Vachathi--the story of the rape of a nondescript hamlet in Tamilnadu.

[suraju06]

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Vachathi-the story of the rape of a tribal hamlet in Tamilnadu.

Vachathi is the name of a small nondescript hamlet situated in the Pappirettipatti taluk of Dharmapuri District in Tamilnadu. It is near Harur, the better known small town. It is on the foothills of Sitheri mountain range which is part of the Western Ghats. The hills are rich in Sandalwood of top quality and sandalwood smuggling is rampant here. The sandalwood smuggler Veerappan who was killed in a police encounter operated from these hills.

In June 1992 on a quiet night a joint operation was carried out by a team of officials and constables of local police, forest Department and revenue officials of Tamilnadu. They went there to investigate a sandalwood smuggling racket. But they went on a rampage and 107 people of the village were subjected to unspeakable brutality. More than a 100 of these victims were tribal women.These women were dragged out of their houses and were taken to the Forest Ranger’s office in Harur, where they were subjected to worst forms of physical abuse and torture by Government officials. The team had thrashed the men and women of the village and herded them to a truck and took them away.Even pregnant women and minor girls were not spared. 18 women were raped. Among the victims were 28 children.

The local police initially did not file an FIR (First Information Report) when the victims complained. When leftist social activists took up the issue in hand the court ordered the police to file a case and investigate. Totally 269 people were arraigned. 100 policemen, 155 forest officials and a few officials from other departments of the Govt. were accused of the brutalities. After a long and protracted legal struggle(in which every opportunity to delay the judgment was fully exploited) the judgment was delivered by the sessions Court of Dharmapuri on 29[SUP]th[/SUP] September 2011 after full 19 years. When finally the judgment was delivered, 34 of the victims and 53 of the accused persons were dead and gone already.

When V.Chinnakutty, one of the victims said after hearing the verdict, “We are overjoyed. Justice has prevailed. We feel that our life is also worth something as we could stand up against such powerful men. It should be hailed as a historic judgment and a grim reminder to officials that they cannot get away doing any thing to us” it sounded pathetic as those who are dead by now, 58 of the accused and 34 of the victims, did not get justice at all.

Thus comes to an end the story of the rape of a non-descript hamlet. It is a small bit of a news that there was not a single brahmin involved in this sordid tale of rape and brutalization. So until the numerically, economically and politically powerful middle caste agglomerate drops its carefully cultivated (ஜாதி ஒழிக , ஜாதியை உருவாக்கி கற்பித்தவன் ஒழிக , பிராமணன் ஒழிக etc.,) image of a revolutionary sheep and bares its fangs again, it will be happy times for the arm chair revolutionaries of all hue as they can go about their only favourite pastime of, you know what.

(source: The Times of India and Dinamalar)

Cheers.

 

[kunjuppu]

excellent post raju,

except,

the last paragraph. i have reviewed the movie 'nanjupuram' in movie madness thread.

it perhaps addresses the caste prejudices in the absence of brahmins. also, it looks at what tambrams can do to remove it, not for us or our community, but for the larger interest of humanity, our hindu way of life and because it will be the right thing to do.

 

[suraju06]

excellent post raju,

except,

the last paragraph. i have reviewed the movie 'nanjupuram' in movie madness thread.

it perhaps addresses the caste prejudices in the absence of brahmins. also, it looks at what tambrams can do to remove it, not for us or our community, but for the larger interest of humanity, our hindu way of life and because it will be the right thing to do.

Dear Kunjuppu,

Not that I did not expect this. I expected much worse. But each one has his POV.

Cheers.

 

[kunjuppu]

Dear Kunjuppu,

Not that I did not expect this. I expected much worse. But each one has his POV.

Cheers.

dear suraju,

dont you think, we have a stake, in the reformation and flourishing of hinduism? can we not take a leadership role in mending caste prejudices? why do we have to thump our chests, each time there is a caste fight, and claim that our hands are clean?

maybe our hands are clean? but is our conscience? things to think about suraju. after all, what has been handed to this generation of tambrams is a mess of alienation. maybe our generation can do something better for the coming generation? just a thought, and not a justification of your expectation. surely you are better person than what you write!!

