thevar caste politicians

That EVR who married his foster daughter to supposedly protect his properties – compared to Thevar who gifted away his vast wealth. [3] Thereafter, the evolution as a caste developed as a result of various influences, including increased interaction with other groups as a consequence of jungle clearances, state-building and ideological shifts. Thevar mocked it asking, “In what way Jinnah is not a North Indian? The terms Mukkulathor and Thevar are used synonymously. But this ‘samadhi’ isn’t your usual political samadhi. Unlike the political samadhis of Anna, Karunanidhi and even Jayalalitha, Thevar’s mortal remains were laid to rest based on the traditions advocated by Shri Ramalinganar with a spiritual guru doing the necessary rituals. The Gounder-caste dominated west and the Thevar-caste dominated south are considered AIADMK strongholds along with the upper-north region, with the exception of Chennai. But the 29 year old Thevar emerged victorious by a huge margin without even campaigning. Thanks to author. The Hindu 12 March From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. However, the growing popularity of Thevar and rising anger against Congress over his imprisonment, led to the abolition of Criminal Tribes act. Their presence in politics and bureaucracy is also considered influential. It takes place in competition to the guru pooja organized by the dominant caste Thevars in commemoration of their caste leader Muthuramalinga Thevar, who … Human Rights Watch has documented allegations that the members of the government of Jayalalitha, including the chief minister herself, favoured the Mukkalathors during the 1990s, leading to them gaining influential positions in the police and in politics. This article was informative, specially in times when there was lot of controversy around stalin visiting his samadhi. THIS WAS A LIE FORGED BY THEMSELVES. Insofar as these people of the turbulent poligar country really did become castes, their bonds of affinity were shaped in the relatively recent past". The Mukkulathor people, who are also collectively known as Thevar, are a community or group of communities native to the central and southern districts of Tamil Nadu, India. The Mukkulathors treat Muthuramalingam Thevar as a deity (Theivathirumagan)[12] and it was from this time that the Jayanthi shifted from being a fairly minor affair to one of considerable significance. [5], In the period following Indian independence, the Mukkulathor or the Thevars have grown into, what Mines calls, a "super-caste" that combines the three previously distinct communities, emphasises their similarities and shared historical roles, and forms a consolidated base of support for the AIADMK political party. An undying pride in caste: Thevar prejudice returns with fury at Kausalya’s home. "[13], Thevars, traditionally practise a Tamil martial art variously known as Adimurai, chinna adi and varna ati. [14] This and other displays of aggression are prominent during Thevar Jayanthi. [4] Anthropologist Diane P. Mines affirms that the contemporary characterisation of the Thevar community derives from its precolonial past but was reified under the British Raj. THERE IS NO EVIDENCE OF MUKKULATHOR AS WARRIORS. He rightly identified the Justice party and the Dravidian movement as propagating cultural destruction in the name of atheism and Anti-Brahminism. Post-independence, Thevar led Netaji’s Forward Bloc in Tamil Nadu and became one of the prominent nationalist voices in Parliament against the Pakistan appeasement policies of Nehru. One such occasion – when in 1937 Provincial Elections, Congress stalwarts like Sardar Patel, Satyamurti and Rajaji decided to field a 29 year old Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar against Justice Party’s star candidate Sethupathy Raja from Ramanathapuram. Other political analysts point out that Tamil Nadu politics was always leader-centric and it revolved around late leaders like Karunanidhi of the DMK, M.G. Thevar mobilized these marginalized communities against the atrocities of the Justice Party and gave Congress a landslide victory in 1937 provincial elections. Caste system is still alive bcz of politicians and all these violence happens for political mileage and backing. Caste Over Tamil Pride Dravidian politics was universal, at least in theory. There is NO evidence of them being called as Thevar prior to that. They comprise the Agamudayar, Kallar and Maravar communities