The
Marxist
Volume: 18, No. 01
January-March 2002
CPI(M)’s intervention against caste oppression in Tamil Nadu
P.
Sampath
The
17th
Tamil
Nadu
state
conference
of
the
CPI(M)
took
place
in
Coimbatore
during
February
11
-14.
At
the
conference,
the
Party’s
political
and
organisational
work
of
the
last
four
years
was
subjected
to
a
close
scrutiny.
However,
our
Party’s
interventions
against
the
problem
of
untouchability
and
caste
oppressions
in
Tamil
Nadu
was
an
important
subject
for
active
discussion
by
delegates
from
all
the
districts.
Harkishan
Singh
Surjeet,
CPI(M)
General
Secretary,
who
addressed
the
delegates
said,
“The
Tamil
Nadu
unit
of
the
Party
intervened
commendably
against
untouchability
and
caste
oppression;
that
one
third
of
the
total
members
of
the
Party
in
Tamil
Nadu
are
dalits
is
unparalleled
in
India”.
(of
the
87,609
Party
members,
28,548
are
dalits)
And
the
political
and
organisational
report
of
the
17th
Party
Congress
commended
the
Tamil
Nadu
and
Andhra
units
of
the
Party
for
their
struggles
against
caste
oppression
and
placed
their
experiences
before
the
entire
country.
In
this
article
an
attempt
is
made
to
give
an
account
of
our
Party’s
intervention
in
Tamil
Nadu
during
the
last
few
years
against
the
scourge
of
untouchability
and
other
forms
of
social
oppression
and
the
experiences
gained.
Caste
Conflicts
And
Our
Intervention
Caste
conflicts
have
occurred
off
and
on
in
different
parts
of
Tamil
Nadu
since
1985.
Hundreds
of
people
were
murdered
and
thousands
maimed;
scores
of
women
were
raped
and
property
worth
crores
of
rupees
was
damaged
and
looted.
All
these
conflicts
occurred
between
the
backward
caste
people
and
dalits.
The
worst
affected
were
dalits
who
were
agricultural
labourers
and
other
manual
workers.
Sizable
section
of
the
backward
caste
people
were
also
poor
and
humble
workers.
And
these
belligerent
sections
had
common
problems
which
required
them
to
wage
fierce
struggles
with
unprecedented
unity.
Nevertheless,
conflicts
erupted
between
them
frequently.
The
state
committee
of
the
CPI(M)
which
made
an
analytical
study
of
these
caste
conflicts
reached
the
revealing
conclusion
that
“the
incidence
of
untouchability
was
the
root
cause
of
these
caste
conflicts”.
And
the
Party
declared
that
unless
the
oppressive
system
of
untouchability
was
rooted
out
it
would
not
be
possible
to
avoid
caste
conflicts
and
create
unity
between
these
sections
of
the
people.
The
Party
undertook
many
campaigns
throughout
the
length
and
breadth
of
the
state
stressing
the
need
for
unity
and
abolishing
untouchability.
Such
slogans
as
‘abolish
caste
oppressions’
,
‘avoid
caste
conflicts’
and
‘save
people’s
unity’
were
raised
during
the
campaign.
The
district
committees
were
given
direction
to
conduct
district
level
conferences
with
a
view
to
abolishing
untouchability
and
building
up
unity
between
these
sections
of
the
people.
To
focus
on
this
issue
and
plan
our
intervention,
the
state
committee
constituted
a
sub-committee
for
dalits
and
tribes.
Of
the
34
districts
in
Tamil
Nadu,
such
conferences
were
conducted
in
20
districts
besides
a
state
level
conference
at
Chennai.
In
the
campaigns
against
untouchability
conducted
before
and
after
the
conferences,
the
class
and
mass
organisations
were
encouraged
to
actively
participate.
In
10
districts,
dalit
women’s
conferences
were
held.
In
the
districts
which
witnessed
caste
conflicts,
DYFI
and
AIKS
cadres
plunged
into
extensive
campaign
to
restore
peace
and
normality.