 

[suraju06]

Dear Kunjuppu,

dont you think, we have a stake, in the reformation and flourishing of hinduism?

Yes. I do believe that we, brahmins, have a stake along with other hindus.

can we not take a leadership role in mending caste prejudices? why do we have to thump our chests, each time there is a caste fight, and claim that our hands are clean?maybe our hands are clean? but is our conscience?

Do you believe we will will be allowed to take that leadership role? The moment you bring in leadership, you are talking about organizing people. That is unfortunately in the political domain and politics is a forbidden area for brahmins in TN. They have been banished from that domain long back. So we can not take that role even if we want and we may deserve. The so called 'thumping of the chest' is only an attempt to revive the spirits of the most bashed group,the group that feels besieged, telling them that they need not feel guilty at all, that they are rather victims of manipulators, that they have only to look to the future keeping their self-esteem and self-respect in tact. Our hands as well as our conscience is clean.The feeling that our conscience is not clean is an outcome of the constant dinning of this into their minds/ears by the master manipulators.

after all, what has been handed to this generation of tambrams is a mess of alienation. maybe our generation can do something better for the coming generation?

The mess of alienation is the creation of manipulators/politicians. If not caste they would have invented something else to create this alienation. Your prescription for tackling this alienation will not work because there is too much at stake for the manipulators to let that happen. To me it appears that the only way to deal with this menace is to take it head-on. Keep telling the truth so that the educated, thinking sections of the general public come to take note of this and see the truth in it to accept it.

surely you are better person than what you write!!

I take it as a compliment-perhaps a left-handed one!! If we ever get a chance to meet you will certainly find me a normal person, nice to get along.

Cheers.

 

[kunjuppu]

Dear suraju,

I think I was not very clear as to what ‘leadership’ meant. Atleast to me.

What it did not mean, is being at the top of a rabble rousing organization, screaming for change. Far from it.

To me the roots of any change starts at the grass roots. At our own selves, families, homes.

From looking on ourselves as ‘the most bashed group the group that feels besieged’, can we not look at ourselves a little differently?

How much have we changed in our attitudes towards other castes? Is it something that we came to do by ourselves because it was the right thing to do? or was it because we were forced? Where we right all along and then we were wronged by a jealous fellow tamil non Brahmins?

We can answer them two ways. The first answer would lead inevitably to the immediate self serving arguments of ‘the most bashed group the group that feels besieged’.

An alternate way of looking at things, maybe, will provide bridges to reach out to others. As a community, we are largely middle class and prosperous and educated. Above all, I think, our strength is our ability to think for ourselves critically. Maybe it is time to look at ourselves with an honesty bent towards leaving behind a legacy better than what our generation inherited – one of suspicion, alienation and exclusion. Our parents let it happen. Maybe we can disentangle the weave? Or atleast attempt at it.

As you very well know, I too am a practising hindu and believe in the flourishing of our traditions. I see folks just walking away from things that are irrelevant to them. so why not, group the relevancy and harp on it.

Because your ‘the most bashed group the group that feels besieged’ does not, I feel, strikes resonance, with the majority of the Brahmins. They are indifferent. It is that state, that I think, we need to work with. And work on.

Best wishes..

 

[suraju06]

Dear Kunjuppu,

I think I was not very clear as to what ‘leadership’ meant. Atleast to me. What it did not mean, is being at the top of a rabble rousing organization, screaming for change. Far from it.To me the roots of any change starts at the grass roots. At our own selves, families, homes

.

These were your words:"dont you think, we have a stake, in the reformation and flourishing of hinduism? can we not take a leadership role in mending caste prejudices?" In the given context of stake etc., I thought you were referring to a leadership role in clearing up the mess of caste prejudices and inequalities in the name of castes. I replied keeping that in mind as removal of caste prejudices and inequalities require the change of mind and cooperation of the powerful, numerically superior and economically/politically commanding middle castes agglomerate. Now you are talking about the grass roots. My dear friend, at the grass root level brahmins do not bother any more about the caste based discriminations or inequalities.

From looking on ourselves as ‘the most bashed group the group that feels besieged’, can we not look at ourselves a little differently?

