Caste discrimination more in south: Healthy conflict or exposing underbelly of social reform!

Caste discrimination is more pronounced in South India, which prides itself as a pioneer in social reform and advancement in the spheres of education and economic well being. The same is the case with the NE, according to the findings of the Pew research released this week. While communal polarisation is negligible except in Karnataka, caste continues to hold its sway in this region and Tamil Nadu is no exception. "A higher share of Dalits in the South and Northeast than elsewhere in the country say they, personally, have faced discrimination in the last 12 months because of their caste: 30% of Dalits in the South say this, as do 38% in the Northeast," says the Pew study. Is this an indication of a healthy conflict inching towards a resolution or simply exposes the underbelly of the social reform project and modernity which took roots in the South with the advent of colonialism? writes ETV Bharat Chennai Bureau Chief MC Rajan.

Chennai:Taking the shine off the Dravidian movement and its precursors, a recent study has revealed that despite the rapid strides made in various spheres, caste remains the dominant idiom of social life in the south, than elsewhere in the country. Discrimination of Dalits is very high in this region, compared to other states. This raises a pertinent question about the role of the reform movements and their legacy.

It might be a bitter pill to swallow, but the Pew Research study has brought out the inconvenient truth of continuing caste prejudices in everyday life in South India. While most write-ups on the study, titled “Religion in India: Tolerance and Segregation”, were focussed on the South largely remaining free of communal polarisation, the issue of caste has escaped attention. The findings on this score are significant since they provide a potent weapon to the critics of the Dravidian movement and the Left in Kerala.

Social reform and the struggle against hegemony have a long history in the South, especially in Tamil Nadu and Kerala along with Andhra Pradesh, which were part of the erstwhile Madras Presidency. It is natural that peninsular India takes pride in its progressive trajectory and the achievements made in the sphere of social justice. But, the Pew study lifts the veil on the 'success story' narrative, raising uncomfortable questions.

Even though they are facing discrimination, Dalits too are not favourably inclined towards inter-religious and inter-caste marriages, espoused by reformers as a means to annihilate caste. Nearly 60 per cent of Dalits, both men and women, the study says, want inter-caste marriages to be stopped. Analysts differ on the reasons for the high prevalence of discrimination against Dalits in the south.

“Beneficiaries of the social reform movement were the dominant intermediary castes, the OBC Gounders, Thevars and Vanniyars in Tamil Nadu, and the Reddys and Kammas in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. They have replaced Brahmin hegemony and occupied that space while Dalits have been largely left out. Political and economic power had gone to the hands of these dominant castes.

And this faultline causes an upheaval in the society leading to caste conflicts and caste tensions where the victims are Dalits,” says Sreenivasan Ravichandran, an RSS-leaning analyst. This is in conformity with a section of Dalit intellectuals, who are critical of the Dravidian movement. However, another school of academics offers a nuanced explanation, taking into account the dynamics of conflicts in society. According to R Thirunavukkarasu, the findings are indicative of the conflict between the haves and have nots becoming sharper leading towards a resolution.

“Unlike in the north, awareness and access to grievance redressal are more in the south. The victims are increasingly articulating in the public domain forcing all stakeholders to take a stand. Social media, especially social media provides a platform for conversation. Conflict is far better than the silence of the grave as it has the potential to lead to a healthy democracy. And the seeds for this were sown by the social reform movements. Though we cannot pre-judge the results, let us engage in the new conversation,” he explains.

Where does the Dravidian movement stand? The study has certainly opened up a debate.