Are Not Tamil Brahmins Tamilians ?

[kabali]

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Exactly my sentiments, Ramki and Chintana


Speaking of mud-throwing, the following article by one Mr. Thangavelu in TamilNation (2001), "Brahmins and the Eelamists" caught my eye. It is amazing how much hatred this man has for Brahmins; he faults everything on them, including their opposition to Eelam!! And I read somewhere that there are no Brahmins in Sri Lanka!
http://

No sir, There are lot of brahmins (tamil iyers) in Northern SL. Some of them have been raped and butchered by SL army during the infamous pogorom. Many of them support Eelam movement eventhough it is now being spearheaded by terrorists.

I think the Eelam brahmins are very poor.

 

[silverfox]

Dear Kabali:
Are you serious? A Sri Lanka Tamil friend of mine told me that there were absolutely no Brahmins in SL.
Please forgive my ignorance; I practically grew up in the USA so to speak. But what does 'Eelam' stand for, and is it a Tamil Word (I think it is!).
Thank you.

 

[praveen]

Are you serious? A Sri Lanka Tamil friend of mine told me that there were absolutely no Brahmins in SL.
Please forgive my ignorance; I practically grew up in the USA so to speak. But what does 'Eelam' stand for, and is it a Tamil Word (I think it is!).
Thank you.

not on a large scale but they are a minority (correct me if iam wrong) and most in northern srilanka.

as to the meaning of Eelam
Wikipedia has an article on it http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamil_Eelam

Tamil Eelam (Tamil: தமிழ் ஈழம், tamiḻ īḻam) is the name given by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), to the independent state to which they aspire in the Northern and Eastern portions of the island of Sri Lanka.

 

[silverfox]

So, it is not EELAM but 'Eezham' ் ஈழம! Thank you, Praveen, for clarification.

 

[iam_not_a_tambrahm]

I am a non brahmin

Hello Folks,
I am a non-brahmin and not even a tamilian ( based in Bangalore,) and was drawn to this site by sheer curiosity. I hope my presence here will be accepted and is it ok if I post articles here?.

Some of the articles on the treatment meted out to Tam Brahms in Tamil Nadu are very moving. It is very very unfortunate that, hatred against one community has been taken to such heights by a bunch of politicians. This is the kind of intolerance that gave rise to Nazism, and is not in the best interests of the country (of any country for that matter).
What bothers me is that, evangelistic Christian and Islamic organisations ( largely funded from abroad ) do not seem to draw as much attention as the hapless indigenous Brahmins in Tamil Nadu. To Dr. Karnunanidhi, Sonia Gandhi is a dear friend, prominent Muslim and Church clergy are his best buddies etc. He seems to have no problem with people of foreign origin and when religions from a foreign culture are given undue advantage, not a finger is raised. And the masses do not seem to realise the threat that some of the the evangelist religions pose to the existence of this country , whereas Karunanidhi jumps at the first chance to paint brahmins in a bad picture as if they are the reason for all ills. I am really puzzled by his behaviour and find it incomprehensible.

Great job guys and keep up the forum.

- Krishnamoorthy

 

[silverfox]

Dear Krishnamoorthy (iam_not_a_tambrahm)

As you yourself have seen, this site is democratic and free for all to visit and post their views, even though we started the forum as a non-political one for the benefit of Tamil Brahmins. You see, Tamil Brahmins invite everybody to discuss, debate issues without getting violent or virulent. We can agree to disagree but at the end of the day, we should walk out as friends. This is not happening in Tamil Nadu.

As you have rightly pointed out, the Tamil Brahmins, though sons of the soil, are treated like dirt. The very same Dr. Karunanidhi, who once fought hard against Hindi, now embrases all the Hindi-speaking politicians but no Tamil Brahmin!! Go figure!
Please continue to visit the forum and post your views. We welcome it.
You are absolutely right in your observation that the people of Tamil Nadu do not seem to realize the grave threat the foreign religions are posing. The politicians will do anything to get the minority vote and apparently they are blind to this alarming fact.

<[And the masses do not seem to realise the threat that some of the the evangelist religions pose to the existence of this country]>

 

[iam_not_a_tambrahm]

Change in demographics of India

Hello folks,
I have a few things to share:

In a large mutli-ethnic country like india, inevitably there are bound to be tensions between different ethnic groups based on religious, linguistic or caste factors. And it is true that it is much harder to administer a country like this than a racially homogenous country like Germany or Japan. But somehow the country has been ploughing on and staying together and
seeming to make progress. But a few policies pursued currently by the federal government (and some state governments like that of DMK), could endanger the very existence of India if not immediately, perhaps a decade or two down the line.