These
campaigns
were
a
huge
success
in
rural
area
as
well
as
mofussil
towns,
and
the
dalits
were
greatly
attracted
by
it.
Attacks
On
Dalits
-
Our
Intervention
Many
areas
in
Tamil
Nadu
experienced
the
discriminating
attitude
of
state
administration
and
the
police
force
against
the
dalits.
Police
entered
many
dalit
villages
and
brutally
tortured
women,
children
and
the
old;
their
houses
and
possessions
were
wantonly
destroyed;
hundreds
of
dalits,
including
women,
were
arrested
on
framed-up
charges
and
put
behind
the
bars.
Such
dalit
villages
as
Kodiankulam,
Nalumoolaikinaru
and
Sankaralingapuram
have
become
by-words
for
police
atrocity.
When
Mancholai
tea
estate
workers,
majority
of
whom
are
dalits,
assembled
at
Tirunelveli
Collectorate
with
their
families
for
a
demonstration
to
highlight
their
demands,
they
were
brutally
lathicharged
by
the
police,
who
chased
them
into
the
Tampraparni
river
and
killed
17
persons
including
a
few
children.
The
district
secretary
of
our
Party,
Palani,
sustained
severe
head-injury
in
the
lathicharge
and
was
almost
dead
when
he
was
taken
to
the
hospital.
Intensive
medical
care
and
treatment
saved
his
life.
Our
Party
and
mass
organisations
waged
a
series
of
struggles
against
this
police
brutality
on
the
tea
estate
workers.
The
Party
took
up
the
cause
of
the
dalit
victims
of
police
excesses
at
Nalumoolaikinaru.
The
issue
was
taken
to
the
Supreme
Court
by
the
All
India
Democratic
Women’s
Association
and
based
on
the
court
verdict,
Rs.
23
lakhs
was
given
as
compensation
to
the
affected
dalits.
And
82
police
personnel
including
DIG,
SP,
DSP
and
Sub-Inspector
were
suspended
from
service
and
punished.
Our
Party
exposed
the
police
brutality
on
the
dalit
people
in
Sankaralingapuram
village
and
conducted
movement
against
it.
We
have
filed
a
case
in
the
Madras
High
Court
in
this
connection.
And
conducted
struggles
jointly
with
many
dalit
organisations
and
human
rights
associations.
As
a
result
of
these
struggles,
the
Chief
Minister
of
Tamil
Nadu
herself
visited
Sankaralingapuram
hamlet
and
distributed
Rs.
14
lakhs
as
compensation.
Also,
the
trumped-up
cases
filed
against
160
villagers
were
withdrawn.
On
the
Kodiankulam
issue,
too,
the
Party
filed
a
case
in
the
Madras
High
Court
besides
waging
many
struggles.
During
the
period,
our
Party
took
up
the
cause
of
the
dalits
who
were
attacked
in
other
dalit
villages
by
caste
Hindus
as
well
as
the
police
force.
When
caste
conflicts
were
raging
in
many
districts
in
Tamil
Nadu
and
the
CPI(M)
was
in
the
thick
of
struggles
against
such
conflicts,
the
posture
of
some
bourgeois
political
parties
in
Tamil
Nadu
left
much
to
be
desired.
The
leaders
of
such
political
parties
were
in
virtual
inertia
during
the
period.
Worse,
some
leaders
even
instigated
the
caste
conflicts.
The
cadres
of
these
parties
divided
into
antagonistic
groups
based
on
their
caste
affiliations
and
fought
each
other.
But
the
CPI(M)
made
hectic
efforts
for
building
up
a
peoples
movement
along
with
the
CPI
and
other
Left
organisations
with
a
view
to
abolishing
untouchability
and
avoiding
caste
conflicts.
The
leaders
of
DMK,
Tamil
Maanila
Congress
also
participated
along
with
the
CPI(M)
and
CPI
leaders
in
the
anti-untouchability
conference
conducted
by
our
Party.
Thousands
of
people
attended
such
conferences.
The
speeches
delivered
by
the
political
leaders,
including
our
comrades,
and
the
resolutions
passed
at
the
conferences
had
a
positive
influence
on
the
participants.