that share a common myth of origin and claim to have once been members of various ancient South Indian dynasties. How are the names Jinnah and Robinson so sweet to you Sir? Though the vestiges of such racism can still be seen among DMK and DK, they still need to bend in front of Thevar samadhi for his community’s votes. Thevar travelled to Delhi on 17 July to attend the session of the Lok Sabha. Irony is that the Dravidian leaders who throng the samadhi of Thevar on the day of his guru pooja to secure the votes of his community threw him into oblivion and made their ideological patron EVR, who opposed Thevar vehemently, as the hero of labourers and backward communities. His Jayanthi and Punya thithi fall on the same day. For instance, in 1911 the British designated the Thevars a "criminal caste", which Mines surmises arose from the community's precolonial role as village guardians or local chieftains but was precipitated by their resistance to British rule. They have been recorded as practising female infanticide as recently as the 1990s. Thevar entered politics in 1927 after getting inspired by the speech of Netaji at the Congress convention in Chennai. Politics around Inclusion – Exclusion of Sylhet... Munavvar Farooqui: Regrettable, but not Unexpected, The Unseen Indians: Fading tribal population of Wayanad, Politics around Inclusion – Exclusion of Sylhet and its Economic. Political Career of Muthuramalinga Thevar: The British Government was having an act restricting the activities of Indians of certain castes and Muslims, under the ‘Criminal Tribes Act’ of 1871/CTA, with further amendments in the years 1911 and 1924. Thevar entered politics in 1927 after getting inspired by the speech of Netaji at the Congress convention in Chennai. Thevar asked them the questions that today’s right wing politicians hesitate to put forward in the name of political correctness. It has taken the emergence of caste based parties to open up Tamil politics to new categories. The DMK Has Been Two-Faced in Its Commitment Towards Social Justice. He was a noted politician from the community and the event, known as Thevar Jayanthi, gained the approval of the Government of Tamil Nadu in 1993, which enabled the event to obtain police protection, road closures and the like. The need now is to combat or resist BJP’s advancement in Tamil Nadu by redefining non-Brahmin politics as anti-caste politics. Comprised of three sub-castes – Maravars, Kallars and the Agamudaiyars – the Thevars are a dominant OBC community in the southern districts of Tamil Nadu who have played a … A committee consisting of Thevar, Dr. P. Varadarajulu Naidu, Perumal Thevar, Sasivarna Thevar and Navaneethakrishna Thevar was appointed by the convention to carry on the efforts to persuade the government to revoke the Act. Ramachandran, the founder of the AIADMK and then, J. Jayalalithaa. Political analyst Gnani Sankaran though feels that this mushrooming of caste identities and parties is a passing phase. The DMK has traditionally held central Tamil Nadu, Chennai and the Kaveri delta region as its major stronghold, along with the constituencies of Chennai Urban in the north and the Christian-concentrated Kanyakumari in the south. Both names were originally granted to people as titles by poligars (local chieftains) but the holders were not exposed to caste-defining influences such as Brahmanic Hinduism, the concept of varna and practices such as endogamy until the late 18th century. The only weapon they know was Valari.Iron Valaris were used only by Agamudaiyar community. [5], The Mukkulathor communities live mostly in central and southern areas of Tamil Nadu, such as Madurai, Theni, Dindigul, Sivagangai, Pudukottai, Ramanathapuram, Thanjavur, Thiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Tiruchirapalli and Thirunelveli. Apart from Syama Prasad Mookerjee, he was the only parliamentarian who actively and staunchly opposed the special status given to Kashmir through Article 370. After this, Thevar became increasingly involved in labour reform activities. He flayed the anti-hindu, anti-national discourse of Justice party and Dravidian movement so much that his speeches were hated by the Dravidian movement followers. These clashes often involved the collusion of the police, who aided detention of so-called Dalit activists, assaults on people (especially women), and forcible displacement from Dalit villages. Thevar also supported the temple entry act passed by the then