Genius of #Periyar lay in getting a majority of people of TN to identify themselves with what they were not. Normally we identify with who we are by religion/ caste/language etc.Periyar got people to identify themselves as non brahmin,not as who they were,but as who they were not
In no other part of India would you find people referring to themselves as non brahmins. They would always see themselves as being part of their community or social group. In Periyar's days it made sense. Brahmins dominated disproportionately and oppressed other communities
and so the collective angst against them was channelised effectively. Even at that time there were other equally prosperous communities as Brahmins. But as they were socially oppressed by the Brahmins despite their wealth, these privileged classes spearheaded
the Dravidian movement.Over the decades these communities began to dominate others,all in the name of ensuring social justice. And to the truly backward communities they offered crumbs to show that they were true defenders of the non brahmins. Both the Sattanathan and Ambasankar
Backward Classes Commissions set up by TN Govt spoke about some communities garnering the lions share of reservation benefits and said that they should be moved out of the BC list. But by then these castes had become part of the ruling elite and so these recommendations
were ignored. Over the years the 2 tumbler system, honor killings & caste discrimination especially in villages continued to flourish and it was always blamed on "Brahminism" though no Brahmin was involved in these acts. No political party dared to call out any community for this
Castes organized themselves as vote banks and had to be dealt with softly even when some of their members discriminated against other weaker sections. A caste census today will expose the truth about the "social justice" that is being trumpeted. #SocialJusticeDay
The Dravidian movement did end the unjust hegemony of the Brahmin community but it did little thereafter to ensure true social justice which would have been to ensure equal opportunity for all communities. Instead a handful of powerful caste groups replaced Brahmins & have become
the neo brahmins cloaking themselves in the "social justice" mantra. As long as other castes, especially the weaker sections, continue to get sold down the river by their "leaders" or are unable to see how they are being used,real social justice will remain elusive. 9/9
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
