Identity Of Arunthathiar Leaders In Madurai

IDENTITY OF ARUNTHATHIYAR LEADERS IN MADURAI S.Rengasamy11 Faculty Member Madurai Institute of Social Sciences (The analysis is modeled based on the observation made by Simom Charsley in his article on “Evaluating Dalit leadership: P.R. Venkatswamy and the Hyderabad example”, Economic & Political Weekly, vol. 37, no. 52, 2002: This observation is based on that and we found a lot of similarities between these two places – Hyderabad & Madurai.)

ARUNTHATHIYAR AND CASTE IDENTITY

Personal discussions with arunthathiyars and their leaders revealed that they faced a dilemma regarding their caste identity. There are persons who identified themselves with the broader alit concept and the major denominations like Pallar and Parayars. There are claims and counter claims about the contributions made by the arunthathiar leaders to build the Dalit Panthers Movement to the present status – this it self is an indication that arunthathiyar have an broader dalit identity. Dimensions of Arunthathiyar leadership in Madurai

Dalit identity and caste identity of Arunthathiyar leaders Religious identity of Arunthathiyar leaders Generation and succession among Arunthathiyar Leaders Net working and resource mobilization

As observed by Simon Charsley of Glasgow University, UK (http://www.gla.ac.uk/departments/sociology/staff/simoncharsley/) in Hyderabad, the three major dalit castes in Madurai shared a common position in relation to the rest of the Hindu population. All of them were being discriminated against and excluded as ‘untouchables’ though not perhaps in such radical and damaging ways as one found in rural area. The condition of Madurai arunthathiyar is no different from Simon Charsley other dalits. At the beginning of the century it was clear that all the three caste groups shared practices which damaged them in the eyes of Hindu reformers. They shared an alcoholic culture enough to damage them economically and for the petty violence it generated; they also shared the practice of animal sacrifice to their largely female deities. Sacrificing pigs and taking beef during religious festivals was looked down contemptuously. In none of these were the members of these castes unique, but for each other was the most conspicuous fellow sufferer. The dilemma was therefore whether organizations should look exclusively to their own castes or whether they should seek to work for all and to overcome the barriers between them. Working exclusively for arunthathiyars and working in solidarity with other dalits seems to be the major reasons for the proliferation of arunthathiyar caste organizations.

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I Acknowledge Mr. M.Suresh, MSW Student (2003) and other Arunthathiyar leaders who spend time with me 1

Persons who wanted to work in solidarity with other Dalits played active role both in national and regional out fits; many arunthathiyars in the beginning were active in the Dalit Panthers of India and Puthia Tamilagam organizations. Some were using common terminologies like SC / ST Federations. Anectodal evidence provided by a college teacher who is interested in arunthathiyars issues reveal that many arunthathiyars at present want to keep separate identity. Once when the lecturer asked an old, well known arunthathiyar leader about the presence of DPI in their area, immediate was the leaders reply “Siruthaigal Kattilthan Erukkum” (panthers found in forest only) – the polite, yet the powerful reply indicate that they don’t want to align with DPI. It seems that many arunthathiyar leaders distanced themselves with the DPI. They reply in unison that they are (other dalits) not different from others. They are “Aathikka Dalitukal” (oppressive dalits). Just like “caste Hindus, these oppressive dalits ignore us (arunthathiyar). As observed by Charsley in Hyderabad, it is also appropriate for Madurai arunthathiyar community. Thus major identity dilemma faced and divided the dalit leadership, one which was not faced by the caste Hindu leaders in seeking to consolidate and advance their castes. Apart from the dalit identity, even the identity of arunthathiyar itself has created divisions and factions with in the leadership. IDENTITY OBSERVED AMONG MADURAI ARUNTHATHIYAR

In solidarity With other Dalits

Dalit Panthers of India Puthia Tamilagam SC/ST Federation Repulican Party of India Adi – dravidar Makkal Munnetra Kalagam Murugavel Rajan’s (Deivendra Youth Peravai) Scheduled Caste wings of political parties.