"a little differently"--Please elaborate. Being a bashed group or a besieged one is an existential reality and we have learnt to live with it though we are not happy about it.

How much have we changed in our attitudes towards other castes? Is it something that we came to do by ourselves because it was the right thing to do? or was it because we were forced? Where we right all along and then we were wronged by a jealous fellow tamil non Brahmins?

We have changed a lot. All that by ourselves because that was the right thing to do. Human nature is to resist when something is forced on it, not to accept and change. We were right only as much as any average human being of those times was. If there were 'wrongs' (with today's definition of right and wrong) they were 'rights' of that time as pracaticed by the entire society then. I would have accepted your argument if brahmins were the only wrong doers and all others were right-doers helplessly watching(like our ancestors were watching the marauding Mehmood of Gazni, the Gengis Khan or Timur the Langda of Indian history), which is not the case here. It was a dynamic situation and a collaborative affair in which a society was evolving and to forget the role of time in this evolution process and blame brahmins or to lecture to them is like saying that the American Indian ancestors wasted all the energy that they could have extracted from the Niagra falls by their inaction. The men, the falls, the energy everything were there. But it required the flow of time to gain knowledge about energy to extract it. I am telling that the "jealous fellow non-brahmins" are harping on the state of affairs that existed eons back and are deliberately discounting the role of the alchemist called time that has brought about the wonders/changes. It is just a statement of fact. In solving any task we make a statement of facts and then move on to the next step. Don't we?

An alternate way of looking at things, maybe, will provide bridges to reach out to others. As a community, we are largely middle class and prosperous and educated. Above all, I think, our strength is our ability to think for ourselves critically. Maybe it is time to look at ourselves with an honesty bent towards leaving behind a legacy better than what our generation inherited – one of suspicion, alienation and exclusion. Our parents let it happen. Maybe we can disentangle the weave? Or atleast attempt at it.

You are an idealist, my friend. If repeated attempts to shake hands are spurned and repeated attempts to build bridges are scuttled what do you do? Keep trying more and keep hoping- Is not that? Yes that is what is done by Brahmins. If "looking at ourselves with honesty" means giving up any residual discriminatory tendencies in the name of caste, yes we are doing it. But if it means accepting everything that is dictated by the majority, giving up your cultural values, giving up the principles accepted over centuries as unnecessary baggage, rubbishing a belief system which is unique etc., then it is a different take. You are, in that case, asking for self-effacement which is not justified and so is not acceptable.

As you very well know, I too am a practising hindu and believe in the flourishing of our traditions. I see folks just walking away from things that are irrelevant to them. so why not, group the relevancy and harp on it.

You said it! பழையன கழிதலும் புதியன புகுதலும் வழுவல கால வகையினானே -- I am saying just this. No body need claim any authorship/intellectual property right for this universal rule.

Because your ‘the most bashed group the group that feels besieged’ does not, I feel, strikes resonance, with the majority of the Brahmins.

I am not able to agree with your interpretation of the situation. I think I speak the mind of majority of the brahmins.

Cheers.

 

[கால பைரவன்]

Police atrocities and high-handedness deserve strong condemnation.

However, it is NOT fair to view this issue through the prism of caste!

 

[suraju06]

Dear Kala Bairavan,

Police atrocities and high-handedness deserve strong condemnation.
However, it is NOT fair to view this issue through the prism of caste!​

Discrimination and inequalities imposed in the name of castes deserve strong condemnation. However, it is NOT fair to view this issue through the prism of Brahmin hatred. Period.

And on a less aggressive note, what do you think emboldened the 269 people to do what they did to the tribals. If it is not their caste-being tribals-what else was it?

Cheers.

 

[கால பைரவன்]

And on a less aggressive note, what do you think emboldened the 269 people to do what they did to the tribals. If it is not their caste-being tribals-what else was it?

Dear Suraju,

I accept that the caste angle cannot be overlooked from the point of view of victims. Where I differ is looking at the perpetrators through the caste angle. I see the perpetrators as arrogant cops, who, drunk with power, thought they could get away with anything and indulged in such horrific crime. of course, cases such as these expose the hypocrisy of the dravidian political parties to the hilt.

