1957 Ramnad riots
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The Ramnad riots or the Mudukulathur riots were a series of violent clashes that occurred between July and September 1957 in the
Background
Treatment of Dalits
Ramanathapuram district was deemed to be infamous for its brutal caste based discrimination during the colonial era of the 1930s. Dalits were denied any type of symbols linked with superior social position. In his book, J. H. Hutton, the then Census Commissioner, explained the eight restrictions enforced on Dalits by Upper castes, including a ban on the use of jewelry, ornaments and education. This system was subsequently re-established with a stricter collection of 11 restrictions.[3]
Rise of Dalits
In the 1930s,Dalits became educated and economically strengthened. As Dalits gained access to jobs and education, they started to assert themselves. But at the other side, the Thevars stayed disadvantaged in education and, as reported in the Government Order in 1957, they were unable to "align themselves with the present democratic reality and could not accept that the
Due to the rise of
Elections
The
In the 1957 general elections, U. Muthuramalingam Thevar had contested both the
The by-election was held on 1 July, and when the results were released on 4 July, the situation in the area grew tense. The Forward Bloc candidate T.L. Sasivarna Thevar won the election. Gradually, incidents of violent clashes between
Events during the riots
A 'peace conference' was held on 10 September, attended by U. Muthuramalinga Thevar (who had returned day before from
On 11 September, Emmanuel Sekaran, a member of the Congress delegation at the peace conference, was murdered in Paramakudi by Maravars.[1]
On 13 September, clashes erupted at Arumkulam. Five Devendrakula Velalar and three Thevars were killed, and their bodies were thrown into a fire. Two of the Thevars and one of the Devendrakula Velalar were women.[citation needed]
On 14 September, a group of armed police entered the village of Keelathooval in order to arrest suspects in the Emmanuel Sekaran murder case. Five Thevars were killed in police gunfire. According to Forward Bloc sources, the five were blindfolded and executed. A police inquiry commission later refuted that claim.
On 16 September, clashes erupted in villages including Veerambal, Arumbakkan, Irulandapatti and Sandakottai. In the two latter places sixteen Devendrakula Velalar, including one woman, were killed by Kallars. On the same day, the Thevar village of Ilanchambol was attacked by a Devendrakula Velalar mob; the village had been deserted by the police two days earlier. Two Thevars were killed in the attack. The attack was interrupted as Thevars from the neighbouring village of Keelapanayur arrived, driving off the pallar and killing four people.
On 17 September, police opened fire on Forward Bloc cadres in the village of Keeranthai. Five of those killed was Thevars and one was a Devendrakula Velalar. On 18 September, Devendrakula Velalar houses were torched in Thandikudi. On 19 September, hundreds of houses, belonging to both Thevars and Devendrakula Velalar, were torched in the villages of Piramanur, Vadi, Tiruppuvanam, Nallur and Tiruppachatti. On the following day police opened fire on a Thevar mob, but with no casualties.
On 20 September, gunfire by police killed five thevars, four in Uluthumadi and one in Malavavanenthall. In Veerambal, Kallar and Maravar stormed a church where a group of Devendrakula Velalar had sought refuge. Two Devendrakula Velalar were killed and a further 32 were injured. On 21 September, more clashes occurred, but from the following day onward there were no reported incidents.
On 28–29 September 1957, CRC held a state conference and reconstituted itself as the Indian National Democratic Congress. U. Muthuralinga Thevar, one of the inaugural speakers of the event, was arrested just after having delivered his speech. Later, a court in Pudukottai acquitted Thevar of all charges. The Judge who handled the case called Muthuramalinga "a lookalike of Vallalar".
On September 10, 1957, Dalits, Maravars, and Nadars met for negotiations set up by the district collector CVR Panikkar at the time.[4]
See also
- Paramakudi Riots
- Manjolai Labourers Massacre
References
- ^ a b "Remembering Immanuel Sekaran: Brave Dalit leader who lost his life to savarna brutality". The news minute. September 2016. Archived from the original on 2 September 2016. Retrieved 22 August 2020.
- ^ a b c RAJASEKARAN, ILANGOVAN (14 February 2018). "Memories of Mudukulathur". Frontline. Retrieved 22 August 2020.
- ^ ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 22 August 2020.
- ^ "Remembering Immanuel Sekaran: Brave Dalit leader who lost his life to savarna brutality". September 2016.