Arunthathiyar Identity Arunthathiyar Identity OtherIdentities

Subcaste identity Thottiya Sakkiliar Identity Murasu Sakkiliar Identity Anuppar Sakkiliar Identity Arunthathiyar Common Identity Seemai (Area) Identity Adi – Andhra Identity

Adi Andhra Identity Adi – Tamilar Identity Telungu language identity Kannada Language Identity Occupational (Scavenger’s) Identity

Arunthathiyars in Tamilnadu, not of other dalits, is mainly identified with their language.Though arunthathiyar speak Tamil, Telugu and Kannada, yet they are mainly 2

identified as speakers of Telugu. Because of this they are considered as migrants from Andhra and called as “Vantherigal” (migrants: not original sellers.). Irked by this, there are leaders who claim that they are the original settlers and call themselves as AdiTamilans. Since the identity of Tamilar ignores the identity which evolved around speaking of Telugu language, that is why many arunthathiar leaders are disinterested in the Adi – Tamilar Peravai out fit. Other dalits may feel that the identity dilemma of arunthathiyar leaders is the major reason which blocked the emergence of a single spokesman/leader for the community. That is why leaders like Mr.Thirumavalavan and Dr.Krishnasamy’s stature would not emerge from arunthathiyar. But a careful analysis may reveal the opposite. Since arunthathiyars are the poorest among the other two dalit groups, it is not the identity crisis, but the poverty among arunthathiyars and the practical problems associated with mobilizing the poor stood in the way of giving rise to a strong leadership. When wide spread mobilization of a community is not possible, which basically requires not only charismatic leadership but also financial resources, the alternative is to mobilize the people based on their identity, which is cherished by the ordinary people. The identity dilemma has infact raised several questions. The arunthathiyars suspect that other dalits are using them to take political advantage. Arunthathiar leaders feel that the other two categories of dalits always raise issues which are beneficial to them. Parayars and pallars have taken Panchami Land issue as a core issue but they have never raised any question regarding the issues faced by scavengers who mainly hail from arunthathiyar community. Arunthathiyar leaders of Madurai feel that ‘Dalit solidarity is a myth – Dalit concept has become synonymous with parayar community and that too converted parayars. RELIGIOUS IDENTITY OF ARUNTHATHIYARS

No doubt arunthathiyars are Hindus and among all the dalit communities, arunthathiyars are less converted to other religious. However, as observed elsewhere (Charsley), in Madurai also, religious identity led to division of leaders and their organization. In the first decades of the last century no one had doubted that ‘untouchables’ were on the Hindu side. It was Dr. Ambedkar who realized that ‘placing dalits within the Hindu order as the root cause of their problem’. Dr. Ambedkar asserted that ‘the disabilities they (dalits) were laboring under and the indignities they had to put up with …... were the result of their being members of the Hindu community. When the question raised, are dalits Hindus? at the national level, Madurai dalits witnessed that nationalist leaders like Vaidyanatha Iyer took efforts to take them into Meenakshi Amman temple proved the point that dalits are Hindus. Madurai dalits felt at home with other Hindus. The life of Soundaram Ammaiyar and her marriage with Dr. Ramachandran revealed that dalits are treated as Hindus even by the Brahmins. Dalits never doubted about their religious identity. 3

But slowly arguments have erupted and spread that the support dalits had long been counting and receiving from Hindu reformist organizations was self interested, that there was no possibility that upper castes would be honestly assisting the destruction of the exploitative order of which they themselves were the main beneficiaries. This understanding at the national level slowly trickled down to Madurai. The unmaking of the Hindu identity of dalits and their dissociation from their caste Hindu supporter became the project for some leaders with zeal. This was a new dilemma and it bitterly divided dalit leaders. There were pro and anti Hindu stances to decide between. Those of the older generation who had constructed their own identities in relation to Hinduism, sometimes with religious learning and piety, were seriously disturbed by the message that Hinduism had to be abandoned. Arunthathiyar community in Madurai also faced the dilemma. Though arunthathiyars identified with the Hindu religion as it is expressed in their life style, attempts have been made to deny the identity. For example the prominent arunthathiyar leader claimed that arunthathiyars are not Hindus….. and their ritual practices are different from Hindus (S.T. Kalyana Sundaram – Dalit Murasu. April 2001). This stand taken by some of the arunthathiyar leaders that arunthathiyars are not Hindus are categorically rejected by others. The fact that one arunthathiyar leader was included in the organizing committee of the conference in support of prevention of religious conversion act promulgated by the state of Tamilnadu. Religious identity has no doubt divided the arunthathiyar leaders. ‘If you identify with Hinduism you are branded as a man without self respect and if you deny Hindu identity then a man is branded as the henchman of Christian missionaries. Among this, there is another group wedded to Periyarism, who the accuse both.