One aspect of our country is that the majority have been Hindus, who have been more than tolerant of other religions. And the indifference and pacific nature of this majority seems to have been taken for granted by religions that seek to enlarge their domain in india. ( Of course there are exceptions like Guajarat and Maharashtra where, I must admit, there are some militant Hindu organisations and that is a different topic altogether)

Even though in public some of the Christian and Islamic religious institutions advocate co-existence and respect for Hindus, if one looks closer, you will see a lot of contradictions. Many web sites of christian organisations list India as a place ripe for conversion, populated by tribes ( or castes ) not having access to TRUE god (we all know who this true GOD is!).
Though islamic organisations have been less evangelistic, there seems a conflict , among sections of Muslims, in deciding whether this country or their religion that should come first. And their growth rate is higer and there seems to be reluctance to follow family planning wholeheartedly (perhaps not all muslims are like this).
I am by no means advocating hatred or animosity against those following these religions, all i am saying is that the government and the masses should examine these foreign groups closely and see them for what they are. Witch hunting is not what I am suggesting, but a cold objective look at their activities to see if they are contributing to nation building.
No doubt , Hindus are divided a lot, and there is lot of caste discrimination but it is surely and slowly going away and is being eradicated. ( Please do not discriminate anybody based on caste, every person that feels discriminated is one more potential bullet in the ammunition of these evangelist religions, because mostly it is these downtrodden that these
religions claim to rescue )

If the demographics of India changes in future, it could go the way of Serbia. Where the demographics has changed considerably in the last 30-40 years and led of dismemberment of many of the provinces there and incessant war. (Similar is the case with Nigeria, where Muslims form roughly half the population and there are regular pogroms and bloody riots. - And
mind you Nigeria is a large country almost comparable in size to India) If that happens , all these discussions about brahmins and non-brahmins may not matter much in another 10-20 years, as everybody will probably be fighting for their life. Of course I may sound a bit pessimistic, but common sense tells me all this.

I try to explain this to my friends and acquintances as much as possible in the hope of making them see what is happening around. I request members and visitors to this forum to keep these points in mind.

- Krishnamoorthy

 

[MrJustice]

I will add that all the famous Tamil "rationalists" and politicians werent really Tamilians either, MGR - Malayalee, Vijaykanth - Telugu, Vaiko Telugu, EVR - Telugu/Kannada and so on even the main man Karunanidhi's ancestry itself is circumspect.In fact Karunanidhi's grand nephew Dayanidhi Maran's wife is a Brahmin Iyengar to boot.
In anycase these are contradictions that are deemed fine and dandy by the voting populace, yet the Taml Brahmin can never be a true Tamil!
Persecuted , the Brahmin leaves Tamil Nadu and is further brandished a traitor!
Some twisted logic people accept!

 

[MrJustice]

The best way I think Brahmins can draw parity and stop such humiliations is to float a political party and control completely the 7% vote bank.
They can then use the seats won to barter and gain concessions from the larger Dravidian parties to our advantage.
We have the smarts, we certainly have the money and the need is definitely NOW or else it will be too late!

 

[silverfox]

Hey Guys!
I heard from somebody who swore that Mr. Karunanidhi family spoke Telugu at home. Could this be true?

 

[MrJustice]

Yes, that is very likely but probably only with the first wife who was chosen from the same community. Ive read somewhere that he is from the barber community from the Thanjavur area, apparently most if not all were Telugu speaking.

 

[KAUNDINYA]

Yes, that is very likely but probably only with the first wife who was chosen from the same community. Ive read somewhere that he is from the barber community from the Thanjavur area, apparently most if not all were Telugu speaking.

There is a misconception in northern & western Tamil Nadu that MK is a barber but it is not so. He belongs to the ISAI VELALAR (formerly known as Devadasi) community. In the Thanjavur area it is the Isai Vellalars who are Nadaswaram vidwans, but in the rest of TN it is the Barbers who play the Nadaswaram. So in non-Tanjavur areas people think MK is a barber which is not correct. The late M.S.SUBBULAKSHMI, the celebrated Carnatic musician, also belonged to the Isai Vellalar or Devadasi community. Of course her husband Kalki Sadasivam was a Brahmin. Some people including the late MGR & Murasoli Adiyar are of the opinion that the Isai Vellalars of Tanjavur had migrated from Andhra Pradesh some centuries ago but today they speak only Tamil at home.
:hungry:

 

[R.Subramaniam]

Mu.Karunanidhi

Hey Guys!
I heard from somebody who swore that Mr. Karunanidhi family spoke Telugu at home. Could this be true?