 

[kunjuppu]

Dear Kala Bairavan,



Discrimination and inequalities imposed in the name of castes deserve strong condemnation. However, it is NOT fair to view this issue through the prism of Brahmin hatred. Period.

And on a less aggressive note, what do you think emboldened the 269 people to do what they did to the tribals. If it is not their caste-being tribals-what else was it?

Cheers.

dear suraju,

i wish to reiterate, that i for one, am not looking at caste atrocities from a 'brahmin hatred' angle.

i was only lamenting the absence of reformists among our so called leaders ie mutt heads. at critical points in our history, ie independence time, voting in of dravidian parties, even the millenium, there could have been calls for reformation and reinventing our
faith, to be in tune with current values.

i speak only to deaf ears

 

[suraju06]

dear suraju,

i wish to reiterate, that i for one, am not looking at caste atrocities from a 'brahmin hatred' angle.

i was only lamenting the absence of reformists among our so called leaders ie mutt heads. at critical points in our history, ie independence time, voting in of dravidian parties, even the millenium, there could have been calls for reformation and reinventing our
faith, to be in tune with current values.

i speak only to deaf ears

Dear Kunjuppu,

That reply of mine was to KB and not to you. I did not mean that you are viewing things through the prism of BH. I have understood you better than that.

Cheers.

 

[sarang]

The mut heads have to protect their sampradaya and traditional values. They never discouraged any of their disciples from helping others or getting involved in social causes. They have not excommunicated any sishya/ follower/ sympathiser for helping non brahmins or dalits. Stray cases from kerala was not the norm.

dear suraju,

i wish to reiterate, that i for one, am not looking at caste atrocities from a 'brahmin hatred' angle.

i was only lamenting the absence of reformists among our so called leaders ie mutt heads. at critical points in our history, ie independence time, voting in of dravidian parties, even the millenium, there could have been calls for reformation and reinventing our
faith, to be in tune with current values.

i speak only to deaf ears

 

[ShivKC]

The mut heads have to protect their sampradaya and traditional values. They never discouraged any of their disciples from helping others or getting involved in social causes. They have not excommunicated any sishya/ follower/ sympathiser for helping non brahmins or dalits. Stray cases from kerala was not the norm.

not bad.

but it would be appealing to the world, if its worded this way..

They have excommunicated all sishya/ follower/ sympathiser for 'not' helping non brahmins or dalits.

 

[Yamaka]

"Thus comes to an end the story of the rape of a non-descript hamlet. It is a small bit of a news that there was not a single brahmin involved in this sordid tale of rape and brutalization. So until the numerically, economically and politically powerful middle caste agglomerate drops its carefully cultivated (ஜாதி ஒழிக , ஜாதியை உருவாக்கி கற்பித்தவன் ஒழிக , பிராமணன் ஒழிக etc.,) image of a revolutionary sheep and bares its fangs again, it will be happy times for the arm chair revolutionaries of all hue as they can go about their only favourite pastime of, you know what." Raju in post # 1

Dear Raju:

You narrated beautifully the justice that finally arrived to those hapless victims...until the very last para, as K pointed out...

You are mixing so many things here - your emotions are running riot and thus your reasoning is taking a beating! Lol.

"Jaathi Down Down, Architects of Jaathi Down Down" are reasonable political and social slogans...

I also agree that economically and politically powerful "middle caste" are perpetrating the Jaathi distinctions.

But, then coming back and hitting the social revolutionaries who want a Jaathi Blind Society is very unfair in your part... unless you yourself are a Patron Saint advocating Jaathis and the Caste Hierarchy in India!

Not to ruffle your nice feathers!

Cheers.

 

[sangom]

In June 1992 on a quiet night a joint operation was carried out by a team of officials and constables of local police, forest Department and revenue officials of Tamilnadu. They went there to investigate a sandalwood smuggling racket. But they went on a rampage and 107 people of the village were subjected to unspeakable brutality. More than a 100 of these victims were tribal women.These women were dragged out of their houses and were taken to the Forest Ranger’s office in Harur, where they were subjected to worst forms of physical abuse and torture by Government officials. The team had thrashed the men and women of the village and herded them to a truck and took them away.Even pregnant women and minor girls were not spared. 18 women were raped. Among the victims were 28 children.
...
Thus comes to an end the story of the rape of a non-descript hamlet. It is a small bit of a news that there was not a single brahmin involved in this sordid tale of rape and brutalization.