RELIGIOUS IDENTITY OF ARUNTHATHIYARS

Hindu identity

Religious IdentityArunthathiars

Anti–Hindu identity

Self respectPeriyarism

Pro – Christian Identity

Accepting the nomenclature of Arunthathi – wife of a Hindu saint Supporting conversion law

Natural stand

Rejecting the runthathiyar nomenclature Against conversion law

Arunthathiyar nomenclature itself has created difference of opinion. Some accuse the Hindutva forces clandestinely coined the nomenclature since Arunthathi Character is 4

associated with Hindu practice. To express their resent, they use the original nomenclature i.e. ‘Chakkiliars’ most gagging the interest of arunthathiyars into the hands of Hindutva forces / Christian missionaries are the accusations and counter accusations leveled against the pro – anti Hindu Arunthathiyar leaders. GENERATION AND SUCCESSION

Observed by Charsley, generation (age difference between the leaders) is the source which stood in the way of unifying leaders and led to the proliferation of organization. Social movements can make an impact if the youth and mature age go together. An established generation of leaders necessarily had its source of material support and net working. Youth had little or none. In Madurai it is conspicuous that young and old among the arunthathiyars leaders had their own ways of working. Younger leaders feel that the elders are ignoring them. The young and old are divided in the caste and religious identity. The young want the old want to call themselves as arunthathiyars. The young among them are exposed to trainings in the general concepts of dalit liberation and Ambedkar philosophy. The young are more exposed to NGO. Where as the elderly are more close to the persons who head the dalit wings of certain political parties. The elderly leaders believe in petition politics and conducting behind the scene discussions to take the matters to the higher authorities, where as the young believe in agitational mode of action and targeting pressure points. The elders feel that their economic background won’t allow them to sustain any protest beyond certain point. But the youngsters feel that precipitating issues and manipulating it will force the concerned authorities to look into their grievance. As a result the two groups are trading charges against one another and this makes a fertile ground for the proliferation of organizations. NETWORKING AND MATERIAL RESOURCE

None of the arunthathiyar organizations have needed material resources to function as an independent entity. The leader’s residences are the offices and no organization is collecting any subscription. The material resource they need is to print a letter pad with an address. It is admitted in personal discussions that registering an organization with a letter pad is necessary in order to compel the bureaucracy to take action against the provisions of PCR Act, mediating dalit and non dalit love marriages, black mailing, power brokering are some of the strategies used by some of the dalit leaders to mobilize resources to sustain themselves personally and organizationally. Some arunthathiyars alleged that this type of leaders established clandestine relationship / understating with other community leaders / political parties and their strategies won’t sustain for a long period. But the arunthathiar leadership style observed in Madurai is not using this strategy, except threatening others by invoking the provisions of PCR Act. It is asserted by some of the leaders that some NGO’s are concerned about them and willing to provide some needed support both material and non material support. Custodial death in police stations, atrocities committed by other backward communities against arunthathiyars are some of the issues the NGO’s always willing to extend their support. Net working and mobilizing material support is done in different ways and it 5

differ from leader to leader. Those who believe in empowerment approach are networking with NGO’s and those who believe in incremental improvement approach are networking with philanthropist organizations / individuals (i.e. for education) Simon Charsley Contribution for Dalit Studies • • • • • • • • •

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