These
initiatives
substantially
contributed
to
restoring
peace
in
the
conflict-ridden
areas.
The
Tamil
Nadu
government
felt
compelled
to
convene
an
all
party
meeting
and
evolved
measures
to
abolish
untouchability
and
avert
cast
conflicts.
In
the
all-party
meeting,
the
CPI(M)
state
secretary
represented
our
Party,
and
the
suggestions
put
forward
by
him
found
acceptance
from
all
sections.
Later,
the
Tamil
Nadu
government
declared
with
much
fanfare
a
programme
of
action
to
abolish
untouchability
which
was,
however,
not
implemented
wholeheartedly.
Nevertheless,
our
initiatives
and
the
measures
announced
by
the
government
went
a
long
way
in
creating
and
strengthening
an
awareness
amongst
the
people
against
untouchability.
Thus,
in
the
backdrop
of
the
caste
conflicts,
which
were
caused
by
the
practice
of
untouchability
in
many
parts
of
Tamil
Nadu,
the
Party
played
an
active
role
in
involving
the
other
political
parties
as
well
as
the
government
of
Tamil
Nadu
to
abolish
this
social
stigma.
However,
it
would
be
wrong
to
jump
to
the
conclusion
that
in
Tamil
Nadu
caste
oppression
has
come
down,
or,
that
the
chances
for
caste
conflicts
have
disappeared.
The
conflicts
are
just
dormant.
Though
caste
conflicts
have
considerably
come
down
lately,
our
Party
is
very
serious
about
waging
a
continuous
struggle
against
caste
oppressions
and
untouchability.
The
CPI(M)
is
not
just
content
with
our
interventions
as
and
when
untouchability
manifests
itself
in
diverse
forms
and
the
dalits
are
attacked.
Our
work
has
progressed
to
the
stage
of
identifying
the
villages
where
untouchability
is
practised
and
involving
itself
in
direct
interventions.
And
our
Party
has
undertaken
analytical
studies
on
the
prevalence
of
untouchability
in
such
districts
as
Tirupur,
Coimbatore,
Virudhunagar,
Trichy,
Tirunelveli,
Thoothukudi,
Namakkal,
Salem,
Pudukottai,
Tiruvannamalai,
Ramanathapuram,
Sivagangai,
Theni
and
Dindugal.
That
untouchability
is
prevalent
in
hundreds
of
villages
in
diverse
forms
was
ascertained.
At
village
tea
stalls,
dalits
are
given
tea
in
separate
tumblers,
they
are
neither
allowed
to
enter
into
temples
nor
take
water
from
common
taps.
Besides,
they
are
not
allowed
to
ride
bicycles
on
village
roads
and
to
put,
in
public,
towel
on
their
shoulders.
Common
burial
grounds
are
denied
to
dalits;
they
are
not
even
allowed
to
use
common
pathways
to
their
own
separate
burial/cremation
grounds.
Even
the
dalit
elders
are
disparagingly
addressed
by
the
children
of
caste
Hindus.
In
the
panchyat
raj
institutions,
dalits
are
denied
equal
treatment
and
many
impediments
are
created
to
prevent
the
election
of
dalits
to
the
panchayat
reserved
for
them.
Dalit
girls
are
sexually
abused.
At
village
schools,
dalit
students
are
not
allowed
to
drink
water
from
the
common
pot
and
basic
amenities
are
refused
to
be
provided
in
dalit
villages.
The
study
has
brought
to
light
that
untouchability
is
prevalent
in
one
form
or
another
in
every
village
that
was
subjected
to
the
study.
This
was
made
known
to
the
outside
world
by
the
Party
district
committees
through
press
releases.
And
district
administrations
were
petitioned
to
intervene
and
take
measures
against
these
evils.
In
Virudhunagar
and
Thoothukudi
districts,
our
Party
mobilised
thousands
of
people
who
went
in
a
procession
and
submitted
petitions
to
the
district
administration
which
was
widely
reported
in
the
press.
These
measures
of
the
Party
were
acknowledged
and
appreciated
by
the
dalits.