I need to confirm this information,really.
Performing Shraddham for my father in September I discovered from the Vadhyar that Karunanidhi's wife, a brahmin will not allow him inside the house unless he performs the shraddham for his elders.
He vouches for this.And mind you the Matunga brahmins are hard core believers and perhaps diggers/excavators.
Curious isn't it.
I'll be damned.
Suraniam

 

[MrJustice]

I am quite certain that none of Karunanidhi's 4 wives are Brahmins.

 

[navy-eswaran]

i think it will be better to refrain from raising personal names and issues.

 

[adidravidan]

tamil brahmins are not broad minded like the other brahmins??

may be tamil brahmins are short tempered as compared to other brahmins.

Nobody in Andhra Pradesh will say that a Telugu-speaking Brahmin is not a Telugu. In fact N.T.Rama Rao, founder of theTelugu Desam Party & former CM of AP & a KAMMA NAIDU by caste, was thrilled when Telugu Brahmin P.V.Narasimha Rao became the Prime Minister of India & called the latter "TELUGU BIDDA". When P.V.N.Rao contested the Lok Sabha election from the Kurnool constituency in AP as a Congress candidate, N.T.R. did not field his party's candidate against P.V. so as to facilitate a Teluguvaadu's election to the L.S.& his continuation as the PM of India. When V.V.Giri, another Telugu Brahmin, became the President of India, many non-Brahmin Andhras felt elated.

In Karnataka, the Kannada chauvinist VAATAAL NAGARAJ, a non-Brahmin & the President of the anti-Tamil "KANNADA CHALUVALIGARU" Party, described not only former Brahmin CMs of Karnataka GUNDU RAO & RAMAKRISHNA HEGDE as KANNADIGAS, but also called Jayalalitha a "KANNADATHI". No Kannadiga ever says that Kannada Brahmins are not Kannadigas.

In Kerala, not only Nambudiri Brahmins but even Tamil-speaking Iyers who have settled down in Kerala are regarded as Malayalees. Tamil-speaking ROWTHER MUSLIMS who have settled down in Kerala are also accepted as Malayalees.

It is only in Tamil Nadu that Brahmins who speak Tamil at home & think in Tamil are not accepted as "Thamizhar" because of narrow caste interests & consequent blind hatred. They accept even Telugu, Kannada & Urdu-speaking non-Brahmins as Tamilians but will not accept Tamil Brahmins as Tamilians!!! Of course exceptions are there. Naamakkal Kavignar Ramalingam Pillai, a Tamil poet & freedom-fighter, wrote a book entitled "AARIYARAAVADHU DRAAVIDARAAVADHU" in which he had championed the cause of Tamil Brahmins."Thamizh Thendral" THIRU.VI.KA., a Vellala Mudaliar & a Tamil scholar, has opined that all Tamil-speaking people, whether they are Aryans or Dravidians, are Tamilians & regarding Tamil Brahmins as aliens and non-Tamilians will only lead to the destruction of Tamil society.

North Indian Brahmins too are accepted as Hindiwallahs, Bengalis, Gujaratis, Oriyas, Marathis,etc., in their respective states.

:violin:

 

[iam_not_a_tambrahm]

Tamil Brahmins Vs other Brahmins

may be tamil brahmins are short tempered as compared to other brahmins.

In reply to adidravidans post above, I would like to point out that i have met many kannada brahmins and telugu brahmins who are proud of their culture and seem to identify with their history, their kings, their past, and are equally proud of many of their non-brahmin leaders etc. Telugu brahmins mostly never say anything bad about their telugu politicians , to non-telugus (of course this is a generalisation!). Even today many telugus ( of all castes ) consider telugu brahmins to be generally moderate and honest and simple in thinking. I do not know if such perception exists about tamil brahmins among the populace in TN.