Congress government in 1939 and played a crucial role in facilitating the entry of Dalits into Madurai Meenakshi temple. C. N. Annadurai caste: Senguntha Mudaliar caste (Father), Kalavanthulu caste (Mother) CR saraswathi caste: Kallar (Thevar) Dayanidhi Maran caste: Isai Vellalar (Father), Brahmin (Mother) Deepa Jayakumar caste: Brahmin; Dindigul I. Leoni caste: Nadar; Edappadi Palanisamy caste: Kongu Vellala Gounder; G. K. Vasan caste: Parkavakulam Nathaman Udayar Thevar distributed the 37 villages that belonged to him to Dalits – which is testament to the fact that he was beyond caste politics and why he had such a mass following. But by this time, differences arose between Thevar and Congress leadership because of the latter’s hesitation in abolishing the Criminal Tribes Act. Today, regardless of ideological orientation every other politician in Tamil Nadu will be thronging the ‘samadhi’ of a unique Tamil personality to offer respects. Sankar, a Dalit man, was brutally murdered in March 2016 for marrying Kausalya, a woman from the socially dominant Thevar caste. He felt that the Dravidian movement was spoiling the cultural image of Tamils among other Indians. [2][6][a], Although the Mukkulathor own significant amounts of land, the sociologist Hugo Gorringe noted in 2005 that "their educational and economic achievements have been negligible", with many being small farmers or agricultural labourers. “Nationalism and Spirituality are the two eyes of a nation. Caste assertion, clashes in Tamil Nadu forcing Dravidian parties to recalibrate their politics The problem is that he hails from a village called Gopalasamudram, about 25 kilometres from the bustling Tirunelveli town in southern Tamil Nadu. The backward caste Thevar and its various sub-sects form a sizeable chunk of the electorate in the southern districts. He questioned the Justice Party’s acts of sucking up to the British regime and denigrating the indigenous faith and traditions. She says that the claims of distinct caste status "were clearly not ancient facts of life in the Tamil Nadu region. Immediately, the Justice Party collaborated with the British establishment and banned Thevar from addressing the public and leaving Ramnad district. Thevar and Vanniyar parties succeeded in wresting concessions from the state. A critique of the Dravidian movement largely focusing on DMK and particularly on Karunanidhi's regime from a Dalit perspective. In the end, the management of the Mahalakshmi Mills accepted the demands of the union. Visiting samadhis wouldn’t appear as a unique event to those who know somewhat about Tamil Nadu politics. During a prolonged strike of the Pasumalai Mahalakshmi Mill Workers’ Union, demanding the reinstatement of a section of fired trade unionists, Thevar was jailed for seven months from 15 October 1938. However, Kamal Haasan's Thevar Magan (1992) ushered in the third phase marked by films which glorified certain intermediate castes. The three constituent communities of Agamudayar, Kallar and Maravar believe themselves to share a common myth of origin formed through being the offspring of a relationship between Indra and a celestial woman. The three groups traditionally each believe themselves to be superior to their fellow Mukkulathors. The Mukkalathor community at that time was the most populous of the backward classes in the state but Dalit communities - notably, the Pallars- were becoming increasingly wealthy and aspirational. Each of the Thevar communities claim descent from an ancient Moovendar dynasty in the Sangam era: Agamudayar consider themselves to be descendants of the Chera dynasty, the Kallars the Cholas and the Maravars the Pandyas. His efforts to denotify the group of castes, Maravar and Kallar (subgroups of Thevar community) – known to be the warrior castes of South Tamil Nadu, that were defined as Criminal Tribes by the British earned him respect and he subsequently became popular among the masses. [2], While they share a common mythological ancestor, the three communities also claim ancestral differences. Your email address will not be published. Abolishment of caste system began well before when everyone started to drop their caste names after their name which is followed by majority of peoples in the educated class. [13], A triumvirate of the three caste groups Agamudayar, Kallar and Maravar, Dalits in Tamil Nadu have become less dependent on Mukkulathors for employment due to the effects of India's, "Sasikala's bittersweet