— Nandhiga Ramani B
MOVIE – Karnan
Directed by Mari Selvaraj, Karnan is a portrayal of the struggle of a village of lower castes against caste discrimination and exploitation by the upper castes folks of the neighboring village and the local police officials. A simple storyline, what makes this movie truly stand out is the abundance of metaphors and symbolisms that it engages in. While Tamil cinema never shied from bringing in caste into their stories, it was predominantly used in depicting inter-caste relationships and the turbulence associated with it. It is only recently that we see a rise in movies that address the various myriad of issues associated with the caste system. In this movie, Selvaraj specifically shows us how a caste society works to crush an individual at every step of the way. The movie is full of hard-hitting dialogues but the one that had most impact on me was this:
“Ungalukku
En Thevai Ennangirathu Mukkiyam Illai
En Pirasanai Ennangirathu Mukkiyam Illai
Unga Munnadi Eppadi Nikkiren
Eppadi Pesurankirathuthaan Mukkiyamla
Niminthu Paththaale Adippingalale”
“My needs don’t matter to you.
My troubles don’t matter to you.
All that matters to you
Is how I stand before you,
And how I address you.
Is that it?”
BOOK – Coming out as Dalit Yashica Dutt
Coming Out as a Dalit is a memoir that recounts the experiences of casteism in the contemporary era, especially in urban areas. A journalist living in New York, Dutt’s background as a middle-class Dalit forms the book’s main focal point. Her text is full of hard-hitting relatable anecdotes for Bahujans who occupy the urban elite spaces. From trying to hide your caste in the way you dress and speak to encountering casual casteism in every phase of your life, Dutt’s experiences uncover the lies propagated by the urban savarna elite using the “there is no caste” discourse. One should not read her work in the hope of getting a scholarly insight into the workings of caste in urban space. Moreover, the book is a form of self-reflection that attempts to contextualize the author’s personal experiences within the larger structural settings of society. By constantly referring back to the history of caste-based discrimination and the Dalit movement, she connects her personal experiences and those of other Dalits to the broader issues of caste-based discrimination in the country.
SONG: Vada Chennai by The Casteless Collective
While the band has many popular anti-caste songs to offer, my personal favorite of theirs is ‘Vada Chennai’. Catchy tune and beats aside, the lyrics offer an ode to Northern Madras. A region dominated by people of lower castes, in popular culture it is shown in a stereotypical fashion as the place for crime and gang wars. The song deals with the myriad of issues that people of North Chennai face such as eviction, exploitation, and oppression while making the point that it is the people of North Chennai that form the backbone of ‘Singaram Chennai’.
“Porandha Mannu Madras-su
Nanga Illada Pudhusu
Idha Nagaramaakki Vecha Engala
Navuru Solladhu Arasu
Chennai Enbadhu Karuppar Nagaram
Unmaiya Ippo Urakka Sollanum
Vyasarpadi Vannarapetta
Naanga Thandhadhu George Kottai”
“We were born in Madras
We are natives, not outsiders
We built this city with blood and sweat;
Government throws us out, it evicts.
Chennai is home to the black folk;
Let’s shout the truth loud and clear.
Vyasapradi and Vannarapettai;
It’s our gift to you – George Kottai.”
PODCAST: Anurag Minus Verma Podcast
A Mumbai-based film-maker, author and content creator, Anurag Verma is a well known anti-caste voice in the instagram circles. He recently forayed into podcasting wherein he invites interesting artists from acros genres to give a subtle but sharp commentary on societal biases, caste, and oppressive hegemonies, and how these play out in their daily lives. If I had to recommend one episode from this podcast, it would be his conversation with Buffalo Intellectual. A fellow anti-caste Instagram “influencer”, Buffalo Intellectual is known for providing a Bahujan/Ambedkarite perspective on everything popular. In this episode, they touch a variety of contemporary topics such as insta reel culture, the proliferation of elite liberal arts colleges in the country, and Indian academia, and deconstruct them through a caste based lens. A highly insightful podcast, it makes you unlearn and question every “woke” thing you have come across.
ART: Siddesh Gautam aka Bakery Prasad
Siddesh Gautam, who goes by the instagram handle ‘Bakery Prasad’ is a Pune-based illustrator and a storyteller. With an impressive following on instagram, he is one of the most important Bahujan voices in the social media space. As evident from the Ambedkarite theme of his instagram feed, he is a strong proponent of Ambedkar’s philosophy and uses his art to critique the various aspects of the Savarana society. His art derives inspiration from the Dadaist movement, and is laden with themes of surrealism. The Dadaists rejected the aestheticism of modern capitalist society and questioned the idea of blind nationalism. Gautam combines this aspect of the movement with the ideas of Ambedkar to come up with a unique anti-caste narrative in the Indian art scene.
Edited by Madhumitha R
Design by Shatabdi Deori
Article 19 