Jun 21 2011

Indian Government Accuses Dalit Poet and Activist of Provoking Class Warfare

kandaswamyWe now turn to India, and a case that reflects the ongoing hypocrisy of the Indian Caste system. The Indian caste system is a system of social stratification and social restriction in India in which communities are defined by social categories that define both their job and status in life but also their spiritual purity. This system which weaves race, religion, and class into one oppressive noose has also led to the oppression of many but in particular a group of people know as the Untouchables who are systematically discriminated again because of their impure jobs. Untouchables, or as they prefer to be called, Dalits number over 200 million people and face a staggering amount of discrimination including the horrifying statistic that ever hour 2 Untouchables are killed, 3 women are raped, and 2 houses are burnt. It is into this environment that we bring our next Guest Dalit Poet and activist Meena Kandaswamy who while based in the UK has now been embroiled in a case in the Indian judicial system where she is being accused of inciting communal or caste tensions between communities. We go now to Meena. Good Morning Meena, and welcome to Uprising.

GUEST: Meena Kandaswamy, Dalit poet and activist

Read Meena’s writing at: meenu.wordpress.com

3 responses so far

3 Responses to “Indian Government Accuses Dalit Poet and Activist of Provoking Class Warfare”

  1. rajcon 22 Jun 2011 at 2:39 am

    It is about time the IndIan Govt woke up to reality and started protecting its citizens from atrocities based on caste, rather than blaming innocent people because they stand up for those who maybe unable to speak for themselves.

  2. ravion 23 Jun 2011 at 6:48 pm

    The title is a lie.It is a case filed by one individual against three persons (meena, tirumavalavan and publisher). She has not been accused of provoking class warfare. Cant you get your facts right before publishing this.State is not a party in this case. The courts deal with such cases filed by individuals and there are legal options available to her and the other two persons to refute such charges and request that the case should be dismissed. Finally the case has been filed against them as individuals and for what was published in a book. It is not a case against dalits vs. others. It is a case against three persons by one person. The publisher I understand is not a dalit. So dont try to distort facts in the name of supporting dalits/Meena Kandasamy.

  3. ARUMBHUon 08 Jul 2011 at 4:32 am

    Why this harassment in the name of beliefs/faiths.Ponnar Shankar story has been around since long and even illiterate village elders of Trichy,Tanjore districts have passed on to the next generations as heroes of Dalits only.
    Now for political gains if Karunanidhi wrote the screenplay in favour of some castes in Coimbatore to get their votes, it won’t become truth.
    Have we ever thought for a second why Hindu gods and goddesses were mostly from Kshtriya community(Deliberately created by them in connivance with Brahmins)? Of late other intermediate caste grouops deities are coming to the fore. Scheduled castes are scheduled in the last 60 years or so. Earlier there were kings among them(unscheduled at that time).
    Kingdoms change,Kings change.Natural phenomenon. Now also even after freedom from English Dalits have not got the real freedom (from these brown people). Britishers in a way were far better humanists than the Indians(Hindians).The entire state machinery is misused to stifle the voices of protest for political gains which rests not on justice but pure arithmatics.Common thread and common booty.That’s why Indians are highly corrupt(to the core) and corruption is rampant. Hinduism spreads injustices and corruption everywhere.Who have been accused of corruption.Mostly Sharmas,choudhurys,Varmas,Singhs,Dwivedis and even Chaturvedis! They are as corrupt as their gods.

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