...I will agree to the extent that EVR was the single major cause for tabras becoming completely sidelined in TN. But for the sake of argument, I will say that even if EVR were not there, Tabras would have become sidelined after independence, but perhaps after a pitched battle being fought by them for prolonging their hegemony; the results would have been more abject terms of surrender of Tabras than what is being experienced today. In that respect EVR served a salutary purpose, it looks to me. Knowledgeable members may correct me.
100% correct sangom. it may not be pitched battles between tambrams and others. tambrams never resorted to physical fight on their own behalf, but they might have used the strong arm of the police and state powers to hold on to power related privileges much like in the north.
periyar increased the awareness of the NBs and was a lightning rod for every NB to gather together.
currently there is a big fight in a village called uthapuram near madurai for dalit entry to a pillaimar temple. it is a small village, with pillaimar holding the land, and dalits the landless labourers. that is one major flare up that is ongoing for yers now. apart from that, it is well known that dalits treat socially approved insults like two glasses etc. nothing that we brahmins do not know about. it was practised in all our househlolds till recently. and maybe even now, who knows.
to your main query: a while back in another forum, one NB had this stinging arguement abgainst the brahmins who pointed out to the corruption in the TN society now. his answer was that this corruption was still 'their (NB)' corruption, and the beneficiaries were NBs; as opposed to tambrams getting benefit.
we then move on to whether there was so much corruption when tambrams were in power. i have already stated that i know personally of folks who profitted from their poistion for under the table rewards. whether it was so prevalent, ie seeping through all aspects of life, i donnt know. but then prior to 1960s the government involvement in the people's affairs was fairly small. the collector was a distant petit god, as opposed to his role as a hands on adminsitrator now.
that the old ics officers, who were all FCs treatred the elected politicians with disdain is no secret. even kamaraj was insulted by the then chief secretary. absence of education or inability to speak english, for these FCs appear to be factors enough that they are unfit to govern. hopefully that attitude has changed now.
all in all, periyar happened 50 years ahead of his time. the other parts of india are only now catching up re OBC resurgence, and above all dalit upward mobility. the reate at which TN is going, in another 50 years we will be a classless society, if not casteless. the rest of india, give them 100 years. still considering that all these were entrenched for milleniums, the progress has been at lightning speed, and comparatively painless, and almost bloodless. for that, we have to thank our democracy, and jawaharlal nehru, for entrenching this in our psyche.
jai hind. jai nehru. .
) even today against the dalits. I am not in contact with the goings on in TN districts; may be you, Kunjuppu or some one should give an impartial assessment of whether such atrocities are even now a daily occurrence in most parts of TN or whether some isolated instances are being blown out of proportion.
and we do.