But,
no
wonder,
the
oppressive
forces
got
angered
and
many
bureaucrats
felt
annoyed.
And
district
officials,
in
some
places,
released
statements
contradicting
the
truth
that
our
studies
brought
to
light.
The
Party
evolved
a
plan
for
direct
action
in
the
villages
where
untouchability
was
prevalent.
And
the
mass
organisations
also
actively
involved
themselves.
In
this,
the
work
of
the
kisan
sabha
and
the
agricultural
workers
union
was
commendable.
Direct
action
was
carried
out
at
such
places
as
Alagapuram
in
Perambalur
district,
Iluppur
and
Mettuppatti
in
Pudukkotai
district,
Theni,
Batlagundu
and
Vadippatti
in
Dindugal
district,
Chinnanattukulam
and
Arasur
in
Viluppuram
district,
Pothikulam
in
Ramnad
district,
Arasanur
in
Sivagangai
district,
Sinkilipatti
and
Kasimajorpuram
in
Tirunelveli
district,
Mankapuram,
Mamsapuram,
Desikapuram
and
Muthuchamyapuram
in
Virudhunagar
district.
Dharnas
were
conducted
before
the
tea
stalls
where
the
dual
tumbler
system
was
practised.
Dalits
were
taken
to
the
temples
where
they
were
forbidden
entry
and
they
were
made
to
draw
water
from
common
village
wells
and
taps.
Further
they
were
encouraged
to
wear
footwear
and
walk
on
the
roads
and
ride
bicycles.
These
action
programmes
annoyed
the
caste
Hindus
who
put
up
stiff
resistance.
And
their
atrocities
continued
unabated.
They
worked
up
the
caste
feelings
and
organised
counter
dharna
at
Reddippalayam
in
Tanjore
district.
At
Ilankunni
in
Thiruvannamalai
district
they
mobilized
their
womenfolk
who
were
made
to
create
human
blockades.
At
Themmavoor
in
Pudukkottai
district
anti-social
elements
were
incited
to
attack
our
comrades.
The
police
in
some
areas
were
hand
and
glove
with
the
oppressive
forces
and
denied
permission
for
our
movement
citing
law
and
order
problems.
Sivagangai
district
secretary
of
the
CPI(M),
M.
Arjunan,
was
implicated
in
a
false
case
under
the
SC/ST
(Prevention
of
Atrocities)
Act.
These
developments
dispirited
the
dalits
in
some
places
and,
therefore,
the
movements
had
to
be
postponed
in
such
places.
Nevertheless,
despite
such
adversities,
in
most
places
anti-untouchability
movement
was
a
big
success.
The
social
rights
which
the
dalits
had
been
denied
for
hundreds
of
years
were
restored
to
them.
That
we
had
taken
up
their
cause
and
fought
unrelentingly
for
their
rights
won
us
approbation
from
the
dalits.
And
our
Party’s
influence
considerably
improved
among
the
dalits
even
where
such
movements
were
not
taken
up.
In
Virudhunagar
district,
dalits
from
many
dalit
villages
voluntarily
participated
in
the
conference
on
peoples’
demands
conducted
by
the
Virudhunagar
district
committee
of
the
CPI(M)
after
the
direct
action
programme.
The
mass
organisations
could
moblize
dalit
people
in
large
numbers
in
Tuticorin,
Tirunelveli,
Dindugal,
Cuddalore,
Villupuram
and
Pudukkottai
districts.
It
had
a
positive
reflection
in
the
elections
to
the
Panchayat
raj
institutions
which
our
Party
contested
not
in
alliance
with
any
party.
A
good
number
of
the
dalits
who
came
into
contact
with
the
Party
during
the
movement
became
Party
members
over
the
years
and
are
now
frontline
cadres
of
the
Party
and
the
mass
organisations.
In
some
villages
where
our
Party
mobilized
dalits
into
direct
action
programme
to
abolish
untouchability,
the
oppressive
forces
refused
to
engage
them
for
work.