Many years ago ,one of my classmates, a kannada brahmin, was really proud of one of the famous kannada kings, (krishnadevaraya ? may be i cant remember) , and he used to say that (in a lighter vein !) he feels superior because his king defeated some body from another state.
May be some (definitely NOT ALL) of the tamil brahmins are indifferent (or do not identify with) to their own tamil culture. Or atleast perhaps there is such perception among non-brahmins. I remember one of my tamil friend ( not a brahmin ) mention that some of the tamil brahmins think they are seperate and different from other tamilians. This was several years back .
Incidentally , what I observed is that many tamil brahmins in karnataka , seem to be more proud of their tamil culture than their counterparts in TN. May be this is in reaction to the propaganda by Kannada chauvinist leaders like Nagaraj?.
In any case, I do not want to propagate any stereotypes against anybody.
Whatever may be the case, the sustained propaganda predominantly by DMK , specifically karunanidhi, is the main reason why many stereotypes exist about tamil brahmins among common populace in TN, irrespective of what Tamil Brahmins did or did not do.

- Krishnamoorthy

 

[Viswanath]

Sri Krishnamurthy,

With reference to your post re pride of Kannada & Telugu Brahmins for their respective cultures & their political leaders. Maybe true. But to say that Tamil Brahmins are not proud of their culture is not entirely correct.

Tamil Brahmins are definitely proud of their Tamil culture. But whether they can find anything to be proud of in todays culture is anybodys guess. They have taken a battering from the Govt (and its sympathizers) and are smarting from the beating.

To understand the situation in TN you must realize that for the last few decades they have had to face unprecedented attacks on their way of life and values. These attacks have come from the Govt working hand in glove with the media - print, cinema, TV etc. You must be aware of the influence of cinema in our country. It is especially strong in TN. And most of the powerful TN politicians are from the cinema. They have brought over the skills of their trade to completely mesmerize the gullible masses. The media has spread a lot of disinformation and whipped up a frenzy. In fact the disinformation is so cleverly delivered that many Brahmins have turned against their own community.

Seen against this backdrop it will be easy to understand the plight of TN Brahmins.

The situation is so pathetic that many foreigners like Mr Gautier have taken up the cause of waking up the Brahmins to their plight.

And your other point re your Kannada friend being proud of the king Krishnadevaraya. He is rightly proud. It was Krishnadevaraya who built many of the Temples in South India, including many in TN. The main Gopuram in the Tiruvannamalai (Arunachala) Temple was built by him. It is supposed to be one of the tallest Gopurams in the country. But you must bear in mind that this was before the country was divided into linguistic states.

An interesting point to add to your observation: Sri Krishnadevaraya was the King of the Hampi Empire (Karnataka). This empire was founded by Sri Vidyaranya who was Sri Krishnadevaraya's Guru. Sri Vidyaranya hailed from Tamil Nadu (according to one school of thought) - Wonder what Vattal Nagaraj will have to say about that. He may call for another 'bundh').

Sri Vidyaranya was a great Sage with many Vedantic treatises to his credit, like Panchadasi which is considered to be one of the most important texts for the study of Advaita Vedanta. He was also the Sankaracharya of Sringeri Mutt (again according to one school of thought).
Incidentally this was the region that Marco Polo, many centuries ago, described in glowing terms. Among other things he was amazed that heaps of precious stones/gems were being sold in the open market.

I thank you Mr Krishnamurthy for providing me with this opportunity to write about Sri Krishnadevaraya & Sri Vidyaranya.

-- Viswanath

 

[silverfox]

Dear Krishnamoorthy (iam_not_a_brahmin):

An interesting observation, even though I am not sure how many Tamil Brahmins would agree with your assessment. I, for one, am a Tamil-born Brahmin, brought up in the US and I am extremely proud of our Tamilian culture, kings, our traditions. I am especially fascinated by the great Chola emperor, Raja Raja Chola. Whenever the occasion arises, I tell my American friends (and North Indian friends; don't they teach about the South in the North of India in history classes?) what a great emperor he was and how during those days the Tamils were great sea-farers going to all the way to Indonesia via Burma, Thailand and Cambodia. I also marvel at the Dam (Kallanai) that Karakala Cholan king had built around 2nd AD.
I wish that the Tamil Nadu politicians, instead of erecting statues for themselves, would erect statues for these great Tamil kings. These great kings did not build grand palaces for themselves (like the Moghuls) but built great temples for the Gods!