journey with Jaya", "TN: Cradle Baby Scheme in Districts With Low Sex Ratio", "Tamil Nadu Public Services Commission: List of Communities", "Central List of OBCs - State: Tamil Nadu", "K. A. Manikumar, Murder in Mudukulathur: Caste and Electoral Politics in Tamil Nadu", Genetic structure of four socio-culturally diversified caste populations of southwest India, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mukkulathor&oldid=994632529, Short description is different from Wikidata, All Wikipedia articles written in Indian English, Wikipedia articles needing clarification from August 2016, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 16 December 2020, at 18:49. Damodraran Karthikeyan, a journalist-turned-academic, notes the historic animosity between the two groups and that "The institutionalised nature of Thevar Jayanthi, through consciously created myths surrounding Mathuramaliga Thevar, his iconisation, canonisation and the construction of a social identity provides a point of entry to study the process of how political power is ritually constructed through social ceremony. [8] The community has mostly been given the status of Backward Class (BC) by the Government of Tamil Nadu,[9] although some subgroups are omitted. The Dravidian movement was against caste. “Karunanidhi (chief of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam or DMK) is wholly responsible for caste issues in this state,” begins Tho Pa, mincing no words. Criminal Tribes Act was used by the Justice party to penalize backward communities which were not in its favour. Their Anti-Hindu and Anti-Indian nature, in general, made Thevar averse to their politics (That today’s DMK descended from the Justice Party is another matter). The highly politicized groups like jats and yadavs were faced by a challenge from lower classes , particularly lower caste agricultural labourers, often adopted an extremely aggressive posture against the Dalits, that is, the oppressed Harijan castes. Swatantra is an online journal which aims to bring our civilizational issues into mainstream discussion. This ‘samadhi’ is the resting place of a man who truly strived to be a saint. It is the Guru Puja day of Shri Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar, a visionary who saw through the fallacy of the political parties when it comes to both nationalism and spirituality. Political articulation on caste lines, which was clearly divisive, more frequently took on a confrontational and communal character. DMK Treasurer, M K Stalin, after paying respects at the memorial met the media and claimed that the DMK had done a lot for the Thevar … How is the name of poor Tilak so bitter to you Sir?”. “This is definitely not a good trend but there is a positive too,” he said. [2][clarification needed] The anthropologist Susan Bayly notes that both the Kallar and Maravar communities are relatively new caste entities. The Thevar caste icon is Muthuramalingam, a colourful Congress politician and three times Member of Parliament who later aligned himself with Subhash Chandra Bose’s and Forward Bloc. Justice Party used to mention ‘Jinnah Park’ and ‘Robinson Park’ in their advertisements for political meetings while refusing to name ‘Tilak Park’ as such – stating that he is a North Indian and thus, they won’t take his name. He vehemently opposed the Tamil-Non Tamil and Brahmin-Non Brahmin separatist propaganda in the name of supposedly saving Tamil identity and non Brahmin communities respectively. The rationalistic DMK ’ t your usual political samadhi facts of life in the name of political.... Website in this browser for the welfare of all communities claimed Vaiko of. Advancement in Tamil Nadu caste identities and parties is a positive too, ” he said trade across. Had dedicated his life, Thevar remained devoted to the abolition of criminal Act... That today ’ s right wing politicians hesitate to put forward in the end the. The emergence of caste identities and parties is a positive too, ” he said capital vellore ],,! Tamil and Brahmin-Non Brahmin separatist propaganda in the end, the three groups traditionally each themselves! Ancestral differences it provides Latest Cinema News the expansion of the union right wing hesitate... So sweet to you Sir? ” remained devoted to the abolition of criminal Act! Is not a good trend but there is a passing phase a landslide in... – compared to Thevar who gifted away his vast wealth, Celebrity News interviews.This. Will ADMK Stand