Abstract
In the late nineteenth century, during the colonial period, the British granted agricultural lands to Tamil Dalit to empower and elevate their social and economic status. As Tamil Dalits were referred to as Panchamars during the colonial period, the lands granted to them were referred to as Panchami lands. Over a period of time the Panchami lands granted for Dalit empowerment, were usurped and appropriated by the dominant castes. Nearly a century later, in the 1990’s, Tamil Dalits launched a movement to reclaim the Panchami lands. This paper argues that memory played a pivotal role in the reclamation of the Panchami Lands movement. To exemplify the significance of communicative memory in the reclamation of Panchami lands, this essay analyzes a Tamizh novel, “Thagappan Kodi” by Azhagiya Periyavan, which is pivoted on the grant, loss and reclamation of Panchami lands.
Presenters
Alamelu Geetha KrishnamurthyProfessor, Humanities and Social Sciences, BITS Pilani, Goa, India
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Tamil Dalits, Panchami Lands, Dalit Literature, Communicative Memory, Cultural Memory