I just read Viswanath's posting. I would tend to agree with his remarks.
Viswanath:
I thought that the Thanjavur Periya Gopuram was the tallest temple structure in India? I may be wrong but the Periya Temple is 73 meters and the Arunachala temple is 60 meters. (based on a search).

If I could go back in time, I would love to be during the golden period of Chola king during the 1st AD!!

 

[Viswanath]

Dear Krishnamoorthy (iam_not_a_brahmin):
...I tell my American friends (and North Indian friends; don't they teach about the South in the North of India in history classes?) .....

It is somewhat better these days. South India was always looked at with contempt. In fact many North Indians believed that South Indians worshipped Ravana. Hindi movies have always shown South Indians as a bunch of giggling buffoons. The perception has changed considerably now. But South Indian history, the greatness of her Kings... I think thats sadly overlooked. Even by South Indians for that matter.

I wish that the Tamil Nadu politicians, instead of erecting statues for themselves, would erect statues for these great Tamil kings. These great kings did not build grand palaces for themselves (like the Moghuls) but built great temples for the Gods!
.......

Have always felt that in a few years we'll have more statues than grains of sand in the beach. That was a wonderful thought that Hindu kings built magnificent Temples rather than grand palaces for themselves.

I thought that the Thanjavur Periya Gopuram was the tallest temple structure in India? I may be wrong but the Periya Temple is 73 meters and the Arunachala temple is 60 meters. (based on a search).
......

Whats a few meters between friends arty: That aside, I have based my information on 'Ramana's Arunachala' published by Sri Ramanasramam, TN.
An excellent book which captures the magic of Arunachala Ramana, especially the older edition. The new edition has a lot of historical data of the Temple (excellent).
An excerpt from the book (new edition), Page 113:
'....The Eastern Gopuram was built by him (Sri Krishnadevaraya), and is the tallest of its type in South India'.
Anyway I'll try & get the exact figures.


-- Viswanath.

 

[iam_not_a_tambrahm]

Dear Viswanath and Silverfox,
I would definitely agree with most of Mr. Viswanath observations. I think my intention was to point out that "atleast the perception among ordinary Tamils is that most Tamil brahmins are indifferent to their traditions etc." I was referring to the perceptions not my own personal opinion. Perhaps the tone of my posting seems to suggest that I personally think Tamil brahmins are NOT patriotic to their culture, which i do not (and anyway i am not qualified for that). Of course at the end of the day my observation about kannada and telugu brahmins does definitely reek of over generalisation, and obviously open to debate.

The reason I posted the article was to bring into focus, the perceptions that a common Tamil might have about Tamil brahmins. So that the members in this forum might ponder over this. As Mr. Vishwanath rightly pointed out, this perception of common Tamils has no doubt been formed and shaped by the propaganda of Tamil politicians. And it may be hard to change these perceptions, but Tamil brahmin leaders, can perhaps start a dialogue of some sort with the some of the saner elements among Tamil political leaders for a start.


[ Yes, vidyaranya was the raj guru of Krishnadevaraya, and in fact there is a shrine to this raj guru among the ruins of Hampi. I do not know if he was from TN, it probably does not matter eitherway. In those days Telugu and kannada cultures were not very distinct from each other they were probably one single culture , and religious figures from different parts of TN, Andhra and Karnataka visited and sometimes settled in mutts far way from their birthplace.


And one more observation, even the famous SriRangam temple was sacked by Malik Kafur and converted to a military garrison and many idols were removed. It was only during the reign of Vijayanagar that the invaders were thrown out and the temple restored to its original glory. If it was not for this, perhaps srirangam would have resembled one of those ruined temples frequently found in the north with half broken idols etc. ]


Yes, i agree that a lot of southindians are shown as buffoons in North indian movies, but I personally tend to take it in a lighter vein and dismiss it. But I have also seen many of my north indian friends have high regards for south indians, in real life, and they tend to generalise south indians to be intelligent, hard working and relatively honest ( which I disagree with them - I attribute these to north indians as well) . So these competing stereotypes tend to balance out.

I can imagine something similar happening with Tamil brahmins too, in TN, with some of the movies making fun of their way of life , customs etc. I have seen many members in this forum worry about these protrayals of Tamil brahmins. May be it is a over reaction? But can I assume in real life may be many (middle class) Tamils do hold Tamil brahmins in high regard ( rightly )?