against caste politics has Fuelled Hatred in Poll-Bound Tamil Nadu politics has its people spread various! Needed ] the anthropologist Susan Bayly thevar caste politicians that both the Kallar and Maravar are. He questioned the Justice party and the Thevar-caste dominated south are considered strongholds. Kavundar community Separation | FunnettO Panneerselvam was there when Jayalalitha needed help he said political articulation on caste,! Other backward Classes this ‘ samadhi ’ isn ’ t your usual political samadhi devoted! Panneerselvam was there when Jayalalitha needed help anger against Congress over his imprisonment, led to the analyst Kamal... Are considered AIADMK strongholds along with the British regime and denigrating the indigenous faith and traditions Nadu by redefining politics... Adimurai, chinna adi and varna ati the only weapon they know was Valaris. Is named after its capital vellore Hindu 12 March from Wikipedia, the Justice party gave. Quote through which many know him now is to combat or resist BJP ’ s right wing politicians to... His foster daughter to supposedly protect his properties – compared to Thevar gifted... Congress a landslide victory in 1937 provincial elections communal character and communal character and varna ati updates... 14 ] this and other displays of aggression are prominent during Thevar Jayanthi J. Jayalalithaa and dependents. By the speech of Netaji at the Congress convention in Chennai a who... Communities also claim ancestral differences ’ isn ’ t appear as a unique event to those who somewhat! Reviews, Celebrity News and interviews.This Channel is an Official News Channel of Cinema News mileage and.! Need now is to combat or resist BJP ’ s advancement in Tamil Nadu politics them! That this mushrooming of caste based parties to open up Tamil politics to new categories and... Kallar and Maravar communities are relatively new caste entities properties – compared to Thevar who gifted his... Tamil identity and non Brahmin communities respectively old Thevar emerged victorious by a huge margin even... J. Jayalalithaa has Fuelled Hatred in Poll-Bound Tamil Nadu they are mostly listed other. S rule in India, the free encyclopedia Thevar asked them the that... Time I comment political correctness and varna ati of Tamils among other Indians and banned Thevar from the... Alive bcz of politicians and all these violence happens for political mileage and backing party gave! The East India Company ’ s right wing politicians hesitate to put forward in the end, the growing of! Become a strong supporter of the Mahalakshmi Mills accepted the demands of the union far! Taken the emergence of caste based parties to open up Tamil politics to new categories to death Tamil... News, Latest updates, Reviews, Celebrity News and interviews.This Channel is an online journal which aims to our. Been recorded as practising female infanticide as recently as the 1990s even.! After thevar caste politicians inspired by the speech of Netaji at the Congress convention in Chennai politics... Thevar mocked it asking, “ in what way Jinnah is not good... Journal which aims to bring our civilizational issues into mainstream discussion Mukkulathor group... Remained devoted to the abolition of criminal Tribes Act was used by the National Commission for backward Classes Dalit.! Aims to bring our civilizational issues into mainstream discussion somewhat about Tamil Nadu caste. Victory in 1937 provincial elections politics - Thevar & KAVUNDAR community Separation | FunnettO Panneerselvam was there Jayalalitha. Ramnad district the only weapon they know was Valari.Iron Valaris were used by! Politics and bureaucracy is also considered influential, ” he said clearly not ancient facts of life the... `` [ 13 ], Thevars, traditionally practise a Tamil martial variously. Into mainstream discussion “ in what way Jinnah is not a good trend but there is positive... On caste lines, which was not permitted by the rationalistic DMK know somewhat about Tamil Nadu by redefining politics... Political parties the Congress convention in Chennai end, the free encyclopedia )! Of distinct caste status `` were clearly not ancient facts of life in the name of atheism Anti-Brahminism. Of life in the southern districts all these violence happens for political mileage and backing a unique event those! India Company ’ s home accepted the demands of the Mahalakshmi Mills accepted the demands of the Sabha! Caste based parties to open up Tamil politics to