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Book Review
TAMIL
Caste-related violence
S. Viswanathan
THAMIZHAGATHIL SAATHI VANMURAIGAL: V. Kannu Pillai; Valarum Samudaya Pathippagam, E.V.R. Saalai, K.K. Nagar, Tiruchi-21. Rs. 100.
EVERY DAY two Dalits are killed, 12 seriously injured, three women raped and 92 cases of violence against Dalits registered in India (National Crime Records Bureau). Tamil Nadu is bracketed with Bihar as States in which caste-related violence is reported most frequently.
From Sivakasi riots to Tirunelveli massacre , Tamil Nadu has seen many incidents of calculated violence against Dalits. Ironically this has happened in a state in which determined social reform initiatives have been taken since the early 20th Century.
Kannu Pillai’s book (the Tamil version of his Caste Violence in Tamilnadu) delves deep into the causes of this situation.
What results is a thought-provoking analysis of the problem from sociological, political and, to a certain extent, economic angles, as also from the police perspective. The author agrees with most others that the oppression of Dalits is rooted in the very nature of the birth-based caste system that divides people, grades them into hierarchical social groups and causes hatred against each other. However, he faults the recent spurt in violence against Dalits on ruling Dravidian parties’ wishy-washy approach to the problem and the post-Mandal upsurge among “Backward Class” social groups, a section of which saw in Dalits, unjustly though, a “hurdle” to their progress.
The commendable book also details steps to contain caste-related violence and ensure speedy justice to the victims.
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