the iyakkam spans tamils telugus malayalis and kannadigas originated folks of tamil nadu. i see two big threats to this iyakkam now.
the first is tamil nationalism - which has place only for the tamils - tamil nadu for tamils. ie vellalars, dalits, nadars, vanniars mudaliars pillais etc. NOT nairs naickers naidus reddiars and such. tamil nationalism also calls for a independent tamil nadu with a loose confederation to eelam. these are now at the fore front of koodankulam agitation.
the infighting between the dravidians and the tamil nationalists, has turned vicious, albeit confined only to war of words. no holds are barred on both sides, and it may be only a matter of time before it spills to the streets. all depends on the results of koodankulam. i think.
tamil nationalism, has a tolerance of brahmins, though barely. i am now wondering about this, in light of a rabid anti brahmin article by suba udayakumar in keetru.
பார்ப்பனத்துவமும், அணுத்துவமும். havent seen this type of rabid anti brahmin originating with such a vehemance recently.
andhanars are mentioned in the sangam age. though i dont know if those andhanars and tambrams of today are the same, but we can ask for the benefit of the doubt. but definitely in historical sense, naickers naidus reddiars et all, are vandheRis, breathing tamil soil only for the past few centuries. that, for a culture, which measures itself in milleniums, says a lot.
the other threat to the iyakkam, is the looming agitiations for trifurcation of tamil nadu - pandya kongu and northern. which will take the momentum out of a focussed anti brahminism, as the new states will be more involved in their own developed through the enfranchised majority communities, each now with a power structure and challenges. the ones impacted here might be the dalits, for whom, there is no love lost by the ruling castes of tamil nadu today.
kovi lenin, the author of the book, has apparently given as much coverage of the warts as athisha says, for those critical of the iyakkam. so i think it will be good exercise for those who do not identify with the iyakkam its goals its dreams or even why it started in the first place.
as i was growing up, i used to listen to the speeches of the various iyakkam luminaries and notice the light in the eyes of the cheri folks and hopes for the next generation. i think for all communities to get a piece of india's activities, no matter the size of the pie, is important. i was welcomed, and no difference was made, that i came from the maadi veedu, and sat among those from kudisai veedus
on my father's side, i too the first graduate, and the second generation to come out of the poverty trap. but i have seen the poverty and hopelessness of the cheris and our indigence was no where near some of what i have seen. that these too have a right for a share of india, and i only have to thank nehru, and ambedkar, for enabling a social revolution, without shedding a drop of blood. otherwise, if russia france or china were set as examples, as members of the so called elite class, the blood that would have been shed, would have been our community's. something, history has time and again taught us.
the observation is correct. the other castes would join together in a jiffy, if they ever suspected a upper handed under hand dealing by the brahmins to regain any priviliges, in the name 'merit' or such. 97% of tamil nadu is for reservations, and while it has largely served the purpose of the first and second generations, i think, the concept is at cross roads - creamy layers and poor forward castes, i think, should given state help, rather than a million BC OBC or Dalit. thoughtful tamilians of all castes, are thinking about this, which itself is a good sign, though it may be years before we see any action.
the jews are among the most ardent students of nazism only because they were the most impacted. why it happened and such, have been analyzed in detail by the jews. there is an intellectual curiosity. while i do not equate tambrams to jewish experience, in the light of many such comparisons here an elsewhere, apart from sheer hatred to the point of not even permitting certain name to be mentioned here, no one has even made one step in analyzing the rationale behind the iyakkam.
personally, i do not see the iyakkam as an aberration, but more in terms of 'cause and effect', and failure of our erstwhile ancestors, to see reality fairness and look into the future - that an independent india has more aspirants who have to be fulfilled, and given the small pie, have to be shared. ambedkar got it right. rajaji did not. i think so.
that it happened, and tamil nadu is seen by and large, all over india, as the forefront of social upliftment, why is it that we do not atleast give it a scholarly view and dispassionately view the causes. after all , this is history, and it happened since 100 years, and for 40+ years we have all lived and prospered within a dravidian ruled tamil nadu.
.