To me the last sentence is irrelevant. Unless there was/were any brahmin in the constabulary, forest/revenue officials and those brahmins refrained from doing any of the sordid things. Or, there must have been some brahmins around that village who could have taken part but did not do so. (Usually outsiders of any caste will generally flee any such police+forest+revenue raids, though.)
Since no such clause has been given this "summing up" is like saying there was not a single brahmin involved inthe Nazi horrors or Somali infighting.

 

[prasad1]

excellent post raju,

except,

the last paragraph. i have reviewed the movie 'nanjupuram' in movie madness thread.

it perhaps addresses the caste prejudices in the absence of brahmins. also, it looks at what tambrams can do to remove it, not for us or our community, but for the larger interest of humanity, our hindu way of life and because it will be the right thing to do.

K,
I wish you would edit your comments. So the doubt would be removed. Even Sangom seems to have think the same.
Any crime in any name is wrong and should be condemned, and opposed by all sane human being.

Crime committed in the name of religion, social, and economic group should be punished severely.

Who will catch the culprit, and who will punish? We have laws on the books, but enforcement is in the hands of humans.

I am confused by your comment. Are you suggesting that all these officers were brahmins? According to my understanding TB's do not run the state. I may be wrong. Please explain your comment.

 

[suraju06]

"Thus comes to an end the story of the rape of a non-descript hamlet. It is a small bit of a news that there was not a single brahmin involved in this sordid tale of rape and brutalization. So until the numerically, economically and politically powerful middle caste agglomerate drops its carefully cultivated (ஜாதி ஒழிக , ஜாதியை உருவாக்கி கற்பித்தவன் ஒழிக , பிராமணன் ஒழிக etc.,) image of a revolutionary sheep and bares its fangs again, it will be happy times for the arm chair revolutionaries of all hue as they can go about their only favourite pastime of, you know what." Raju in post # 1

Dear Raju:

You narrated beautifully the justice that finally arrived to those hapless victims...until the very last para, as K pointed out...

You are mixing so many things here - your emotions are running riot and thus your reasoning is taking a beating! Lol.

"Jaathi Down Down, Architects of Jaathi Down Down" are reasonable political and social slogans...

I also agree that economically and politically powerful "middle caste" are perpetrating the Jaathi distinctions.

But, then coming back and hitting the social revolutionaries who want a Jaathi Blind Society is very unfair in your part... unless you yourself are a Patron Saint advocating Jaathis and the Caste Hierarchy in India!

Not to ruffle your nice feathers!

Cheers.

Dear Yamaka,

The earlier paragraphs were just narration of what all happened in Vachathi. The last para was my comment. It has a particular context. It is with reference to what is the larger background in Tamilnadu, the arena where such incidents are played out repeatedly. Why is it that innocent men, women and children are caught and thrown into their burning huts here(Keezhvenmony)?After a protracted legal proceedings the prime accused was let out Scot free in that case. Why dalits are segregated in a separate area and a wall is built to see that there is no "pollution"by them of the higher caste people? Why it requires the Leftist activists to fight for the removal of such a wall which should not have been built in the first place?(Uthapuram)? I can add any number of such incidents. While all these are happening on one side, on the other side too we watch some interesting dramas. Meetings are held in street corners where brahmins are vilified, made fun of, abused and lies about them are told to incite people. In short hatred against brahmins are sold as opiate to gullible public by political leaders. What do you conclude? The middle caste agglomerate is unable to live in peace with the dalits at the "lower" end of the caste spectrum as well as the brahmins at the "higher" end of the caste spectrum. Is there not some thing seriously wrong with this group? I am drawing only your attention to this social reality. I am dismayed that you missed this. I am cool.

And Yamaka, justice delayed is justice denied.

And friend, what more, we have nitpicking pundits, missing completely the spirit of the post, writing bhashyams about my comments!!

Cheers.