In the past year or so, Western districts of Tamil Nadu like Salem, Erode, Namakkkal, Coimbatore and others, collectively called the Kongu region, have been the hot-bed of caste violence, attacks on individual freedoms based on caste-discrimination and renewed vigour in politicking by caste-based groups.
Some belonging to the influential Kongu Vellalar community were at the forefront of the attacks on Tamil writer Perumal Murugan for his book ‘Madhorubagan’. More recently, Gokulraj, a Dalit youngster was allegedly kidnapped and brutally murdered for just being friendly with a woman from the Kongu Vellalar caste. You can read TNM’s reportage on the story here, a follow-up story on the functioning of certain caste groups here and an audio message from the main accused in the murder case here. The main accused, Yuvaraj, who has since justified the murder in the name of caste and culture, is still missing. His audio message, where he introduces himself as the head of the Dheeran Chinnamalai Peravai, he calls for politicians to support him and his caste.
The “Dheeran Chinnamalai Peravai” is a caste-outfit associated with the Kongu Vellalar community. Dheeran Chinnamalai, born Chinnamalai Theerthagiri Gounder, was a Kongu ruler who is known to have fought against the British Raj. He is said to have helped Tipu Sultan in the war against the East India Company and later captured, and hanged to death.
For those from Gounder caste, he is an icon of valour and caste-pride. There have been several attempts by groups like the Kongu Nadu Munnetra Peravai to blow up his image. It is in the name of Dheeran Chinnamalai that caste divisions are being kept alive by some, and often atrocities being committed.
In such a vitiating atmosphere, the open celebration of Dheeran Chinnamalai’s death anniversary by the Jayalalithaa government by deputing senior ministers of the cabinet for a function in Salem is being seen as a clear sign of which side the government is on.
A press statement from the government of Tamil Nadu on August 3 states that based on the orders of TN CM J Jayalalithaa, Ministers EK Palaniswami and P Thangamani celebrated the death anniversary of Dheeran Chinnamalai, and it was done so in their official capacity as the representatives of the Tamil Nadu government. Mind you, this was an official celebration by the TN government, not a party event.
To showcase the government’s seriousness in celebrating Dheeran Chinnamalai, the press release also states as to how in 2012 the government had allocated Rs. 60 lakh for a statue of Chinnamalai in Salem, which was later inaugurated by none other than TN CM Jayalalithaa in 2013.
In the context of the fact that several senior ministers in the TN cabinet and important politicians of AIADMK - like EK Palaniswamy, P Thangamani, P Palaniappan, V Senthil Balaji and many more - are Kongu Vellalars, the move to openly celebrate Chinnamalai does not inspire confidence, according to Dalit leaders.
“This only helps whip up caste passions. I don’t think the government should indulge in this at all,” says Ravikumar, spokesperson of Dalit political party VCK. “And it is not just Dheeran Chinnamalai, there are several such leaders who are celebrated as freedom fighters or something else, but these events only whip up casteist passions,” he adds, “celebrating them is not the job of any government.”
Update:
However, Loganathan Murugesan, an advocate belonging to the Kongu Vellalar community, disagrees. "The government has been celebrating Dheeran Chinnamalai's death anniversary since 2002, and subsequent governments have continued the practice," he says. He also says that the entire community cannot be held responsible for the actions of the few. "We are also upset at the death of Gokulraj, and not all of us support those elements who use Dheeran Chinnamalai's name for their activities," he adds. He also says that several Dalit outfits have been instigating violence in the region.