For An Informed Ambedkar Age
Sree Govind Bharatvaraj In the recent past, the popular filmmaker Ranjith has been overtly criticized as an anti-Periyarist and a Hindutva supporter by Dravidian intellectuals and Periyarists. Starting from senior intellectuals like Suba Veerapandian to young Periyarists, this criticism is framed around Ranjith. But how far this argument is true is a serious one that …
Radhika Sudhakar This is a transcript of the Round Table India’s interview with Dr K Veeramani, President, Dravida Kazhagam. Q: You have had a long association with Periyar, what do you admire in him the most? K Veeramani: Apart from his exemplary leadership qualities, as his lifelong disciple, I have had a lot of moments …
Raja M In the socio-political structures of Tamil Nadu, caste is a pertinent issue in which all the problems are tied together. The following questions raise more skepticism about Dravidian Politics: Do Dalits access public places? Can Dalits have everyday lives/practices without caste discrimination? Can they easily avail of state-assigned civil rights without any discrimination? …
Maxwin Rayen The recent Sengol controversy has captured significant attention and triggered extensive discussions, particularly regarding the authenticity of the sceptre. However, there is more to this story than what initially meets the eye. The Dravidian movement in Tamil Nadu gained popularity not only for advocating rationalist ideas and self-respect philosophy but also due to …
Bodhi Ramteke Statues represent symbolic actions. They are responsible for more than just remembering history or culture. The process of installing a statue is one of many ways to demonstrate assertion against oppressors and reclaiming places that were denied in the Bramhanical social structure. Among oppressed communities, statues have played a significant role in increasing …
Gurinder Azad If anyone has left a rich legacy of aggressively challenging Brahmanism, it is our own Periyar. His full name was Erode Venkatappa Ramasamy Nayakar. Periyar means ‘great man’. Bahujan youth today express their aggression and restlessness against the Brahmanical system by sharing quotes of Periyar on social media, and strive to advance the …
Pranav Jeevan P If a larger country oppresses a smaller country, I’ll stand with the smaller country. If the smaller country has majoritarian religion that oppresses minority religions, I’ll stand with minority religions. If the minority religion has caste and one caste oppresses another caste, I’ll stand with the caste being oppressed. In the oppressed …
Vinith Kumar [This is part 1 of a series of essays on Dravidian politics today and its historical roots.] There are pessimists who say that there is no guarantee that victory will be followed by a New Order. There is perhaps room for this pessimism. The New Order, which is the ideal of labour, has …
Ram Dayal Ahirwar Political and social theorists are in support of subaltern theoretical development in India as an emancipatory project for the socially, religiously, gender-wise, and regionally marginal. But within the strand of Dalit politics, there are lots of contestations, there are independents, groups of activists and public intellectuals who have problematic dispositions towards words …