For
instance,
at
Oothuppatti
in
Tuticorin
district
and
Vellangkuzhi
in
Tirunelveli
district,
caste
Hindus
refused
to
engage
in
their
fields
for
agricultural
work
the
dalits
who
readily
came
forward
to
participate
in
the
temple
entry
programme.
At
Kayalpatnam,
the
dominant
forces
refused
to
engage
the
dalits
for
construction
work.
Analysing
these
developments,
the
17th
conference
of
the
Tamil
Nadu
unit
of
the
Party
made
the
following
observations
“.........
these
experiences
strengthens
our
position
that
without
implementing
land
reforms
and
providing
land
to
the
dalits
or,
in
other
words,
so
long
as
the
dalits
depend
on
the
dominant
forces
for
their
livelihood
the
caste
oppressions
in
villages
cannot
be
eliminated”.
There
are
innumerable
dalit
organisations
in
Tamil
Nadu.
Puthiya
Tamizhagam
headed
by
Dr.
Krishnasamy,
Dalit
Panthers
of
India
under
Mr.
Thirumavalavan
are
the
most
important
of
them.
Obviously
they
work
among
the
dalits.
The
position
of
the
CPI(M)
vis-a
vis
these
dalit
organisation
is
very
clear.
Although
they
are
only
engaged
in
mobilising
the
dalit
masses,
CPI(M)
does
not
regard
them
just
as
caste
organisations.
Dalit
masses
in
many
places
are
organised
by
them
against
caste
oppression.
The
CPI(M)
works
jointly
with
these
organisations
based
on
issues
and
to
abolish
untouchability.
But
the
activities
and
approaches
of
some
of
the
dalit
organisations
do
not
serve
the
cause
of
the
dalits
themselves.
They
do
not
like
the
CPI(M)’s
interventions
against
untouchability
and
caste
oppression,
and
behave
as
if
they
have
the
monopoly
right
to
take
up
the
problems
facing
the
dalit
community.
Yet,
these
organisations
do
not
refuse
to
co-operate
and
work
with
us
in
such
places
where
we
have
been
able
to
gain
substantial
influence
with
the
dalits.
For
instance,
when
we
gained
the
confidence
and
support
of
the
dalit
tea
estate
workers
at
Manjolai
as
a
result
of
our
persistent
struggles
in
support
of
their
demands,
the
Puthia
Thamizhagam
shed
its
hesitation
and
came
forward
for
joint
movements.
And,
when
the
CPI(M)
took
up
the
issue
of
police
atrocity
on
the
dalits
in
Sankaralingapuram
village,
many
dalit
and
human
rights
organisation
showed
interest
in
joint
movement.
But
in
places
where
the
dalit
organisations
had
first
taken
up
an
issue
facing
the
dalits,
they
would
not
even
acknowledge
the
CPI(M)’s
support
movement.
They
would
criticize
and
even
oppose
the
support
extended
by
the
Left
and
democratic
forces
saying
that
‘dalit
organisations
alone
should
seek
to
resolve
the
dalit
issues’.
The
CPI(M)
has
faced
such
antagonistic
postures
while
working
among
the
dalits.
The
CPI(M),
on
the
one
hand
spearheads
social
reform
movements
for
the
dalits
to
acquire
social
rights
and,
on
the
other
hand,
incessantly
struggles
for
land
reforms
and
distribution
of
land
to
the
landless,
including
the
dalits.
Our
Party
is
in
struggle
for
the
economic
upliftment
of
all
sections
of
the
masses,
including
the
dalits.
In
other
words,
the
CPI(M)’s
position
is
that
the
struggle
against
untouchability
and
other
social
evils
and
the
class
struggle
against
economic
exploitation
are
inseparably
interlinked.
Because
the
Party
has
a
clear
understanding
that
the
caste
systems
and
the
exploitative
economic
system
are
inter-related
and
intertwined.
Most
of
the
dalit
organisations
lack
in
such
understanding
and,
as
such,
their
approach
is
invariably
skewed.
They
never
bother
about
such
issues
as
land
and
wage
and
other
issues
affecting
the
dalits’
day-to-day
lives.