- Krishnamoorthy

 

[silverfox]

Dear Krishnamoorthy:
I am sorry I probably wasn't clear in my response to your posting; I knew they weren't your personal opinions but you were merely talking about perceptions. Please continue to enlighten us with your balanced views. I personally like your postings.
You are right; we cannot generalize about these things. There are always good people and bad people in every country, ethnicity or community.
As you had said, I have a North Indian friend here who owns a company; he would like to hire only Tamilians!! He said that they were smart, hard-working, honest and polite!

Viswanath: You are absolutely right! a few meters isn't going to change the majesty and wonder of both the temples. I have never been to Thiruvannamalai and I am planning to visit there when I visit Chennai next month.

[iam_not_a_tambram - I would definitely agree with most of Mr. Viswanath observations. I think my intention was to point out that "atleast the perception among ordinary Tamils is that most Tamil brahmins are indifferent to their traditions etc." I was referring to the perceptions not my own personal opinion. Perhaps the tone of my posting seems to suggest that I personally think Tamil brahmins are NOT patriotic to their culture, which i do not (and anyway i am not qualified for that). Of course at the end of the day my observation about kannada and telugu brahmins does definitely reek of over generalisation, and obviously open to debate.]

 

[Viswanath]

Dear Krishnamurthy,

I completely understand the sentiment underlying your post. I think we are now entering an era where Brahmins from Kashmir to Kanyakumari will have to show a sense of solidarity, forgetting petty differences of language etc. In fact Hindus at large will have to come together. Since Brahmins are the ones who have been marginalized most they have to make that special effort to come together. Different viewpoints will only help us to understand the problem at hand. So please continue to post your views.

Re Sri Krishnadevaraya, his empire included the whole of South India upto present day Orissa. Many temples in the South have been built by him. As Sri Silverfox pointed out, our Kings built magnificient temples and not palaces. They were completely devoted to the Vedic Dharma.

Dear Silverfox,

Been hunting around for info regarding the height of the Raja Gopuram of the Arunachaleswara Temple. The sad part is that there is no consensus about the height of the Gopuram. And different claims about which is the tallest Gopuram. Of course it is not really important which is the tallest etc. But still it is appalling how little we know about our own heritage.

Anyway heres what I have unearthed.
1. From one of my books 'Pilgrimage to Tiruvannamalai' by Francoise Boudignon the Gopuram is 54m high

2. tamilnation.org claims that the Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple has the tallest Gopuram in the world.

3.templenet.com: ..The 11 tiered East Rajagopuram (Tiruvannamalai) towers to a height of 217 feet (~72m)

4. http://www.arunachaleswarar.com: ..It is 217 feet in height with 11 storeys. It is the second tallest temple tower in South India. (~72m). Wonder if this is the official site for the Temple.

5. From Wikipedia,
....
Gopuram of Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple in Srirangam, Tamilnadu state is the tallest Gopuram in South India. This Gopuram known as the Rajagopuram (the royal temple tower) rises from the base area of around 13 cents (32500 sq feet) and goes up to 196 feet, moving up in eleven progressively smaller tiers.

Glad to hear you will be visiting Tiruvannamalai next month. It is pure magic.

-- Viswanath

 

[whisper]

If some anti brahmins groups want to call us non tamils let them call because they cant do any thing. But can any one know that brahmins are aryans and they come from central asia(these words come from our first P.M Jawaharlal Nehru(he is brahmin) in his book discover of india). My friend told me like that. Can any one read this book. If it call us like that(aryans are from central asia) Then i want to tell anti brahmins insult brahmins, but Brahmins destroy brahmins.
This anti brahmins group call us we are not tamilians because we are from central asia.

 

[silverfox]

Dear Whisper:
Come on! do you really believe it for a moment? - that we are Aryans from Central Asia? Complete nonsense! The Aryan invasion theory has been debunked by several respected anthropology scholars.
Besides, can you honestly tag a person, looking at somebody on the streets of Chennai, as a Brahmin or a non-brahmin? No way.
I used to have a dalit friend who was fairer than many brahmins and if someone saw him they would assume he was a brahmin! Even his Tamil was high-class Tamil!
What I am trying to say is that there is no such thing as PURE Aryan or Dravidian. If if we subscribe to the Aryan theory, it happened over 5000 years ago. What we have today is a mixture of Aryan and Dravidian; that includes all the non-Brahmins in Tamil Nadu. Just because EVR foolishly started this tirade against the brahmins by classifying them as Aryans, the morons are following this demagogue.