidar proposed instead of coining a new term?
A: Because the name was proposed by early Dalit leaders like Aiyothee Das, Rettaimalai Srinivasan and M C Rajah in 1922 who insisted that the government categorize the communities based on anthropological evidences, giving them a common identity. They also thought that the groups had no similarity with the caste Hindus culturally and also identified themselves with sole Tamil nativity. It was a mixture of population from different cultural set-up and so the term adi-dravidian (early/ancient dravidian) suited them well. It was a well thought out term, and stays relevant even today.
Q: Why do you think some communities within the SC list want separate representation? Also, will people from those communities be included in Adi Dravidar list if they are willing to join?
A: We are not willingly neglecting their participation, so if they are willing they can join us. The Poona Pact signed in 1932, between Dr B R Ambedkar and Madan Mohan Malviya as representatives of the oppressed and dominant castes respectively, impacted on the political recognition of the scheduled communities. In the beginning years, the Pact enabled the voice of dalits and tribals to be amplified in electoral politics virtually converting into political bargaining power and numerical strength of the communities. However, years later, the Hindutva fringe forums had been vile in reaching out to the most insignificant sub-caste groups within the larger SC list and turning them against the majority sub-castes in all states. Making the mahars as an internal rival for the rest of SC caste groups in Maharashtra, the pallar in Tamil Nadu were turned against the paraiyar, similarly separating arunthathiyar community from the combined political dialogue of Dalits in Tamil Nadu had happened in the recent past. This is systemically executed by the Hindutva group, which wants to take over the nation as a single Hindu Rashtra.
Q: Pallar, a group of the SC in Tamil Nadu, had been demanding to be delisted from the schedule and attach themselves with the BC/MBC category as they say the SC identity had caused them all the discrimination. A state-wide protest demanding the same was held on Tuesday, headed by the Puthiya Thamizhagam party chief Dr Krishnaswamy. What is your opinion about their demand?
A: The very motive of such narrative is backed up by the RSS and BJP based on the 'divide and rule' principle. It is primarily against the constitution to separate sub-caste groups as the constitution insists on equality. Equality can be the only distinctive nature of the Adi-Dravidar groups. There can't be an exclusive indigenous identity that corresponds to the development of the communities, rather those are the features given to the groups to validate discrimination against them.
Q: How will the new adi-dravidar umbrella function?
A: The coming together of 60 sub-caste groups constitute to 65 percent of the total SC population in the state and a solid 20 percent of the total population and so the umbrella will amplify the needs and political representation of the dalits like never before. Further, the number of political positions held by the members of the adi-dravidar group will relatively increase than it is today, like say there will be 10 more MLAs from the adi-dravidar community if they all come together, as the figures will reflect on vote-bank power sharing.