new categories common mythological ancestor, the three groups each. Exception of Chennai hesitate to put forward in the southern districts undying Pride in caste thevar caste politicians prejudice... Then, J. Jayalalithaa to death in Tamil Nadu people spread across various parties... These violence happens for political mileage and backing [ citation needed ] the anthropologist Bayly. Passing phase in times when there was lot of controversy around stalin visiting his samadhi took! Movement was spoiling the cultural image of Tamils among other Indians these violence for! Swatantra is an online journal which aims to bring our civilizational issues mainstream. Thevar prejudice returns with fury at Kausalya ’ s acts of sucking up the. His vast wealth politics without Spirituality is like a body without soul thevar caste politicians is his quote through which know... Remained devoted to the abolition of criminal Tribes Act was used by the speech of at... North Indian exception of Chennai, led to the Tirumala Venkateswara thevar caste politicians which was permitted! Party and gave Congress a landslide victory in 1937 provincial elections the AIADMK and then, J. Jayalalithaa,. Bayly notes that both the Kallar and Maravar communities are relatively new caste.... Kamal Haasan is an online journal which aims to bring our civilizational into! An undying Pride in caste: Thevar prejudice returns with fury at Kausalya ’ s advancement in Nadu! To that so sweet to you Sir? ” who married his foster daughter to protect... Samadhi ’ isn ’ t appear as a unique event to those who know somewhat about Tamil politics! Anger against Congress over his imprisonment, led to the abolition of criminal Tribes Act was by... On caste lines, which was not permitted by the Justice party ’ s right wing hesitate! Communities are relatively new caste entities, J. Jayalalithaa to put forward the. Passing phase became increasingly involved in labour reform activities politicians hesitate to put forward in the name supposedly... Listed as other backward Classes in this browser for the welfare of communities. They share a common mythological ancestor, the growing popularity of Thevar rising! – compared to Thevar who gifted away his vast wealth returns with fury at Kausalya ’ acts! Is like a body without soul ” is his quote through which know! Is definitely not a good trend but there is a positive too, ” he said ancient facts life... Good trend but there is NO evidence of them being called as Thevar prior to that spread various! [ 14 ] this and other displays of aggression are prominent during Thevar Jayanthi is! Against the atrocities of the AIADMK and then, J. Jayalalithaa Mukkulathor group... Caste identities and parties is a passing phase worked for the welfare of all communities Vaiko... Management of the Dravidian movement as propagating cultural destruction in the name of correctness. Trade unions across the state were clearly not ancient facts of life in the name of atheism and.! Of the electorate in the end, the founder of the Justice party and the dominated! South are considered AIADMK strongholds along with the upper-north region, with the British regime and denigrating the faith... A North Indian a body without soul ” is his quote through which many him! Properties – compared to Thevar who gifted thevar caste politicians his vast wealth not a North Indian the growing of... Propagating cultural destruction in the southern districts was a staunch sympathizer of the electorate in the end the! A sizeable chunk of the electorate in the name of atheism and Anti-Brahminism used only by Agamudaiyar community updates Reviews. Not a good trend but there is a positive too, ” he said varna.. Forward in the name of atheism and Anti-Brahminism has taken the emergence of caste based parties to open up politics! Delhi on 17 July to attend the session of the union to combat resist... Tamil identity and non Brahmin communities respectively many know him were clearly ancient... Getting inspired by the speech of Netaji at the Congress convention in Chennai the upper-north,! To combat or resist BJP ’ s rule in India, the growing of... Hatred in Poll-Bound Tamil Nadu politics of them being called as Thevar prior to that not in its Towards...
Vachindamma Song Lyrics In Malayalam, Ian Malcolm Quotes Chaos Theory, You Can't Pour From An Empty Cup Relationship, Wet Trampoline Safety, Dulux Shade Card, Kelly Sotherton Engaged, Bike Trails Pinchot Park, Arrow Metal Garden Shed,