Simultaneously
with
our
direct
interventions
against
untouchability
and
other
forms
of
social
oppression,
the
CPI(M)
conducts
ideological
campaign
among
all
sections
of
the
masses
against
caste
oppression.
But
some
dalit
organisations
have
taken
the
perverted
position
that
dalits
alone
can
solve
the
dalits’
problems
and
sought
to
create
dalit
vote
banks
and
make
political
capital
out
of
it.
And
our
Party
is
consistently
creating
awareness
among
the
dalit
masses
against
such
skewed
approach
of
dalit
organisations
even
while
fighting
for
their
cause.
Over
the
years,
some
dalit
organisations
have
transformed
themselves
into
political
parties
with
the
object
of
creating
dalit
vote
banks.
Mention
must
be
made
of
the
Puthia
Tamizhagam
and
Dalit
Panthers
of
India
in
this
connection.
Of
course,
the
process
of
mobilising
backward
caste
people
on
caste
lines
and
later
converting
them
into
the
caste
based
political
parties
had
started
in
Tamil
Nadu
much
earlier.
For
instance,
Vanniar
Sangam,
a
caste
organisation
of
Vanniars
became
Pattali
Makkal
Katchi
(PMK)
in
the
mid
eighties.
Makkal
Tamil
Desam
and
New
Justice
Party
and
some
other
caste
based
political
parties
were
formed
just
before
the
last
assembly
elections.
These
developments
point
to
the
fact
that
the
mobilising
of
Tamil
Nadu
people
on
caste
lines
has
got
a
boost
over
the
years.
On
occasions
in
the
past,
even
the
dravidian
parties
in
Tamil
Nadu
–
DMK
,
AIADMK
and
MDMK
--
did
not
hesitate
to
pander
to
the
caste
feeling
of
the
people
and
capitalise
on
it.
Periyar
during
his
life
time
fiercely
fought
against
caste
differences
and
untouchability.
But
the
leaders
of
the
dravidian
parties
who
declare
themselves
to
be
the
successors
and
followers
of
Periyar
keep
their
mouths
tight-shut
while
the
scourge
of
untouchability
manifests
itself
in
different
parts
of
Tamil
Nadu.
Paradoxically
enough,
the
dravidian
parties
today
compete
with
each
other
to
align
with
the
BJP
which
believes
in
the
Varna
system
of
society.
In
this
background,
our
Party
has
got
to
gear
up
for
more
fierce
struggles
against
untouchability
and
social
oppressions.
Inner
Party
Preparations
Over
the
years,
the
Party
has
taken
many
steps
to
prepare
our
cadres
to
confront
the
challenges
of
caste
conflicts
and
other
caste-related
social
issues
and
to
make
them
participate
proactively
in
the
struggle
against
these
evils.
·
At
different
levels
of
the
Party,
from
the
state
committee
downwards,
extensive
discussions
were
conducted
and,
as
a
result,
our
cadres
got
enlightened
on
these
issues.
·
The
state
committee
of
the
Party
prepared
a
study
material
entitled
“Casteism
–genesis,
development
and
problems”
and
study
classes
were
held
in
most
districts
for
the
benefit
of
Party
cadres.
·
Workshops
for
Party
members
and
cadres
of
mass
organisations
were
held
with
a
view
to
sharpening
their
understanding.
·
Pamphlets
were
printed
and
widely
circulated
besides
publishing
essays
explaining
our
Party
position
on
caste-related
issues.
·
Party
state
committee
published
a
letter
explaining
our
position
and
interventions
on
caste
issues.
·
At
public
meetings
and
other
campaigns
not
only
were
political
and
economic
issues
spoken
about,
but
such
social
issues
as
untouchability
were
effectively
dealt
with.
·
The
abolition
of
untouchability
was
the
subject
matter
for
discussion
in
all
Party
conferences
held
prior
to
the
Party’s
16th
and
17th
congress.
All
these
measures
helped
the
cadres
of
our
Party
and
mass
organisations
to
participate
with
verve
and
resolve
in
the
struggle
against
caste
oppression
and
untouchability.